Lately I've noticed my bike has been having some issues when shifting at higher rpms or when at high speeds. It started about 1,000 miles ago. I first noticed it when topping out the bike. It occasionally seemed like it hit a wall and would drop about 5mph and then I'd get a surge of power that would get me back up to speed. This is with nothing else changing. The surge of power wasn't sudden but is definitely powerful. Feels like more power than if I were to roll off and back on the throttle. I figured it was either a hill or a headwind that I didn't notice but after a while I noticed it happened more often. It's mostly effected on level roads. If I'm going downhill I don't notice it and that's why I thought the bike just wasn't powerful enough.

So recently I decided to do a clutch adjustment to rule that out. I literally just did it today. Anyway, while doing the clutch adjustment I noticed it was about 1 turn to 11/4 turn away from proper adjustment. This is the little screw on the hex plate thing. So I put everything back together and after adjusting the cable itself I checked the free play. All was good as it's just under 1/4 inch.I just went for a good ride to test the clutch on my lunch break and spent over half an hour riding it somewhat hard. It seems perfectly fine in gears 1-3. No issues whatsoever which is how it's always been. However, I noticed an issue in 4th and 5th gear when riding hard. My bike comes with the digital tach and gear indicator. I noticed if I ride hard and shift at high rpms that it takes a little for the gear indicator to show the gear. It's maybe a 1 second wait from when I let out the clutch lever completely. Now I tried another run at a higher speed getting on the highway. When I shifted into 5th gear I was at about 5200 rpms and my speed was increasing. Then I noticed that my rpms dropped to 4800(actually saw it dropping) and then continued to go up as is normal. This is all while increasing speed and my hand was off the lever when this happened. I'm going to redo the clutch adjustment tomorrow to check and make sure it's 100% correct but I followed the book and a YouTube video exactly. Is it possible I'm having clutch issues? Could something be binding? Any help is appreciated.
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​Edit* Before I adjusted my clutch, I had some trouble shifting into 4th and 5th gear under hard acceleration. I would shift and end up in the same gear. After adjusting it I no longer have that problem but now it slips. I ride the bike fairly hard but don't do wheelies or burnouts. After doing a ton more research I found out that these clutches can sometimes go out. In fact I read that if it's slipping in 4th or 5th gear that it's pretty much toast. Any input is appreciated.

 

Nick, are you adjusting the clutch as per a factory service manual? Another source is the Tech Primary section, where there is a Sticky on adjusting your clutch. The process is precise and your description of what you did doesn't give a warm feeling!

 

How many miles and what year is your bike?

 

It's a 2015 with just over 9k miles. I did it exactly as the factory service manual says. I did the actual clutch adjustment involving the hex lock plate at the clutch pack as well as the lever free play adjustment(the adjustment in the cable itself). I'm going to adjust it again before going into work tonight and check everything. I will update if still having issues.

 

Alright guys, just did the clutch adjustment again. Followed the book exactly and used all the correct specifications. Lever free play is set at exactly 1/8 inch. I tried something different with the hex lock nut. Yesterday I used a screwdriver to turn it counterclockwise until I felt resistance. Well today I checked that and it goes about a 1/4 turn farther than if just using my fingers. I guess using a screwdriver makes it hard to feel when it gets resistance so I decided to use only my fingers. I turned it counterclockwise until I felt the slightest bit of resistance and then backed off exactly 1/4 turn. The spring fit exactly over the hex plate perfectly. I'll give it a good test tonight on my way to work and also on my lunch break.
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I also heard that the spring plates in the clutch can go bad because they have brass rivets. Not sure if this is possibly what's happening. I have everything adjusted exactly so hopefully it all goes good. Is it possible that the Mobil 1 gear oil would cause the clutch to slip?

 

This is what the brass rivet problem will look like. Hard shifting sounds familiar. When you pull in the clutch, does the bike still want to creep foward when you are supposed to be stopped?

 

I haven't noticed it creeping forward yet but I'll pay close attention today just in case somehow I didn't notice it yet. The only issues are when shifting from 3rd to 4th and then 4th to 5th under full throttle. At least thats how it is for now. I heard a noise a few times after shifting but I feel like I'm just being paranoid and I'll have to listen closely to tell you exactly what it is. As far as I can recall I get the normal clunk from changing to another gear and then another mechanical noise soon after. This has only happened a few times and I want to make sure of the noise before I describe it. I also checked my primary chain tension again and it was within specifications.

 

Sure sounds like the clutch is worn out, just seems odd with such a new bike and low miles.
If you bought it used maybe the PO didn't know how to ride and wore it out?

 

I bought it brand new and have had two bikes before this. I will admit that the last time the clutch was adjusted was at the 1k service. Perhaps I was a little too negligent as far as maintaining the clutch. I had heard that they don't need to be adjusted often but I guess 8k miles was going too far without adjustment. I noticed the issue about 1,000 miles ago on a trip but now its worse. So I guess you could say it started only 7k miles after being serviced. Perhaps the dealer never even checked the clutch adjustment or didn't do it correctly but I doubt that.

I don't do anything crazy but I do ride fairly aggressively. I don't do launches or anything like that. I will know for sure today if it is still having issues when I ride into work. On the bright side I was looking to do the 1250 upgrade this winter and would be changing out the clutch either way so I guess its not too hard of a lesson. I'll definitely be checking the adjustment more often too. For something that is so quick and easy to check I feel stupid for not checking it.

 

I put an energy one 15% stronger clutch in mine when I did the Hammer 1250 build and got rid of the riveted plate. I adjusted it and its working really well.