Okay, so I finally got around to putting a slipper clutch in my bike. Been thinking about it for a while, especially after some clumsy downshifts on spirited rides. Figured I’d share how it went.
Getting Started
First thing, obviously, was getting the slipper clutch kit itself. Ordered it online, waited for that package like a kid at Christmas. While waiting, I started looking up videos and reading forum posts, just to get a feel for what I was getting into. Looked straightforward enough, but you know how these things go.
Once the kit arrived, I gathered up my tools. You need your basic sockets, wrenches, a torque wrench is pretty important here, some oil drain pans, rags (lots of rags!), and new engine oil and a filter since you’re draining it anyway. Oh, and a new clutch cover gasket – definitely don’t reuse the old one unless you enjoy oil leaks.
Diving In – The Messy Part
Got the bike up on the rear stand to keep it level. First job, draining the old oil. Always a bit messy, no matter how careful you try to be. Let it drain completely while I started taking off the right-side fairing panels to get access to the clutch cover.
With the oil drained, I started loosening the bolts on the clutch cover. Took them out in a criss-cross pattern, just good practice. The cover itself was a bit stuck, needed a few gentle taps with a rubber mallet to break the seal. Peeled off the old gasket, which came off in annoying little pieces. Spent some time carefully scraping the old gasket material off both the cover and the engine case surface. Gotta have a clean surface for the new gasket.
Swapping the Guts
Alright, now for the main event. Inside, you see the pressure plate held on by several springs and bolts. I loosened those bolts, again, bit by bit in a star pattern to keep the pressure even. Once they were out, the pressure plate and the clutch springs came right off.
Then, I started pulling out the clutch plates – the friction plates and the steel plates. Important bit here: I made sure to keep them in the order they came out. The slipper clutch instructions might tell you to reuse some or replace all, depends on the kit. Mine used new ones.
Next was removing the main clutch hub nut. This sucker is usually tight and needs an impact wrench or a special tool to hold the hub while you crank on it with a breaker bar. I used my trusty impact, made short work of it. With the nut off, the stock clutch basket assembly slid right out.
Before putting the new slipper unit in, I took the new friction plates and let them soak in fresh engine oil for about 15-20 minutes. Standard procedure, helps them bed in properly.
Installing the new slipper clutch hub was pretty much the reverse of taking the old one out. Slid it onto the shaft, making sure it engaged the oil pump gear correctly. Put the big hub nut back on and torqued it down to the spec mentioned in my service manual. This is where that torque wrench is crucial.
Then came stacking the new clutch pack. Following the kit’s instructions, I alternated the new steel plates and the pre-soaked friction plates into the new basket. Started and ended with a friction plate, as usual.
After the plates were in, the new slipper pressure plate went on, followed by the new clutch springs and bolts. Tightened these down carefully with the torque wrench, again in that star pattern, to the specified torque. Don’t want to overtighten these.
Putting It Back Together
Okay, nearly there. Cleaned the mating surfaces one last time. Put the new clutch cover gasket in place (sometimes they have little locating dowels). Carefully placed the clutch cover back on, making sure the clutch release mechanism engaged properly. Put the cover bolts back in and tightened them gently in a criss-cross pattern, torquing them to spec.
Put the oil drain plug back in (with a new crush washer!). Installed a new oil filter. Then filled her up with the recommended amount of fresh engine oil.
Reinstalled the fairing panels I’d taken off earlier.
The Moment of Truth
Double-checked everything one last time. Oil level good? No bolts lying around? Okay. Took a deep breath and started the engine. Let it idle for a bit, checking frantically around the clutch cover for any signs of oil leaks. Success! No leaks.
Pulled the clutch lever. Felt maybe a tiny bit lighter, but not dramatically different. Snicked it into first gear, rolled out for a gentle test ride around the block. Shifted up and down through the gears, everything felt smooth.
Then I tried some more aggressive downshifts, the kind that used to chirp the rear tire. Wow, what a difference. The slipper clutch just absorbed the excess engine braking, no drama, no hop, just smooth deceleration. It really works.
So yeah, that was my little project. Took a few hours, made a bit of a mess with the oil, but totally doable in the home garage. The difference in feel, especially when pushing it a bit or downshifting into corners, is definitely noticeable. Pretty happy with how it turned out.
