Clutch Replacement 2012 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic

[@obsessivegarage921]

I bought a kit off Amazon for $42, it included steel plates, friction plates, real heavy duty springs and a new gasket. Installed it over the weekend, referenced this video several times, it was simple, and easy just a bit time consuming. Went for a ride and it rides GREAT. Shifts better than it did when I first got it, only thing is the shift lever is much harder to pull, even after adjusting the cable properly as my Clymer book shows. Anyways appreciate the video!

[@ManCalledHorse]

Awesome!!! Did you get the kevlar kit or something else?

[@therapistuwant]

Very well done video this got me through my 2013 without any further research. Again well done!

[@ManCalledHorse]

I am so stoked to hear that! Thanks for the feedback and letting me know! 🙂👊💯

[@MissionaryForMexico]

You did outstanding man. Regarding the clutch Pak if you had a 0 to 1" micrometer you could actually measure the thickness of the steel and friction plate. It would have been a dead ringer to tell you how worn out your clutch was! But overall you did great!

[@ManCalledHorse]

Thank you very much and thank you for the watch and comment. Semper! 🤘🔥👊💯

[@VndNvwYvvSvv]

You measure the pads on the friction plates. You measure the warp in steel plates on a machinist flat table with a feeler gauge.

[@rubennalbandian2803]

I watched this video few times, it is not as easy as it looks, first what was outcome of placing clutch plates one by one, I noticed one was put face in. after I did it found out no deference, just need to be fitted in space . in the video didn't talk about being careful of water pump pipes, outgoing and incoming . my o-ring and seal got damaged when putting in and took me few days to get them again thank you for sharing this video

[@ManCalledHorse]

I pinched the O-ring too. Note to self, always buy two in case I mess up, lol!

[@rubennalbandian2803]

@@ManCalledHorse Mine had 19000 miles on it, I own the bike since 5400 and I am not a young biker

[@obsessivegarage921]

Great video!! It started to slip, I tighten the screw and it seemed to work better, then on the highway it completely went out. Wouldn't engage whatsoever. I HAD TO PUSH IT 2 MILES. Got it to a friend's house. Got a ride home. Found this video and many others. I've found several clutch kits on ebay for my 01 kawasaki vulcan vn800a that include springs, all plates and gasket for less than $40. I'm considering ordering one of those kits and trying it out. 🤔 Thank you so much for the video!

[@ManCalledHorse]

Thank you so much for the watch and feedback! I'm sorry you had to deal with all that. I'm glad my video helped someone. Thanks again! 💯👊

[@obsessivegarage921]

@@ManCalledHorse new Clutch kit comes in today. Will be attempting to fix it today! 💪 😁

[@peterlindfors1066]

@@obsessivegarage921 How did the cheap kit from ebay hold up?

[@gphilpot1]

Nice video and love the format. Helped me a lot. I choose to.make a complete How To Video for others from start to finish.

[@ManCalledHorse]

Thanks for the feedback and the comment! I appreciate it 👊

[@ricardok5593]

I have a 2018 Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager 1700 and at the freeway over 60-70MPH the RPM's rev high, but the speed goes up slowly. Bike is only 7,000 miles, but I did a lot of slow speed practice. Do you think could be same issue? Burned clutch?

[@ManCalledHorse]

It does sound like your bike is heading in that direction of a clutch change. Same symptoms. I have a video about trying to tighten the clutch cable. I would try that first to see if that fixes your issue. It does sound like your clutch is slipping to some degree. If your clutch continues to slip or worsens after tightening the clutch cable, then you're most likely looking at the clutch replacement. Hope this helps!

[@ricardok5593]

@@ManCalledHorse in my case, slipping at high RPM's, it was the clutch. It was worn out. Replace is easier tough, because this bike does not have cooling lines on the cover, the water pump is on the other side Your video is good, teach about what to expect. Good job.

[@muhammettokay3026]

First of all, thank you for sharing this information. My engine is kawasaki vulcan vn400. Are all these parts you use compatible with my engine?

