749 Quiet Clutch Mod Question...?

By dished plate I mean the convex plates with the dot marking on one side, I've never found it makes any difference which way they are, which order they are in or even if they are in there at all, just go friction/plain/friction etc. and use different thickness plain plates (if required) to make up the overall pack thickness.

The only thing I can see is that a convex plate makes less contact with the friction plates that it sits between and that must mean less grip and more uneven wear, it's got to be better if the plates are flat.

Neither of my bikes have convex plates in them and both clutches work perfectly, no slip or grab and despite my 916 having 2mm of play between basket and plate tangs which makes it rather noisy it still works fine.

 

Think it should be 38mm.
Have you put it back to pre-quiet mod?

 

I aim for no more than 38mm, I have aftermarket slave cylinders (that reduce clutch pull) and find that if the pack is over 38mm then finding neutral can be tricky. I try to set mine at 37.something

 

Yes, get it as close to 38mm as you can.
If you are only doing the mod, one plate should not really affect the stack height unless you are replacing the friction plates with new thicker ones. This is because the first friction plate sits below where the first plate would be if it were a plain one, so I recommend making the stack height 38mm without the first friction plate. Leave out one of the adjacent pair of plain plates if you need to lose some stack height.
If you want to orientate your so called dished plates theoretically correctly, they are the 1.5 mm ones and I only had one.
The punch mark that shows you which side to place outwards is between the cut out notch and the inner teeth, it is pretty small.
I say stick with the quiet mod, the plates and basket will last much longer and I defy anyone to cite any instance where any bearings have failed. Also, the engine doesn't sound as though it's beating itself to bits, which it is... Well, the clutch is.
Put a friction plate in first, followed by a plain and just keep alternating, if you're a purist alternate the plain plate small cutouts opposite each other for balance and finish with the pressure plate. This should be orientated with the triangular arrow next to the post with the slot in it as in the pic higher up the thread.
Make sure the pressure plate is located properly on the teeth as you tighten the springs.
Check it for action and then check for drag at idle before you put the cover and fairing on.
The clutch is not dragging if you can engage neutral at idle.
Slip is the opposite of drag. Drag is what you have experienced and slip is when the engine accelerates but the bike doesn't.
Best way to get the plates out is with a magnet on a stalk as available in Tesco and hang them on the foot peg as they come out.

 

Is it fixed?

 

At least the MOT is back on.

 

Seems odd to me.
If the old plates were so thick, why did they not add up to way more than the stack height you got with just one extra old one that should be sitting below the first plain plate and barely lifting it.
The quiet clutch mod relies on the first friction plate sitting down into the curves at the bottom of the basket slots. These are there as part of the machining process and not all aftermarket baskets have them if the slots are machined differently, so I wonder if your basket has these curves at the bottom of the slots?
The friction plate would not normally sit so low because the plain plate slots are square at the bottom and that square bottom is higher than the bottom of the curve. Some people even manage to fit two friction plates in first!
If it helps, I have some spare (thin) friction plates

 

i.e. how it should be...........

could always smear a load of grease over it, i hear that help with the "quiet mode"...

 

To clarify for the op, some people have tried smearing their friction plates with white lithium grease and then removing the excess. The idea is that it helps make the clutch smoother and less grabby. Some say you should heat the plates afterwards, some say it's not necessary.
(I think) all those who have tried the lithium say it does work but you may get some clutch slip at first.
There was a guy on here recently who had bought a 749R with a slipper clutch that was seriously grabby, the lithium grease thing worked for him.

1. 
   
   Simon PeckMember
   Did the lithium grease trick and its transformed the clutch issue. silky smooth. Id recommend trying it to anyone who has a grabby clutch
   
   #141
   Simon Peck, Feb 28, 2015
   
   Report
   + Quote Reply
   • Like x 1
   • List
   • Undo Rating

It has nothing to do with the quiet clutch mod other than being something that some people have done to their clutch.

 

You're welcome to a plate but I still really don't understand why it would be necessary.
If your old friction plates were so thick and you had no drag with a full set, why would adding one below a set of thinner plates add up to a higher stack and cause drag?
Are you sure you have the correct number of friction plates, it should be seven I think - eight total with the extra one.
Having a thicker plate as your first one should be an advantage as it will have a larger bearing surface on the basket slots. if necessary, you could always remove the friction material and end up with a plain friction plate as your first plate.
There's a guy in France who produces thick aluminium plain friction plates especially for this purpose.

 

nope, I've just checked the ducati workshop manual.........couldnt find anywhere in there saying put grease on your clutch plates....

 

That's very helpful.
Thank you.

 

Looks like your stack height may still be too high OR your clutch needs bleeding.
Lever span adjustment may affect it too.