Clutch need help!

[KAT6]

Hello everyone long time no see. I traveled about 400 miles today and my clutch started slipping. I have about twenty thousand miles on it. is it shot or can I adjust it from the bottom? Also how much is it to replace it if I do it my self?
joe

[duff daddy]

for a clutch kit from dennis kirk its bout 60-75 bux for the kit, but you gotta ad in shipping and assuming you didnt screw it up, and i think you need some fluid in there too if im not mistaking

[Mojoe]

and i think you need some fluid in there too if im not mistaking

How is your kat cooled? Does your kats use prestone or oil cooled? Is it a wet clutch or a dry clutch? Mine is a wet clutch....uses engine oil. I am just curious what your is.

[Anonymous]

Well..if it's a Kat..it's gonna be oil/air cooled w/ a wet clutch system...

So, if I were you, I would first do an oil change (cheap and easy). Are you using a synthetic? If not, try one (like Mobil 1 MX4T). If you're still having problems, then maybe you probably have a legitamit Clutch problem.

You could take it in, but its gonna be $$$! and it's not really an easy job (I've never replaced one, but I know its harder than a lot of the stuff I've done...it seems pretty dauntin to me)

Sorry if that's not very much help, good luck.

[ThAzKat]

You go Mojoe!!!!

First off, Kat6, have you ever adjusted the clutch or had it adjusted?
20,000 miles IMHO is alot of miles for a bikes clutches. It is possible to get alot of mileage on clutches. I don't reccomend it though.
I would reccomend adjusting the clutch and changing oil in the bike and see what happens from there. when was the last time you changed oil in the bike? I change mine about 2,000 miles but I am hard on my bike.
400 miles on a bike that has worn clutch plates and the oil hasn't been changed for more than 3 months can cause a problem but maybe not enough of a problem that it means changing clutches.
Change your oil
clean the clutch cable
adjust the clutch
then we go from there!
Thom

[Mojoe]

20,000 miles IMHO is alot of miles for a bikes clutches. It is possible to get alot of mileage on clutches. I don't reccomend it though.

I am almost afraid to tell you how many miles I have on my clutches for fear you will say I am full of shit. But I kid you not...I bought my 92 in 93 with 6k kilometers on it. It now has 220k kilometers on it. I swear on my mom's head....the clutches are the same ones that were in it when I bought it. No slipping at all. However my rings are shot and it smokes.

[ThAzKat]

but do you change the oil regularly Mojoe?
And you are how hard on it, I think I saw a thread of yours about going faster and faster j/k

[The CyberPoet]

Call me up, bring it over, we'll take a look at it.

20k miles is about average for a city rider (light-to-light) or someone who slams the clutch a lot, but you can get far more than that out of the clutch if you do mostly highway miles and are good about matching RPM's.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[KAT6]

I have a 2000 katana 600 I change the oil every 2k I put car synthetic oil in about 3 changes ago and ran it for 1k before switching back I will talk to Thanks
Joe

[KAT6]

I fixed it! I took the kat apart and found the lower adjustment and made a tweak. Just like new.
Joe

[ThAzKat]

Sweet dude, so happy that it wasn't a major fix. I have had my bike for 1 1/2 years and I have adjusted my clutch twice but I am picky. Good job there Kat6, try not to be a stranger!