Clutch slipping

[Mad-1]

Having a little annoying niggle with my CB-1 clutch recently. Under hard acceleration my clutch tends to slip.  This usually happens in third through to top gear, and when I pull away quickly, and strangely enough when I ride over a bump in the road when using as much as half throttle. I've owned this bike for three months and I know little of what condition the clutch is in. .Any advice, friends? 

[guntherrex]

don't know the mileage, but good chance the clutch plates are worn out and need replacing. that or your clutch cable is too tight, if you rerouted it lately?

if you change the plates best replace the springs too, not too expensive while you're at it

[a_morti]

Yeh, that.

First thing is to ensure you have suitable free play on the cable.

If you have a hard time finding parts they're the same as original cbr600f1 plates an springs but the basket is different.

[Mad-1]

It does seem like a worn clutch. Would it be necessary to replace the basket as well? And would I need any special tools?

[guntherrex]

no need to replace the basket unless it looks chewed up. I think the manual will tell you to have a special tool to hald the basket in place, but I dont think you'll need one, just find something that will fit

[a_morti]

If you have an air wrench or battery equivalent you won't need tO hold the basket otherwise you will. Beg steal or borrow an air wrench it makes life so much easier!!

The basket may need dressing with a small file if the edges of the fingers are worn but most are salvageable.

[Drewski]

Are you sure that you have the correct oil? A lot of slipping clutches on bikes are down to people using car oil instead of the correct grade motorcycle oil. If oil is correct, you need to get the plates off and accurately measure them and the springs. Try and get the gasket off in one piece as some of these gaskets aren't easy to get hold of now. Be careful not to overtighten the flange bolts when sticking it all back together

Clutch plate service limit..............2.9mm (3.22 - 3.38 new)
Clutch Spring service limit ............36mm  (37.5 new)
Plate warpage limit .....................0.3mm

[guntherrex]

I recon there's more cluches slipping from people buying pricy full synth oit than using car oil, which works fine Just use the right grade 

[Mad-1]

I did think whether or not that it could be the engine oil but I'm not at all sure. I use Fuchs Silkolene Super 4 oil, (replacing with Castrol Power One in my next oil change.) The bike has now clocked up 60,000km... how long does a clutch usually last for? And about the availability of gaskets, doesn't the cb-1 use the first cbr600f engine cases? Surely cbr600f gaskets would be compatible? 

[a_morti]

Given the clutch is the same as an 85hp cbr600 you'd expect it to last quite a while. Certainly more than yours did. My first cb was sold at 66k miles and the clutch was fine.

The gaskets will work.

The left cover woks with different screws.

Th right cover is not the same as the generator is significantly bigger. Though I can't work out why that would be, as both have single lights. Is the compression of the 600 so much more that the strter motor drains worse??

[Drewski]

It's the car oils that include friction modifiers that bugger up wet clutches.

[91cb-1]

i.e. the oils they've brought out with little bits of metal in them to clean the engine?

[guntherrex]

oh well, not interested in oil debates, same as religious debates really Friction modifiers will screw up your clutch usually yes, so get the cheap stuff

Fuchs sikolene should be fine since it's semi-synth. 60k km is not very much, but depending on your riding style it's not unthinkable your clutch plates are worn. Especially if you like dragracing and wheelying 

I did around 50k on my zx7r before needing need plates, and have almost 100k on my zrx1200 and still on the original plates. Same riding style... zrx1200 is less stressed obviously