Try to find some threads on replacing the waterpump. There is one really tricky part, if you blow it, you will be cussing yourself!
Thanks for the link, Scooter. Curt's photos are a real help. (The guy's still making a contribution after he's gone...)
I had to replace my waterpump on my '05 at 116K. I decided to swap out the clutch since I had bought a low mileage clutch off ebay. I couldn't believe the difference it made. Yes, you have that many miles on it, replace the clutch. You'll probably need a micrometer to measure all the plates and springs.
When I ride the 2006 with 67k and my 2005 with 158k I can't tell a difference in clutch operation. The 05 makes a bit more of that rumbling noise idling in neutral but as far as clutch take up point and feel at the lever I can't tell them apart. This amazes me because I do some slow speed work in the friction zone almost every ride and I've used the clutch in the friction zone a lot all this time. I know the clutch will need replacing eventually..... Aside from obvious slipping what else indicates replacement is coming due?
All I can tell you is that I felt a major difference (it was really grabbing good vs mushy, and it wasn't from not flushing out the brake fluid) in my clutch when I replaced it at 116K. When I was replacing it, Byron and I took each of my old friction plates and measured them. There were several that were out of spec!
My basic philosophy is, if I'm in there, I might was well replace things...like I'm doing to the 2010 with 38K. I had to remove the throttlebody due to a bad wax assembly. It was causing the bike not to restart when warm, without a lot of throttle action. So, while I'm in there, I might as well replace all of the coolant hoses.
The parts approaching their service limits would be the other indication, but watching for slip is probably easier.
Roger, I was wondering the same. I've got 148K on mine and I was going to pull off the plates to measure them. I'll probably replace them as long as I've got everything apart anyway. When we did Curt's clutch, the hardest part of the job was probably removing the gasket. He told me that he never changed the clutch on his 2004 that had 160K on it before he totaled it. The 2007 that we changed the clutch on had ~110K IIRC...
I'd like to borrow those tools Bob but I'd like Roger to have first dibs on them since he's further along the process than I am... :bow1:
Since getting the other bikes, I have see the '04#1, that I added 37K to, require oil seals along with the waterpump at 68K. The 2010 has actually been a good bike, knock on wood, but no major issues that weren't with the bike when I got it... the Wax Assembly for instance. The '04#2 seems to be a good workhorse, it has cosmetic issues, but mechanically seems to be okay, but I did replace all the coolant hoses on it. And when I begin to prepare it for sale, I'll go through and make sure all is well, except the cosmetic things aren't getting fixed.
