I think my clutch has given out. it started acting funny on the way home from bikeweek yesterday. i lube the cable and have made adjustments going both ways on the cable. when it does engage it bogs down the motor and acts like it doesn't want to go. my question is the guy at the local bike shop says there are nine total plates i need. 5 of one and 4 of the other.
However on the bikebandit diagram it only shows 2 of each. has any of you guys out there replaced your own clutchand if so how many plates do i need?

 

I seriously doubt your clutch is bad, theyre quite durable. I dont know of anyone that has toasted a 250 clutch, They have run low on oil and burnt cam bushings. You need to check your oil with the bike level, if there isnt enough oil it can cause all kinds of problems, your clutch sits in that oil too if there isnt enough it wont work right either.

You need to make sure your foot lever isnt slipping keeping you from getting it into the proper gear. Aside from that there is a spring that can get weak.

You need to get an opinion from more than one mech and take it to a kawasaki mech dont just ask your buddies.

And the diagram on bike bandit is correct provided you looked up the right bike. Whether or not your looking at the right parts diagram can be a problem.

 

I took the cover off and looked at it myself. The guy at the dealership was right, and i was looking at the diagram. However on the diagram to save room they only show a couple of them. So i think the pads are good for you can clearly see the grooves still in them. There are four springs i'm leaning towards replacing them and see what happens. This is what is happening when i get in gear.

I put the bike in gear and it will start going, however once i get to around 6 thousand rpm it seems to bogg the engine down making it very slow getting up in speed. but with the clutch in or in nuetral the engine willrev up no problem. the reason i think its the clutch or something in the clutch system is because the clutch doesn't grab until the lever is almost all the way out.

ill research that foot lever tomorrow and see what i find. if anyone has any suggestions plz, let me hear them.

 

what are the pressures and heights of the said springs before you go and buy more?

 

Something tells me the clutch itself is not the problem. It may be out of adjustment due to it not grabbing until you let the clutch lever out almost all the way, but a bad clutch will slip, causing the engine RPM's to jump without gaining much speed. With the springs, they obviously aren't gonna get "stiffer" which would help in keeping the plates from slipping, and if they were worn out, or quit holding their tension, it would let the clutch slip. But none of these issues could bog down the engine. If the engine is bogging, and has a hard time getting above 6k RPM, you need to look elsewhere.

 

ok where would you start looking?

 

Well, it sounds as if you have an air, or fuel problem somewhere. Maybe something simple like a small vacuum leak, or a choke problem. It's hard to say, I just can't see the clutch slowing down a bike. Does it sound like the engine climbs strong up the RPM range while in neutral? Or, is there a slight hesitation when you free rev it?

 

Check your air filter lately?

 

Thanks for your help Mark and I'll check those things out you mentioned. I think i did jump to conclusions, but hey live and learn. Ive already opened up that clutch so now i have to replace the seal so that is on order. I also purchased a service manual off ebay today. That is what I should of bought the minute I bought this bike. So in a couple of days my seal and manual will be in so as I can check the clutch area out with the service manual.

 

I would like to have one of those manuals also. Did you get the factory service manual by Kawasaki? I think I've seen them onCDROM through ebay for real cheap.