899 899 Clutch Fluid Discolouration

The discolouration is perfectly normal and to be expected. It is not necessarily an indication of failing seals unless there are other symptoms. If you ask your dealer, they will tell you it does not affect the fluids performance and the reason most people flush the clutch fluid through is for aesthetics. I can imaging a trip to Wales involved a lot of clutch operations so will have discoloured quite quickly. Andy

 

Ive had my 899 from new in 2013 and clutch fluid went black early on in ownership, still have the bike and never had any problems.

 

I assume it comes via chainlube through the cylinder seal?

Most Ducatis seem do it, my Monster turns the fluid black in very short order yet, oddly my 916 has never done it.

Both have aftermarket slave cylinders, the Monster an Oberon and the 916 an Evoluzione and I assume that the Evo just seals better? One of it's selling points was that it has a bearing on the piston so that if the push rod spins, it doesn't 'drill' the piston.

I don't think either of them have ever seen the rod spinning but maybe this 'anti-spin' setup isolates things better or it just has better seals?

Sadly Evoluzione are no longer in business otherwise I'd have bought another for the Monster.

 

That may be due to the material of the seals ……. or may not but I have experienced black clutch fluid in my Multistradas from new and as they have got older. Girlfriend’s Diavel did it and I’m expecting her 937 Monster to do it. Andy

 

Nope, it's never bothered me so never asked, I remember a few others back in the day talking about it as all of them did it but nobody from what I remember they never had any problems from theirs either. I think the 1199s were the same.

 

My 899 did this and I changed the slave to an Oberon and it’s been fine since. Incidentally the 899 doesn’t have the 0 rings on the pushrod like other Ducati it has a normal oil seal that is internal.
As others have said it won’t affect its performance it just looks mucky.

 

I also think that changing the clutch slave to a decent one helps keep the fluid clearer. I went with a 25 STM one I got from Ducati Coventry a couple of years ago and haven’t had any problems with discolouration

 

Both my V Twin Aprilias fluid goes black, it's well known in them but never caused an issue

 

I’d pull off the slave cylinder and check
A) the pushrod still has its two pins on the end and
B) the anti rotation insert is installed in the slave cylinder.

I was once informed, by a generally reliable source, the fluid darkens due to heat caused by the pushrod spinning within the slave cylinder. Now, we all know it shouldn’t spin but it clearly is likely too at some stage or why else would the design have been changed over the years to incorporate the shoulder pins plus the inclusion of the anti rotation insert.

 

Interesting, noticed this on my 959 this week after only about 5 track days so about 300-400 miles. Same fluid in both 959 and V2 but V2 doesnt have the problem. Done about 1100 miles on V2 since service so twice as many, admit not pushing on quite as much.

I also have to bleed the clutch lever about every 2months on the 959, not done it once on the V2

Both currently have stock slaves, but changing the 959 over to Oberon over winter but wont know the result till track season restarts next year

 

the 899 is a wet clutch? so where does the wet come from? the gearbox/engine oil?

 

Yep, the engine oil

 

Motol 660