Badly slipping clutch on 2011 RSS SM5

[isthatahemi]

7000 miles, mostly highway. Oil in the case is 50/50 BRP oil change kit oil / Valvoline motorcycle oil 10W40, due to an oil change "incident". I've ridden over 1200 hard miles, lots of WOT (carving twisties last weekend), and suddenly today, going down the highway, I give it maybe 1/2 throttle and get a huge rpm flare. Can't apply full throttle, not even over a 1/4. Oh ya, found a piece of a bolt or screw on the oil tank magnet when doing the change.

I can't find much info, but I would think a ruined clutch wouldn't just happen all of the sudden unless something broke, maybe a spring....

 

[Chupaca]

Little checking..!!

check with Findless. He had a similar issue with the screw on the magnetic drain plug. He had some threads on it could help. With only 7,000 miles I would venture a guess that there is something amiss in there. Being a manual you don't have the engagement problems the semi autos do...:gaah:

 

[AMTJIM]

I definitely wouldn't mix oil types and/or brands, it may take a few changes of oil, but the clutch often returns to normal operation IF that loose hardware isn't the cause. Looks like some common slip, some oil choices will cause that.

 

[billybovine]

The oil tank plug does not have a magnet unless you changed it out for a aftermarket one. If you found metal bits in the oil tank that's real bad because it had to have gone through the sump pump. I am guessing that you meant the engine plug. If what you found is a set screw, then it is an oil galley plug and needs to be fixed. Do you still have it? If it is a piece of bolt as you describe then it could be your clutch coming apart.

Sorry I hope it's not as bad as I suspect.

 

[isthatahemi]

Thanks for the replies..... 2 comments.....

1 - Oil tank came from dealer with a magnet plug from brand new.
2 - And this is not anything resembling a bit of clutch slip (I've had that on a bike before, and 1 car). We are talking barely able to pass on the highway kinda slipping. But.....


As suddenly as it started, it went away. 45 minutes of not being able to even drive normally, and suddenly it's fine. I did a few clutch drops, with bags and a passenger, all of the sudden I'm able to lay 50 feet of rubber, from barely being able to get away from a stop. Who knows. Something tells me either something is floating around in there, or the sun on the clutch master was causing pressure on the slave, keeping the clutch floating a bit.

 

[isthatahemi]

The oil tank plug does not have a magnet unless you changed it out for a aftermarket one. If you found metal bits in the oil tank that's real bad because it had to have gone through the sump pump. I am guessing that you meant the engine plug. If what you found is a set screw, then it is an oil galley plug and needs to be fixed. Do you still have it? If it is a piece of bolt as you describe then it could be your clutch coming apart.

Sorry I hope it's not as bad as I suspect.

I'm not sure I still have the piece I found, but it was approximately an M4 threaded piece 1/4" long, may have been a set screw, I have the pic of the magnet and screw, but don't know how to post it from my iPhone.

 

[Highwayman2013]

I'm not sure I still have the piece I found, but it was approximately an M4 threaded piece 1/4" long, may have been a set screw, I have the pic of the magnet and screw, but don't know how to post it from my iPhone.

That sounds like the set screw finless found. He had to take his bike to a dealer to have it reinstalled.

 

[finless]

If the screw you found looks like this

Then see this post all about it.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...ervice-and-OOOOPS!-I-don-t-think-this-is-good!

Bob

 

[finless]

FYI this will not cause a slipping clutch on a SM5.

For this one trust me. The clutch fluid gets black and nasty looking real quick. I flushed my system well before the recommended fluid flush at 14K miles.

So I would check this, flush the system and see what happens.

 

[oldgoat]

FYI this will not cause a slipping clutch on a SM5.

For this one trust me. The clutch fluid gets black and nasty looking real quick. I flushed my system well before the recommended fluid flush at 14K miles.

So I would check this, flush the system and see what happens.

"maybe" when using the vac pump on the lower bleed fitting you were sucking air around the bleed nipple threads & into your collection reservoir..