st 1300 clutch bite and engine run down

Hi all,

I rode my TL1000r for the first time since owning the ST last night, (ST is by far my new favourite!) and I just want to check something...

on the TL (vtwin) if I am in first with no revs, and let the clutch out the bike pulls away, no grumble, no engine struggle it just goes.
if I do the same on the ST it feels like the bike is going to stall unless I give it some revs. so creeping forward at a junction is not smooth or calm :S

I have almost convinced myself to order a new clutch kit and force myself to change it. any thoughts before I commit? bike has 64000miles.

Also, may be unrelated but if I'm moving at say, motorway speeds, in 5th, change down to 4th and then just let off the throttle to engine brake to a slower speed. the engine runs down normally, then almost hiccup or miss (almost like its cut out) then continue to run down as normal. I don't think its clutch slip as I don't notice any slip anywhere whilst accelerating in any gear...

any ideas?

sorry its a bit vague. any thoughts appreciated.

Make sure you have the proper oil in the engine and it maybe time to flush the clutch fluid.

tbullivant said:

on the TL (vtwin) if I am in first with no revs, and let the clutch out the bike pulls away, no grumble, no engine struggle it just goes. if I do the same on the ST it feels like the bike is going to stall unless I give it some revs. so creeping forward at a junction is not smooth or calm :S

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The engine in this bike doesn't make much torque at idle, certainly not enough to pull its weight, and it picks up quickly as the throttle is opened. Low-speed maneuvering requires using the throttle and the friction zone.

Also, may be unrelated but if I'm moving at say, motorway speeds, in 5th, change down to 4th and then just let off the throttle to engine brake to a slower speed. the engine runs down normally, then almost hiccup or miss (almost like its cut out) then continue to run down as normal.

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The ECM cuts fuel to the engine as you come off the throttle to cut back on the amount of unburned fuel that ends up in the exhaust and sometimes goes a little overboard with it. There's a third-party product that claims to eliminate it (discussed here). I tend to start thinking about gearing down when the tach falls below 3,250 RPM, so I don't run into it much.

--Mark

Is there a recommended mileage to replace the clutch in a 1300? I have 58,000 miles on mine. I do not think I need it but I am curious.

squid101 said:

Is there a recommended mileage to replace the clutch in a 1300?

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When it starts to slip, look at the odometer. There's the recommended mileage. I'm pretty sure most of the bikes in the 100K club are still on their first clutches. Like brakes, how long the clutch lasts depend more on how they're used and not miles.

--Mark

squid101 said:

Is there a recommended mileage to replace the clutch in a 1300? I have 58,000 miles on mine. I do not think I need it but I am curious.

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Blrfl said:

When it starts to slip, look at the odometer. There's the recommended mileage. I'm pretty sure most of the bikes in the 100K club are still on their first clutches. Like brakes, how long the clutch lasts depend more on how they're used and not miles.

--Mark

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124,000 miles and the original clutch is still working great on my ST1300.

Every once in a while my clutch will chatter and grab as I pull away from a stop (say two or three times on my trip to WeSTOC). Can't say I've figured out a cause yet, but I'll probably first try flushing some new fluid into the line - it's been a while.

What Mark said regarding the ST1300 torque at idle speed. A big V-twin is going to give you a lot of torque at idle, the V4 in the ST needs a few more RPMs to get 850-900lbs moving from a stop. As for clutch life, it depends primarily on how and how much you use it, everything else being equal. I always use the clutch when shifting into first, often use it shifting into 2nd, and occasionally use it for other gear changes, depending on the situation. My ST only has ~54k on it, but I expect the clutch will last longer than I will.

Might help to check the throttle body synchronization, if the 4 cylinders are off, clutch use and pulling away could be improved with a synch.

145,xxx miles still going strong on original clutch and I do a fair amount of low speed work in the friction zone dragging the rear brake against the engine. Not as much as I used to but I think I'm hard on the clutch, not law enforcement hard but harder than many.

I don't know the history of the bike or prevous riders style so not sure if its been abused clutch wise. Just trying to work out what's normal. Will try and find someone local to me to see if i can compare clutch noises and feeling