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do you always carry spare clutch? do you always carry spare clutch?
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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 19 Dec 2015
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I've always carried a spare clutch cable.
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Old 19 Dec 2015
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Originally Posted by tremens View Post
wow, you have loaded that bike nicely great shots.
Good to have bike that parts are available in most countries when you don't have spare...
BTW I was wondering, so many years of motorcycling and they still did't get better idea for clutch then plates...
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Originally Posted by Keith1954 View Post
I've always carried a spare clutch cable.
Yep, carryin a fair bit of stuff in the picture, but the red bag should be tied on the back properly.... , it fell off in the river .

From experience, carrying lightweight specific bike show-stopping (if broken) parts like clutch plates and cables is a good idea.

But it depends on where you're riding. If you're going on an exclusively pavement trip, then spare clutch plates might be OTT, but if you're on on a Honda V twin (Transalp/Africa Twin are well known to have chocolate teacup clutch plates) and hitting the dirt, then I strongly suggest you should carry a spare.

My views, of course, count for nothing in the big scheme of things. Everyone should make their own experiences.
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Old 19 Dec 2015
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In something like 300-400,000 miles I only ever had a clutch start to slip once—on a Tenere—and I got it replaced in Casablanca (Morocco) with no problems. So it depends where I was headed.
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Old 20 Dec 2015
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Originally Posted by Tim Cullis View Post
In something like 300-400,000 miles I only ever had a clutch start to slip once—on a Tenere—and I got it replaced in Casablanca (Morocco) with no problems. So it depends where I was headed.
I killed the clutch on almost new tenere in sand so I guess factory plates are made from paper...Will be replacing aftermarket stronger ones.

Didn't know honda twins had also weak clutches.
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Old 20 Dec 2015
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Originally Posted by tremens View Post
I killed the clutch on almost new tenere in sand so I guess factory plates are made from paper...Will be replacing aftermarket stronger ones.

Didn't know honda twins had also weak clutches.
I don't think either bike has a weak clutch but more down to the rider and how hard you drive the bike, I have never had to replace the clutch on any bike. My GS has now done 170,000 miles on the original and that bike has taken me many places and in most conditions, I have met riders of Japanese bikes with similar high mileage on them who have had the same long life.
If you do ride your bike hard and expect to wear out a clutch it would be a good idea to carry spare plates.
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Old 20 Dec 2015
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Originally Posted by mark manley View Post
I don't think either bike has a weak clutch but more down to the rider and how hard you drive the bike, I have never had to replace the clutch on any bike.
you probably right, if you don't ride difficult off-road terrain only tarmac clutch wear is not a problem. I have never kill clutch on the street either.
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Old 20 Dec 2015
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Originally Posted by chris View Post
... but if you're on on a Honda V twin (Transalp/Africa Twin are well known to have chocolate teacup clutch plates) and hitting the dirt, then I strongly suggest you should carry a spare.
My experience is that Chris is right:



The snapped clutch cable on my Honda XL650V Transalp.

From that moment onwards I fitted a spare cable - threaded (lazy) alongside the active one.

Hasn't snapped again since that incident - 80,000 km ago - but I've had peace of mind.
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Old 20 Dec 2015
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I have never needed to replace clutch parts on the road but always carried a spare clutch cable. The closest I came to it was in the winter of 1962/3 riding overnight from Norfolk to Cornwall (UK).

Going through Wiltshire I noticed that when climbing the north east facing hills that the engine revs kept increasing but speed remained constant. In those days there was a wooden hut opposite a layby on the old A303. Inside the hut would be a fire and hot drinks, which were very tempting as it was really cold. I pulled into the layby only to discover I could hardly stand due to frozen ice on the layby and road. I then realised that I hadn't been getting clutch slip but wheelspin instead. Any way, had my hot drink in the shed/cafe and continued on my way, a little less heavy on the throttle. The up hill parts of the road faced the cold winds and were totally covered in black ice.
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