Clutch abuse?

**Jenkins** · 05-24-2011, 10:13 AM

How much abuse can a clutch take? Me and my buddies are learning to do clutch wheelies and where wondering , how long are clutches will last with all the abuse we have been giving them? Some of my buddies have it down pat , but me and another guy just aren't consistent! Maybe 1 out of 4 attempts I can keep up and going a good distance. I just wanted to know if I should start saving for a new clutch or if they are though parts and will last awhile?

**TwistedKestrel** · 05-24-2011, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Jenkins

How much abuse can a clutch take? Me and my buddies are learning to do clutch wheelies and where wondering , how long are clutches will last with all the abuse we have been giving them? Some of my buddies have it down pat , but me and another guy just aren't consistent! Maybe 1 out of 4 attempts I can keep up and going a good distance. I just wanted to know if I should start saving for a new clutch or if they are though parts and will last awhile?

There's different levels of abuse. If you overheat the clutch, you can easily fry it in a short period of time. You can fry it in one shot if you mess up doing a burnout. Otherwise though, yes it's bad for the clutch but it will just shorten the total life, so depending on how bad you are you could be replacing it in the next 5,000 to 50,000km.

**LoneRonin** · 05-24-2011, 03:58 PM

waiting on new plates to put my Ninja 250r clutch back together, I blew it 32k....I was hard it on it all the time, even during day to day riding but it really went after a burnout attempt in the rain. I felt it instantly start slipping the ride home, took it apart and sure enough the steel plates were scorched blue and friction plates were pretty worn down too. Only good thing is the plates are only a 100 bucks and some change and I'm doing it all myself so its not too costly. If I had the plates on hand I'd be up and running in under an hour.

**ducati rider** · 05-24-2011, 11:06 PM

how does the clutch go from burnouts? dont you just rev the bike then dump the clutch with front brake on?

**ETR** · 05-25-2011, 12:24 AM

I'm not sure about ducati's never owned one myslf, but i do know my gsxr6 clutch lasted forever, i "abused" it everday, to say i was doing slow clutch wheelies on it all the time, but you really don't need to worry about the clutch, supersport bike parts like the clutch are built to witstand more torture then a average person can even handle to put the bike through, you will see alot of guys buy stock bikes straight out of the showroom and turn it into track bikes, and abuse the hell out of them. my clutch lasted 45k and i abused the hell out of it. alot of pimped out stunt bikes run stock clutch because thats how good the stock clutch is.

The one thing i will say you HAVE to keep an eye on are your rear sprocket screws, keep em tight and torqued those things take alot of abuse but then again i also drift my bike, my screws twisted and snapped once when i was learning to clutch wrheelie.

**JohnnyP636** · 05-25-2011, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by ducati rider

how does the clutch go from burnouts? dont you just rev the bike then dump the clutch with front brake on?

when you dont have your techinque down just right and you hold it at the friction point too long instead of "dumping it". When you do that you start to burn it, and you can totally destroy a brand new clutch in a matter of a few attempts doing that...

Its a very broad question that really has no magical answer as everyones learning curve is different...I can tell you I have burnt about 4-5 clutch packs on my stunt bike since 2005. I dont do it nearly as often as I used too, but Im still good for a burnt clutch pack about every season or 2...

**Jenkins** · 05-25-2011, 01:29 PM

Thanks for all the replies, I do dump the clutch and don't Hold it at the friction point . I give it just a quick pull and most of the time up she goes. I'll keep practicing and order a set of plates so when she does go I'll be up and running alot quicker!!

**ETR** · 05-25-2011, 08:44 PM

Just one more thing, i know your bike has more then enough power to probably just power wheelie, but as a learner and to get a good feel, clutch wheelie like you always do, but this time try to move your butt back maybe a few inches and see the angle of your sitting with your rpm clutch release, sometimes what happens is maybe the clutch wheelie i so low that it either needs the right weight distribution and angle to get it up much easier at lower speeds, try it. once you get consistant with releasing the clutch at the right rpms without looking, try different seating, pulling and throttle control positions. And once you nail it in 1st gear do it in 2nd, etc...ps: also always make sure your spokes "spindles" are torqued, they can be loose and cause sproket bolts to snap as well. I advice anyone learning to do wheelie invest in titanium racing sprocket screw kit.

**jackson** · 05-26-2011, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by ETR

Just one more thing, i know your bike has more then enough power to probably just power wheelie, but as a learner and to get a good feel, clutch wheelie like you always do, but this time try to move your butt back maybe a few inches and see the angle of your sitting with your rpm clutch release, sometimes what happens is maybe the clutch wheelie i so low that it either needs the right weight distribution and angle to get it up much easier at lower speeds, try it. once you get consistant with releasing the clutch at the right rpms without looking, try different seating, pulling and throttle control positions. And once you nail it in 1st gear do it in 2nd, etc...ps: also always make sure your spokes "spindles" are torqued, they can be loose and cause sproket bolts to snap as well. I advice anyone learning to do wheelie invest in titanium racing sprocket screw kit.

lol!