right, please read this.. it is IMPORTANT. sorry for the length.

Just had Tangram over today for a quick oil & filter change, fuel pump clean and general tune up..

we were just finishing off, synching the Throttles, when something in the bike starts rattling BAD....I mean it sounded like a chain broken........my sister had just walked around the corner, she describes the noise as a screech....

well, I managed to get to the kill switch pretty quick, .. Tangy reckoned he hadn't seen me move that fast. EVER.

We calmed down a bit.. I was a pretty concerned at this point as we both thought it was the cam chain, either a link broken, or the chain about to go pop....

for some unknown reason I tried to pull in the clutch...it was fucking stiff as you like, and made a grating sound.....

so we whipped out the bolts holding on the clutch cover and as I backed them out the cover was forced off ..not normal....took the cover all the way off there was.....

a clutch bolt and spring, sitting in between the pressure plate and the clutch cover.

now...there was a fair amount of shrapnel around, and bits of the cover and pressure plate had been chewed up, but the luckiest bastard in the world Tangy, it was still all intact.

what had happened, the spring bolts screw into supports...these supports had come loose. EVERY SINGLE ONE WAS LOOSE and one had backed out totally...these are meant to be loctited from the factory....these were not. The spring bolts were tight, and firm in the supports!!

after a through check of all parts, a good clean up, and copious amounts of loctite onto cleaned threads, we re torqued and got it all back together....

as you can imagine, the first press of the starter was a little nerve racking.. but it was okay...Tangy is now on his way home......lucky, lucky, lucky bastard. if this had happened when on the road, I don't even want to think about the outcome.

NOW THE IMPORTANT BIT....

Tangy had mentioned to me weeks back about a rattle that he attributed to his cam chain tensioner just about being ready to click an extra notch. on the ride down, he says it was still there....I heard it while fiddling with the TB's...after tightening up these bolts, it was gone.

also, we found small pieces (2) of metal on his sump plug... looked like flashings, one I was a bit more concerned about...as it was a bit too thick, and had suggested that we check the oil again after a few thou miles.... just to be on the safe side....

well, comparing these to the bits that were chewed off the pressure plate and clutch cover, they look identical....

Tangy has pictures of all the bits, and said he will post them when they get developed....

I am checking mine tomorrow, as I too have that "cam chain rattle" noise.

it is easy to do..

you will need....
8mm, 10mm, 1/4 inch drive sockets and torque wrench for 10Nm
11mm 1/2 inch drive socket and torque wrench for 23Nm
loctite
degreaser (like brake and clutch fluid)

remove idle knob bracket and hook over starter cover
remove the bolts holding on the clutch cover
remove clutch cover (careful of the gasket. it is reuseable)
undo the spring bolts (opposites until pressure is released)
remove bolts and springs
remove pressure plate...careful of washer and bearing behind
with bike in gear, and if needed an assistant holding the brake lever undo the support bolts from the central hub

clean the threads with degreaser
apply loctite and reinsert to the correct torque

reinsert pressure plate.. not forgetting washer and bearing if removed....and aligning so the 3 circular raised sections on the pressure plate are not above the 3 larger sections of the hub (you'll see when you are in there)

with one bolt in one support hole, to pull the supports forward, insert springs and bolts (with loctite) do them all, torqueing in opposites to correct torque.

cover on, not forgetting the cable and hose clips..torque these...check operation of clutch,
idle bracket back on
start bike, check for oil leaks around bottom of clutch cover..

fairing back on... off you go.

any questions?? Eggster@200mph.org.uk

no responsibility for blah blah....as per the disclaimer on the main site

This is just fucking ridiculous.

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