Ducati sticky clutch discs - clunk into first gear. Tricks?
 

this is on a ducati wet clutch, but I'm sure it also applies to any wet clutched motorcycle.

I hate when the clutch discs stick (the oil between the discs creates suction or surface tension and holds some of them together), and make the drop into first gear clunky.

It doesn't do it all the time, most of the time it's fairly smooth. But sometimes is a pretty good clunk.

Are the some good tricks any of you use to stop it?

While the bike is in neutral, I can hold the clutch lever in and give it a few revs before dropping it into first, and that seems to help sometimes. Not a preferred method, though, because of the noise!

I replaced the clutch this weekend, BTW. It does the same thing with the new as it did with the old.

Are you sure the release is adjusted properly? Are you using a wet clutch compatible oil? Does it only do it when cold, or when hot, or all the time at random?

It's a hydraulic clutch. I don't think there is any adjustment on it.

But yea, it seems to be operating properly. When I had the clutch cover off, I could pull the clutch in and see it operating. Seems fine. It's just sometimes the oil between the discs makes some of them (not all of them) stick.

I use a Motul oil that I get from the Ducati dealership (I don't have the specs here), so it should be ok.

Seems kind of random. I guess it does it a bit more when cold, maybe.

Synthetic oil helps.....also, B4 you start, put it in gear and rock back and forth with the clutch in. That helps break it loose.......Issue is usually worse the longer the bike sits between rides.

I refuse to acknowledge a motorcycle with a wet clutch as a 'Ducati' :D

My Kawasaki Concours did the same thing. Every. Single. Time. I (and others) call it the "Kawi clunk".

Learn to love it or follow HardDrive's implied advice. :D

Yup, you're right. I should have remembered that.

Yeah, I would think that should be just fine.

Weird. From what Bob says above, it sounds like it might be a matter of how long it sits. Is there anything to that?

You should look into Red line oils. Frequently the OEM spec primary oil for most wet clutch bikes tend to be on the heavy side viscosity wise. They have a tech line with knowledgable people.

As does my Beemer...every time.

No, it doesn't matter how long it sits. Anyways, that seems like it would only affect the first shift of the day.

The wet clutch is actually kind of weird design. With all that oil in there, and so many clutch plates and steel discs, it seems like much of the time, you're going to get "sticktion" between some of those plates and discs. It doesn't take much sticktion to keep things spinning a little when the clutch is pulled in, and getting the clunk.

It does seem like the properties of the oil probably has the biggest impact.

I put around 50 more miles on the new clutch and oil today, and it actually seems to have improved quite a bit.

First thing to check is proper chain adjustment.
If you just replaced the clutch (including basket), then the other likely culprit is the cush drive (rubber dampers) on the rear hub.

Try bleeding the clutch slave?

My Octane does the same. Lots of discussion about it on the Victory boards (a lot of other Vics do it) and on the new Indians. Best solution is what Bob recommended.

Put on another hundred, and change it again.

Yeah, you may not be getting full excursion.