Yamaha R6 clutch kit

[windy]

Hey guys,
I am looking at buying a new clutch kit for my r6. I want to have a spare one in my trailer when racing.
What do you guys use / recommend? And where is the best place to get one?

[Metal-Man]

nothin wrong with OEM

[Marshy]

I've successfully used one of those EB Street/Race kits from the USA too. Cheap and good. OEM is fine though too. Or YEC friction plates.

[windy]

I was just looking at those ebc kits. Seem pretty well priced.
Haven't looked at yec. I imagine they are not cheap

[Marshy]

I was just looking at those ebc kits. Seem pretty well priced.

That's why I bought it, and it was surprisingly good. No issues at all. Very slightly sharper/narrower take-up point, which is good, but not earth-shatteringly better than OEM.

Haven't looked at yec. I imagine they are not cheap

Not too bad if you buy direct from Japan (green cycle). I bought a few as spares, but never actually ended up using one, so I don't know how they compare to stock. They only come as friction plates, not metals as well.

But I might add that clutches can be refreshed very easily with some 120 grit wet and dry. Once I discovered the technique (thanks Marty!!) I haven't bought a new clutch since! The friction plates don't usually wear that much, it's the metal plates that get glazed from heat (that distinctive purple and black colour), and then they slip and/or lose performance due to the glaze. If you catch them early enough (ie before the heat physically warps the plate), then you can bring them back to new with an hour just sanding the glaze off them. A few minutes sanding per side of each plate, and the glaze comes right off and you end up with 'new' plate material again. As I said, the friction plates are fine 99% of the time; it's the glazing on the metal plates that destroys performance. Just check the frictions for thickness - like a brake pad, you can see when they are getting low - and if they are looking worn, then replace them. But otherwise, sanding the plates (clean them with brake cleaner afterwards) and reassembling will have your clutch feeling like new again!

[nigelnobody]

Very informative,what is the telltale sign that things arent right?ie:before damage done beyond refresh.

[Turbo]

Very informative,what is the telltale sign that things arent right?ie:before damage done beyond refresh.

It's normally that the rear wheel starts to slip, in neutral, when it's on the stand and you give it a wee rev.
+1 for the sanding trick, works a treat. Deff keep the plates in order tho!!

[Marshy]

Very informative,what is the telltale sign that things arent right?ie:before damage done beyond refresh.

Ideally you'd service it before it slips and potentially gets damaged. But even when they start to slip, if you then park the bike instead of spending a day slipping it and overheating it, I've never yet had a warped metal plate. I've heard it happens, but not personally seen it, and I've refreshed a lot of clutches.

[nigelnobody]

Thanks guys!
So much to learn,zero confidance in the mechanical dept,just did my first rear wheel removal.LOL

[zooker]

x2 on just cleaning the steel plates up.

Discovered my clutch was slipping in the higher revs during my 1st ever race this year. Continued the day gently, but flogged it in the last race to beat dan to the line.

I pulled the clutch out and all the steel plates showed some glazing, 2 were completely black. I just used a scotchbrite pad and brake cleaner and they scrubbed up good as new. Chucked it back together with old friction plates and no problems since.

[Carl-52]

My clutch let go in the last race at the Broadford St george round. Pulled it apart after short shifting the bike in that race and deglazed all the steels. Did the fx weekend on it last week and it was perfect.

[Marty]

Your welcome Marshy. I learnt the trick from a semi pro drag racer, he sands his clutch (fibers too he reckons) after every drag meet (6-8 passes), but obviously he is extremely hard on the clutch.

If you've warped a plate the telltale sign that you'll get clutch drag, most obvious symptom is if your got the bike in gear with the clutch in coasting into the pits and you rev it and the bike jumps forward. You try to adjust it out at the lever and nothing makes a difference, that's when it's time to buy some plates. I used to warp steels all the time in my street r1 from hooning

Each plate and fibre has a service limit which you should check after you've sanded. Until you hit the service limit you can just keep sanding them.

With slipper clutches you need to maintain the stack height. An r1 OEM kit comes with an extra thicker plate to boost the total height as the stack wears down

[Binksy]

If you've warped a plate the telltale sign that you'll get clutch drag, most obvious symptom is if your got the bike in gear with the clutch in coasting into the pits and you rev it and the bike jumps forward. You try to adjust it out at the lever and nothing makes a difference, that's when it's time to buy some plates. I used to warp steels all the time in my street r1 from hooning

Now that's useful info, my 09 R1 roady has been like that for a while but I haven't got around to pulling the clutch out and checking it all to figure out whats wrong. Will have to find some time to pull it all apart and check it all.

[Marshy]

Thanks Marty! Presumably that also applies to when the back wheel rotates whilst in neutral on the stand? I've always wondered what caused that.

[Marty]

Certain bikes will always rotate even in neutral but if it gets worse when you clutch in and click it into gear then it's dragging as far as I know.

Yeh the 09 r1s are garbage with clutches, I had nothing but trouble with mine that's how I came to learn more about clutches. I know heaps of people with them and they've all put a couple of clutches in theirs too