[@ManCalledHorse]

Do what I did. Find the OEM parts list for your bike on RevZilla, Bike bandit or similar website to find the stock parts. If you want the upgraded aftermarket parts, I looked up my bike make/model for that part to find what would be compatible. I think your bike might be compatible to the clutch kit I used but please double check that! 🙂

[@DNiddy]

Referring to some discussion below: Referencing the Service Manual, it clearly states: "Install the friction plates so that the plates having more lining blocks (A) than the other plate (C) are placed at both end." It gives the specific picture to reference that there are two types of friction plates. REF: Section 6-11

[@ManCalledHorse]

EBC, an after market product, didn't have additional friction plates like the OEM friction plates shown in the manual. The EBC kit comes with the same number of friction and steel plates as needed. Due to the friction plates being of Kevlar (a harder material than the softer rubber and cork OEM material) it is not advised to mixed plates just to have those specific plates on the outside. If that makes sense 🙂

[@Cocobeachhippie]

I’m so glad you stopped for some dead dinosaurs; I was starting to get anxiety on how low on fuel you were lol 😁.

[@ManCalledHorse]

Lol! Sorry about that. I live on the edge. 🤣

[@spelunkerd]

Why are there marks on the fibrous plates, are they not uniform?

[@ManCalledHorse]

Seems the last person to install the clutch plates marked them (I am the second owner of the bike and this was the first clutch replacement with me). The plates appeared to be OEM (made of cork and rubber and the outer most were different than the rest). The after-market EBC kevlar clutch plates were all the same. So it was different than what was in the service manual. My fingers were crossed and so far, thousands of miles later (as of this comment) no problems. 🙂

[@heybruh3274]

@@ManCalledHorse So, there were no keyed-alignment like you thought there would be, right? In other words, those white marks were meaningless really? Thanks

[@ManCalledHorse]

@@heybruh3274 yup. Had no use that I was able to gather. Other than maybe it was the "outermost" disc?

[@heybruh3274]

@@ManCalledHorse Thank you for the reply and the very handy video.

[@ManCalledHorse]

@@heybruh3274 thanks for watching and commenting! 🙂👊

[@edwinb.2756]

Not sure if you will remember this. But at what mileage did you have to change your clutch.. Im sure it varies on the user.. Just wondering,, Got my my first Vulcan/Bike 3months ago..thanks

[@ManCalledHorse]

Hopefully this gives you a somewhat answer: I bought 2016 Vulcan from the first owner in 10/2018 (so it was already 2+ yrs old when I bought it). Not knowing how the previous owner rode (like did he do burnouts all the time or just went on mild leisurely cruises on the weekends). But it had something like 4200 miles. I do a lot of cone work, slow speed and other stuff that requires slipping the clutch a lot. So after having my bike for a year, it was starting to slip. I think, if I remember right, it was around 7000-10000 miles. (but those where hard miles, because I do ride pretty spiritly anddo a lot of cone work). Now, what I have been told the OEM cork/rubber friction plates will last like 20-30k miles with "normal" wear and tear. But after I upgraded to the kevlar plates, no problems. In fact the clutch was grippier than before (but of course I burn the crap out of my last ones and I was just noticing the comparable difference, lol). Does this kinda help with your question? 🙂

[@edwinb.2756]

@@ManCalledHorse yes it helps.. So sounds like I won't get to change mine.. Knock on wood.. I'm careful with the shifting so not to mishift... My bike is also a 2006 and it has 25kms... That's about 15k miles I believe.. I'm in Canada... Thanks for the vid and your response..

[@kevindelk]

The manual also shows the outside friction plate staggered in the other groove

[@victorgarza4637]

Great video can you tell me the code number of the ebc kit you purchase

[@ManCalledHorse]

Did you check out the Amazon link in the description? I have it there. ☺️

[@ericmcelroy1773]

Do you think the engine ice made a difference in cooling. Also awesome video.

[@ManCalledHorse]

Thank you for watching my video and commenting! So far the Engine Ice is doing it's job. My bike don't have a thermogauge, so I can tell if the bike is running cooler or not. But I like it because it comes pre-mixed and it is non-toxic. 🙂

[@scottwheaton9689]

FYI,it’s actually the clutch springs thst are weak causing/letting the clutch slip overheating the fiber plates & steel plates. If you had replaced the clutch springs with the hvy dty springs when the clutch 1st started slipping before having time to overheat the clutch burning up the plates that alone would have fixed it which I have done to many bikes over the last 50yrs plus wrenching/restoring classic motorcycles & cars.

