I was out on the bike yesterday, a 125mile journey each way. The first trip was ok but on the way home, the bike wouldn't select neutral from 1st while I was on the bike and the engine running. As soon as you turn it off, it goes in fine. Also, going down the 'box needed a bit of a stamp to get it in. Ive left the bike overnight at home and started it to see if it was any better but it refused to change out of 1st. I had trainers on so could probably puts harder with boots on but it should be nice and easy. I've read a bit online saying the clutch may need bleeding, others talk of the clutch slave needing to be replaced. Does anyone know why it would be doing this and is it a common issue?
Update: Found this video on how to bleed the clutch: Easy, even for a numpty like me. Without riding, it feels like it may have improved it a lot, the lever feels way better and I can engage neutral while the bike runs. I still have a few questions though and will be trying to research them etc. If anyone can assist with greater knowledge than me, which isn't hard btw. Why / how does air get in? Can this be stopped / is it a faulty part etc? Would upgrading the master cylinder / clutch slave help? Why did it stop engaging while the engine was running but not when switched off? The fluid is pretty dark, is this just getting hot and degrading over time?
Sounds like clutch drag (Clutch not fully disengaging) to me. This could definitely be caused by air in the clutch circuit. Bleeding it should be your 1st port of call, because it's the easiest job if nothing else.
Yep, it's clutch drag that prevents you from selecting neutral with the engine running and the bike stationary. Mine does this and needs bleeding regularly. I carry an 11mm open ended spanner with the tools on the bike for this purpose. On my older Ducatis (748, 1098) it was the slave cyclinder where the air got in, but @nelly has suggested that the issue with these bikes may be caused by the OEM master cylinder. I am monitoring the situation on my bike at the moment. It is tolerable as it is. If it gets worse I shall investigate further.
Thanks for your replies chaps. Can you change the fluid yourself without special tools or is it best having someone do it for me? I see you can get Ducati performance master cylinders, apart from the bling, do you think it's worth a punt, along with an aftermarket slave while I'm at it? Not sure what the expected life of the fluid is but it seems to degrade quite quickly vs on a car, or am I talking apples and pears? Or is it not degrading, just getting hot and changing colour etc? The drops that came out when I bled it were pretty nasty!
+1 that it's clutch drag causing your problem. If the clutch isn't clearing and disconnecting drive fully, the cogs are still loaded, making it impossible to select neutral at rest. Do bleed the clutch to get rid of all air, as air is compressible - hence the spongey feeling as you compress it. Also, make sure you have maximum available span on the lever. It is essential to have some play in the lever in order to ensure there is no load on the pushrod but that play needs to be minimal - 2 or 3mm. If you have more play than that, you are getting less movement of the lever, which translates to less movement of the pressure plate, so more drag.
Thanks for the reply. Yeah, when I bled it, I started off with lots of play, say 10-20mm until I felt it working the clutch. Now, it feels like it's moving almost immediately. Hopefully I'll get out tomorrow and see how it is on the road.
It WILL be better. I bleed mine at the first sign of softness at the lever. I tend to agree that it is probably the OEM master that is bad. My brake lever is also not particularly firm. I have bled that one once and it improved things, but not for very long. So probably OEM Brembo is not as good as bling Brembo.
