Dragging clutch...?

[teneleven]

Well, my first 10K kilometers on this XT1200 I've acquired this year have been a crescendo of enjoyment of every aspect of it, be it roadholding, braking, performance, ergonomics, aerodynamics, you name it, can't fault it...
Sticking out like a sore thumb amid all the near-perfection is the dragging clutch, not even a problem once really moving, but very annoying when neutral is what I'm looking for. It makes low-speed selection in the three
lowest gears extremely notchy too, and the "KLONK & judder" when selecting from neutral is almost embarrassing.
I know the ultimate solution is to take it apart and find what's wrong (I will), but I'm still interested to know if there are known issues with a 75k KM ST, like possibly buckled clutch plates, deeply notched clutch basket, or
any trouble with the slave cylinder / ball & pushrod actuating mechanism. I HAVE bled the hydraulic (no change) and switched oil from 15/50 to 10/30 (slightly better, or is it my imagination ?)
And as a subsidiary question to Old-World members, any alternatives to Yamaha Europe's horrendous prices ? (basket 600 Euro, set of plates 350 Euro, Argh !)
Thanks for your feedback !

 

[~TABASCO~]

Yes, ball and pushrod. Its probably parts # 24-25-26 on the clutch schematic. About $25 US. On this bike, it makes a pretty big difference when its worn.

 

[Squibb]

Sorry, I'm not clear of the model year/mileage of your bike OP.

A dragging clutch is usually solved by bleeding the system carefully - air can get trapped at the top union IIRC, but the condition is easily analysed as pumping the clutch lever serves to compress any air & deliver normal clutch performance.... briefly.

Next suspect is the slave cylinder - drop it off & see whether it has been leaking. Also check the full length of the hydraulic line to make sure you don't have any leaks/damage - these need only be minute to allow air into the system. Then I would turn to the master, to make sure it draws fluid correctly & doesn't have damaged seals or contamination. Finally we arrive at the clutch itself - pretty robust, but Gen 1 bikes had a few issues & generally benefit from reto-fitting the Gen2 clutch basket & new plates (Barnett?) - https://www.barnettclutches.com/1312/yamaha/0/0/2010-yamaha-xtz12-super-tenere.html

 

[teneleven]

TABASCO, encouraging to know that's a possibility, it would be the best scenario money-wise.

Squibb, I should have mentioned it's a 2012, mileage as I said 75.000 km or ~ 46.000 miles.
No hydraulics leak, as the reservoir level is unchanging. Bleeding, pumping, setting lever at maximum travel, and even trying without the grip on the bar to increase travel, nada...
I've looked for non-OEM clutch parts if it comes to that, but don't fancy ordering from the US, and Barnett does not appear to offer a basket, or even to be available in Europe, except from a few
Harley or motocross specialists.

Thank you, both.

 

[OldRider]

I would pull the clutch out and have a look. 75k KM is plenty of miles to have a notched basket or fried set of plates. Most bikes aren't know to have a problem 75k KM or 46K miles, but everybody doesn't treat their clutch the same.