[@ManCalledHorse]

Good to know, thanks!

[@brentseay]

Hey, like your vids. Can you elaborate on how this new clutch helped reduce revs on the interstate? I've done Ivan's flash, exhaust, both front and rear baron pulleys, and a taller tire. Traveling on the interstate still requires the bike to rev high due to not having 6th gear. I know that's how it's designed but I really am interested in what you said "the clutch was slipping and the new clutch's better grip reduced the revs on the interstate". Does it still feel that way now a year later? I have 33k miles on my bike. 3rd gear definitely slips when I'm hard on the throttle.

[@ManCalledHorse]

When my clutch was burnt (worn) it was just revving like no matter how much I opened the throttle, you can hear the engine approaching redline rpms and my speed either stayed the same (or at the end, at most 20mph). Looking back, I noticed my clutch lost its "bite" (a bit of a delay in acceleration). Then over time, it was like my plates where just sliding and not catching. What I have noticed with my new kevlar plates, there's a very positive bite. The only way I can say how your clutch would reduce your rpms is that they aren't slipping and your engine is running like it should. Other than that, you probably experience what I experience when on the freeway (I have 5 gears too). Believe it or not, newer bikes (I believe after 2010) have a governor chip that actually prevents redlining (you'll mute out and start backfiring) before you have a chance to blow a header. If your plates are fairly new, it might be your oil (make sure it is for motorcycles, not cars). There are lubricants in car oil that will slip up your plates. Hope this helps! 🙂

[@ManCalledHorse]

Follow-up reply... My clutch is still going strong! Especially how much abuse I give it. Third gear is oddly specific, do you feel clunking or does your gears jump out? If that is the case (fingers crossed) hopefully it ain't a transmission issue.

[@VndNvwYvvSvv]

Most people don't rev high enough and pull hard enough to skip 5th gear so 2nd or 3rd is where you usually notice it first.

[@ricardopr54]

Is this a known issue on the Vulcan 900s?

[@ManCalledHorse]

It's not an "issue". Every motorcycle with a clutch system will at some time have to replace their clutch plates. Just wear and tear. I hope this helps!

[@ricardopr54]

@ManCalledHorse Thank you very much for your response to my inquiry 😁

[@ManCalledHorse]

@@ricardopr54 thanks for watching and asking!

[@gldixon86]

So when you put the water tube back in the side of the head how did u do it I put mine back with new rubber o rings an it’s leaking did u do anything special how did u put them in?? I put mine in then the tube... did you also lube them with something I’m just curious I can’t get mine to stop leaking there was no burrs or anything in it. Please help.

[@gphilpot1]

Seeing no one replied. You can line the O-rings with silicone. Many times without it the get out of place or twist. What was the fix to yours?

[@gldixon86]

Adjusting the top an bottom adjustment links it’s better now thank you.

[@ManCalledHorse]

I'm so sorry for the late response (I over looked it.). If you are talking about the metal tube that goes from the clutch case to the radiator (towards the front, not the plastic one located at the top near the breather), I also pinched it and it leaked. That's when I discovered trying to put it back in while connected to the hose was putting sideways pressure and causing it to go in canted. I disconnected the hose and inserted the tube with a (new) o-ring, then I reconnected the hose after tightening it down. No leaks after that. 🙂

[@agenorski]

The last friction disc you put in needs to go with the tabs into the unsupported slots (according to Clymer's manual)

[@ManCalledHorse]

Yeah, I was at a crossroads on that. In the book it was what you said, but when I took apart the clutch they were not set up that way (made sure to note how things were). Looked like OEM plates, which don't know if the manufacturer made a mistake or what. Plus the EBC plates don't have the two special plates like they do in the manual either. Thanks for the watch and comment! 👊

[@Jake----89116]

@@ManCalledHorse if you go back and watch your video before you start to disassemble the clutch, you can see the outer most plate is in the position shown in the service manual.

