How much clutch slippage, if any, is normal

2011 RT SE-5 55,000 Miles

I was out riding yesterday and being a bit aggressive. I noticed that if I'm cruising along, in any gear, at a comfy pace (maybe 4500 to 5000 RPMs) if I hit the gas full throttle the RPMs instantly jump to about 7000 before the bike actually speeds up. This only lasts around 2 or 3 seconds before the RPMs come back down as the bike then speeds up with the engine. If this has happened before I hadn't noticed it. Otherwise its running fine. The oil is fine. Clearly there is some slippage. How much, if any, is acceptable ? Your thoughts are welcome.

On my 2012 RT SE5 I have never had any slippage.

I have a friend of mine who has been a biker "all his life" (Enduro & road racing) He says that a clutch should never slip if it is ok. He helped me do my first oil and brake fluid changes and stated how important it was to use the correct oil on this bike, since it has a "wet clutch". Using the wrong oil will ruin the clutch in the long run he said!

However, last season I had sort of the same thing on one of my rides. I sped up after a red light and it felt like clutch slipping. It went away when driving at a steady pace. Going uphill it came back, so I stopped to check the oil level only it was on the dot. Then I saw what caused it, my belt was missing about 6 inches of "knobs". So check out the belt as well.

Best of luck!

What are you using for oil? When you check that belt for missing knobs, check the front pulley for red rust. It may be time for a clutch job. :dontknow: Hard telling without seeing it.

My 2012 is pushing 79,000 miles . A few months ago it spit a few teeth out of the belt, about 6 inches worth. I must have caught it fairly quickly because I don't remember any "clutch slip" like feeling. I did replace the belt and it runs fine and the clutch seems to be grabbing as it should. So check your belt for missing teeth. Unless you have been using an oil not JASO MA2 rated or otherwise abusing your clutch it should be OK. Other than running the RPM's too low for an extended time we have not had much conversation about clutches going bad on VTwins.

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Originally Posted by C3517C

2011 RT SE-5 55,000 Miles

I was out riding yesterday and being a bit aggressive. I noticed that if I'm cruising along, in any gear, at a comfy pace (maybe 4500 to 5000 RPMs) if I hit the gas full throttle the RPMs instantly jump to about 7000 before the bike actually speeds up. This only lasts around 2 or 3 seconds before the RPMs come back down as the bike then speeds up with the engine. If this has happened before I hadn't noticed it. Otherwise its running fine. The oil is fine. Clearly there is some slippage. How much, if any, is acceptable ? Your thoughts are welcome.

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:agree: with others about type of oil and if it's at the proper amount ..... good luck ....Mike .....PS I have DRAG RACED my 2011 RSS ( 30+ runs in one day ) with the SE trtans, and never had an issue with FULL throttle shifting .....

If you are noticing clutch slippage, it's too much. If you're using the correct lubricant, then you may need a clutch replacement. Running at too low RPM is the most common reason for clutch slippage after using the wrong oil.

All good advice, Thank You. I use Amsoil 10W-40 metric motorcycle oil. Ill check the belt thoroughly today.

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Originally Posted by C3517C

All good advice, Thank You. I use Amsoil 10W-40 metric motorcycle oil. Ill check the belt thoroughly today.

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It's not the oil then. How many miles do you have on that Spyder, did you buy it new? I'll be surprised if you find the belt is the cause. But won't hurt to check.