Clutch issue

[KsGman]

Our on a ride last Saturday on my 2011 300 EC, and noticed with the bike OFF and IN GEAR, I couldn't pull the clutch and roll the bike. The clutch seems to be disengaging with the lever while riding.

I noticed that the site glass shows the fluid level down about halfway.

So first, I figured I'd back-bleed with fresh mineral oil (not knowing what the previous owner used) and top off the reservoir. Are you guys using Magura Blood or what is the fluid of choice around here?

2nd-is this potentially a sign that the slave is failing? This appears to be a similar part to hydraulic clutches on other bikes. Is there a cross reference for a re-build kit?

Thanks for the help fellas.
GW

 

[sneaky98gt]

I have a 2011 EC250 that has pretty much the same "issue". I call it an "issue" because other than a slight inconvenience, I don't really consider it a problem. On my bike anyway, the clutch just drags a good bit with the engine off and cold. Once it's warmed up, it's significantly less, but I can still tell it's there. But once running, I can't tell it's dragging at all.

I think it's simply due to the surface tension effects of the oil. The plates are obviously separating as they're supposed to (else it'd drag with the engine on), and thus at lower speeds, the oil is kinda holding things stuck together until they get up some rpm. I've ridden the bike maybe 15 hours so far since I bought it, the clutch works completely perfectly otherwise (really well actually), and this tendency hasn't changed at all in that 15 hours.

Bottom line: on my bike anyway, I'm not concerned about it. It still starts easily both on the kicker and on the e-start with it in gear, so other than a very minor nuisance when trying to push the bike when it's off, cold, and in gear (which I rarely / never do), I'm not having any issues with it.

As for the oil, I recently had to put a rebuild kit in the master, so I obviously changed and bled the oil then. When I was doing some research, what I concluded was that when it says "mineral oil only", it basically means "any kind of oil other than brake fluid". Since some of the passages in the master and slave are pretty small, you'll want as low a viscosity as you can. I used some 3-weight synthetic shock oil that I had sitting around. As mentioned above, the clutch works and feels amazing. I'd venture to say the best feeling factory clutch of any bike I've ever ridden, and better than a lot of the aftermarket ones.

 

[(F5)]

So yer fairly new here, hi.
Yeah the clutch is gearbox oil sensitive more than most. For example mine drags and is hard to kick start in gear using ordinary Motul Transoil. However using Motul Transoil Expert it works fine.
There's a few threads about this. Read up and try another oil for a starter.

 

[Jakobi]

I have a 2011 EC250 that has pretty much the same "issue". I call it an "issue" because other than a slight inconvenience, I don't really consider it a problem. On my bike anyway, the clutch just drags a good bit with the engine off and cold. Once it's warmed up, it's significantly less, but I can still tell it's there. But once running, I can't tell it's dragging at all.

I think it's simply due to the surface tension effects of the oil. The plates are obviously separating as they're supposed to (else it'd drag with the engine on), and thus at lower speeds, the oil is kinda holding things stuck together until they get up some rpm. I've ridden the bike maybe 15 hours so far since I bought it, the clutch works completely perfectly otherwise (really well actually), and this tendency hasn't changed at all in that 15 hours.

Bottom line: on my bike anyway, I'm not concerned about it. It still starts easily both on the kicker and on the e-start with it in gear, so other than a very minor nuisance when trying to push the bike when it's off, cold, and in gear (which I rarely / never do), I'm not having any issues with it.

As for the oil, I recently had to put a rebuild kit in the master, so I obviously changed and bled the oil then. When I was doing some research, what I concluded was that when it says "mineral oil only", it basically means "any kind of oil other than brake fluid". Since some of the passages in the master and slave are pretty small, you'll want as low a viscosity as you can. I used some 3-weight synthetic shock oil that I had sitting around. As mentioned above, the clutch works and feels amazing. I'd venture to say the best feeling factory clutch of any bike I've ever ridden, and better than a lot of the aftermarket ones.

So yer fairly new here, hi.
Yeah the clutch is gearbox oil sensitive more than most. For example mine drags and is hard to kick start in gear using ordinary Motul Transoil. However using Motul Transoil Expert it works fine.
There's a few threads about this. Read up and try another oil for a starter.

This and this.

I have some stricking of the plates when cold that a few rocks back and forwards release. Then some substantial drag. Once up to temp it rolls in gear easily, but there is more drag than if she's in neutral. When riding never an issue. Still fires first kick in gear, clutch pulled..

 

[KsGman]

Thanks for the reply guys. Apologies if this has been covered before. When searching threads, the results I read didn't quite seem to be my exact problem.

Probably because I had it in my mind the issue was with the hydraulic clutch rather than further down the line.

Onward.

 

[gasser]

Some gassers are more sensitive to oil viscosity than others. My 5 gassers were all different. I use Shell Rotella and some of my gassers (99,01, & 02) were fine with the thicker non-synthetic, my 2011 likes the thinner semi-synthetic, and my 07 required the full synthetic which is thinnest of all the Rotella oils. All the bikes were fine with any of them for a couple of rides but you get more rides without noticeable drag when using the thinner oil.

 

[memphis2857]

Change the transmission oil more often and use a good quality motorcycle oil. I like Honda 80/85w gear oil or Bel-Ray gear saver. No clutch drag and the oil will go a good 6-8 hours under extreme abuse before it needs changed.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[frankinberg]

Trans oil

I use a 50/50 mix of rotela 15/40 type f trans fluid and I run an auto clutch works great

 

[Zman]

I use a 50/50 mix of rotela 15/40 type f trans fluid and I run an auto clutch works great

That's what we use on eight of our bikes between 2000 and 2004 and it works great.

 

[KsGman]

Follow up to this discussion; I've always used Klotz FlexDrive 30 in my 2 strokes, going back to my 2000 Husky, through several KTM's (200's and 300's), one of the KTM's with a Rekluse.
The website states this is a 75W/80. Any reason I should NOT give this a run in my 11 EC300? Any others running it?

GW

 

[Zman]

I few years ago I bought and used 6 quarts of the Klotz Flexdrive 30. I thought it made my GG shifting feel a little notchy but other than that it worked fine.

 

[KsGman]

I few years ago I bought and used 6 quarts of the Klotz Flexdrive 30. I thought it made my GG shifting feel a little notchy but other than that it worked fine.

Thanks Zman.

Luckily have have some time to ponder oil choices while I wait for a replacement drain plug to arrive from Matto

I feel lucky I was able to get the other one out...not only was the hex near rounded out, but it was evidently rounded while having some serious torque applied to it (this is my first oil change on our new -to us- GG).

 

[Zman]

I have had luck with a 1/4" hex socket inserted with some force works to persuade the stripped 6mm holes.