[@cletusaxe7182]

How many fiber plates r poss to b in the basket

[@joesolder]

Did it start to seem sluggish when in 2nd-3rd gear with acceleration?

[@ManCalledHorse]

For me, with was interesting, I first noticed it after a cone practice session. It happened suddenly. The clutch level had no slack and the plates were slipping so badly, I could only crawl at 15-20 mph in all gears (1-5). I tightened the slack and adjusted the cable to only temporarily fix the symptom. It was down hill from there.

[@ManCalledHorse]

I don't know if you are asking for yourself, but "usually" yeah, most will notice a lack of acceleration or power-to-throttle ratio.

[@joesolder]

@@ManCalledHorse yeah, I've noticed the last couple rides she's sluggish if I get on the throttle. Normal throttle is fine but if I apply more than 50% she seems to big down a bit. Trying to narrow down my issue. She's a 2015 with a little over 12,000 miles and all but 1700 are from me.

[@ManCalledHorse]

@@joesolder you might be barking up the right tree. Have you cleaned the fuel injectors yet or checked the air filter to see if it is dirty? I got a vid about the air filter (at least to check it). Sometimes that is a culprit.

[@joesolder]

@@ManCalledHorse I did a complete check up back in April. The weather hasn't been too good for riding so she's been sitting in the garage most of the time with rides here and there weather permitting. She's my baby and spoiled rotten haha. Glad I found your video!

[@distant4766]

Have you removed the restrictor plate yet? If not don't. You'll bend valves.

[@ManCalledHorse]

No I didn't. All good and thanks for looking out 👊

[@ishtabish7857]

I Don’t know if I can use the same parts for my vulcan 900 custom

[@ManCalledHorse]

What I did was research EBC website for compatible plates for my bike. But even before that, I researched which brand of clutch plates had the best reviews. So, I suggest you will find the appropriate parts for your bike in the same manner.

[@corneilcorneil]

Sure you can, all 900's have the same engine.

[@Lee-70ish]

Good job MCH well explained. How many miles on your old clutch? Good to point out the oil used . People even though the manual says semi-synthetic often put in full synthetic thinking its better but they forget the Vulcan engine design is 14 years old so still needs a bit of real stuff in the sump.

[@ManCalledHorse]

I got about 7k miles on the original oem clutch plates. I do a lot of clutch work when doing Motojitsu and moto-gymkhana stuff and the cork and rubber material didn't hold up. That's why I switched to Kevlar. Waaay better. You can feel the positive bite of the plates! Thanks for the positive feedback on my vids!! 🙂👊🔥

[@VndNvwYvvSvv]

Fully synthetic is still best. Add friction modifier if necessary. You probably wouldn't call traditional oil "real stuff" if you knew the chemistry.

[@JoseGonzalez-hp9oi]

I love this video! Thanks

[@ManCalledHorse]

Thank you and thank you for the view and comment 🙏👊

[@TheTriplelman]

Thanks bro, I have a beautiful vulcan 900 lt with the same problem

[@ManCalledHorse]

I'm glad to hear my video help. Thanks for the watch and feedback! The Vulcan is an awesome bike! 💯👊

[@davidfellows6250]

How many miles did you get before the replacement?

[@gerryrotae]

40K

[@BuiltDifferent13]

I'm looking at buying a 95 Vulcan 800. The guy says second gear doesn't work. Any saying it's just the clutch? How could it just be a clutch? Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it slip in every gear if it was a just a clutch right?

[@ManCalledHorse]

You are correct in your thought that if it was the clutch, all gears would be slipping not just one or two. Sounds to me, preliminarily, there is some wrong with the whole gear assembly (dog ears, shift rods, stripped gear teeth, etc). My humble opinion, that is not going to be a good buy. Go for a 900 because it will be more recent and there will be more parts.

[@BuiltDifferent13]

@@ManCalledHorse thanks man. Yeah I ended up with an older bike because didn't have a whole bunch of money to work with so I kind of ended up with a project like hopefully it's nice. It's a 1990 intruder 750 15,000 miles. One owner needs a starter battery car cleaning tune up. Valves were adjusted two seasons ago so and he's only put like 3000 mi on it since he bought it in 2016. So valves might be okay... We'll see. Hopefully I didn't make a mistake. Do you know anything about those engines? Is there anything I should look out for?

