1150 RT Clutch Life

[bvaughan]

what's a reasonable life expectancy on an 1150RT clutch? i've got 98k on my first one, and am beginning to wonder when i should be planning on a replacement.

[smiller]

Hard to say since clutch life can vary so much depending on road conditions, rider technique, etc. Reports of oilhead clutch life seem to range from 30k to well into six-digit territory. At 98k I would guess that a new clutch isn't all that far off, but then again if you have 98k on an '04 (impressive, if I am reading that right) then I'm also guessing your bike has seen a lot of open-road miles which is good for clutch life.

 

I believe that some have been successful in making a rough measurement of clutch lining thickness by removing the starter motor but I've never tried it myself.

[Stan Walker]

I believe that some have been successful in making a rough measurement of clutch lining thickness by removing the starter motor but I've never tried it mys

 

I tried measuring the clutch disk prior to doing a spline lube at 70,000 miles on my '02 RT. I then tore down the clutch and used a micrometer for the real reading. They didn't compare very well at all. As I recall this was caused by a lip on the pressure plate that caused the first reading to be wrong.

 

At 70,000 I concluded that my clutch was about 33% used up. It's still in the bike today at 89,000 miles. I commute on the bike as well as taking longer trips.

 

As it has been pointed out, the clutch service life will be very dependent on how and where you ride.

 

Stan

[bvaughan]

thanks for the info. guess i'll knock wood and stop worrying for a while. 99% of my miles are freeway commuting.