[@centralvalleyvulcan6555]

Very nice

[@christianhedrick5551]

I do I need to take off my drive shaft to get to the shift cam/forks/ drum?

[@ManCalledHorse]

I am going to have to refer you to your service manual for your specific bike. Usually, you will need to open your crank case for that. But again, it is what your service manual says. 🙂👊

[@FRJ1982]

Looked like your first outer clutch plate (type-1) was in the same slot as all the rest. That outer one should be offset to the other slot.

[@user-fu8gq5xg5u1]

Hello! Guys who can say me about fuel pump? I changed everything inside of it but my motorcycle still won;t go faster, no enough pressure. One filter in pump is a white small net and what is inside of the cover?

[@ManCalledHorse]

Let me get back to you on this...

[@ManCalledHorse]

Do you go full throttle and no power? If you cleaned the fuel filter pump, and it is not your clutch, it could a it of other things. I would start with the easiest and cheapest fix first. I would check to see if your air filter is dirty. I would check to see if my fuel injectors are clogged (maybe some fuel injector cleaner might fix that). I would check to make sure my tank is not rusty inside of it (use a flashlight). Question, did your problem happen over time or did your problem happen suddenly? A bad battery (or one that hasn't been charged) can do that too.

[@user-fu8gq5xg5u1]

@@ManCalledHorse dude, i've done everything! This is pump. I want to open this head and check inside. I think fcking japan engineers set a small something there. Something that stop the pressure after some time. Small filter which becomes dirty. Open manual and find information about fuel pump. They say that pump can't be fixed and you need to buy a new everytime for 500$. You can't change filter and pump inside and you can't open the head cuz we want our 500$ evety 3-5 years

[@condeedgar93]

Thanks for sharing 👍👍

[@ManCalledHorse]

Thank you! 👊

[@daveklasvegas4622]

Sweet!

[@ManCalledHorse]

Thanks bro! 🙏👊

[@przemysawszymanski982]

Super 💪🤘🤘

[@corneilcorneil]

I miss the gasket part 🤔🤔

[@ManCalledHorse]

Yeah, put a new gasket on. I forgot to video that. Don't use the old one no matter how good it looks. Imo.

[@corneilcorneil]

@@ManCalledHorse the "naked"water pump looks strange. So, when the gasket fails there ... you have a nice water/oil mix. 🤔

[@ManCalledHorse]

@@corneilcorneil affirm. Yeah, since the water pump and clutch (which shares the same oil in the crankcase and engine), if the gasket fails there the oil and coolant can mix.

[@corneilcorneil]

@@ManCalledHorse 50K km om my Custom, so next year i have this job to do.

[@ManCalledHorse]

@@corneilcorneil Get yourself the shop manual for your bike. It has the spec ft/in lbs of each bolt and etc. I had to disconnect the radiator from the clutch cover.

[@dalecarpenter8828]

If you have to change the oil anyway . If not then put the bike way over on it's side .

[@235andrey]

Через сколько миль буксовать сцепление начало?

[@user-ro9gu9nh892]

40 k

[@235andrey]

@@user-ro9gu9nh892 Да,так же примерно.

[@user-ro9gu9nh892]

@@235andrey какие проявления были?

[@235andrey]

@@user-ro9gu9nh892 Заметно хуже ускорятся стал,на 4,5 передаче особенно.

[@blackbirdpie217]

Of course the old clutch parts look burnt and worn out. You knew this before you took it apart because you knew it had failed, was slipping, etc.. so no surprises there!

[@ManCalledHorse]

Sorry for the video upsetting you so much. But thank you for your feedback and thoughts. Have a good one!

[@AnTo-z2z]

Последний диск стоит неправильно.

[@knowone6214]

best check the oil strainer and make sure it isnt clogged with clutch debris or you will have an oiling problem

[@knowone6214]

Kawasaki would have a great machine if they got rid of the liquid cooling and put better brakes on it and geared it taller