barnett clutches

[Mercaholic]

Just realized that the last bike I bought used had this clutch installed.

What were the significant improvements to this clutch over the factory unit?

 

[Baatfam]

I think most of us would say NONE....

You get more plates with the Barnett, because they are thinner, but the thinner plates are harder on the basket over time.

There are better ways to make the clutch handle more power...

If your motor is stock or even more than stock, the factory discs work fine as long as your springs are good...

 

[bonanzadave]

I ran one for less than 5K miles and it ate groves in my clutch basket. Then it spun the fiber completly off a couple discs.

I wouldnt recommend using the stock springs with a Barnett pack. I think its designed to work with some really strong springs.

 

[gs road racer]

The clutch in GS series is a weak point yes the barnet plates wear groves but the stock ones shatter and this is in a stock motor with smoothbores and a pipe (mine back then).There's no easy answer use the heavier springs makes sure the rivets and springs in back of the basket (they dampen the drive) are ok if not you can get it repaired at APE. Be nice to your clutch!! for the little time it takes that should be part of a yearly inspection tear it down only costs a gasket and if clutch plate parts get into the motor yikes...the answer is a steel basket but no one makes them anymore.....

 

[blowerbike]

stock fibers can handle hundreds of horsepower...
the only time a stock fiber breaks is when there's flexing in the gear/basket.
barnett's for a GS are aggressive basket destroying crap.
stock fibers w/ half a set of H/D springs can hold 130+ horsepower
geeeeeesh!

 

[gs road racer]

As I said it's a weak point yes it's the flexing that breaks the standard ones. I did look on APE site and sent a request to see if they still do the GS1000 baskets. That and springs should do it. The problem with Barnett plates is two fold thin and harder material then the basket. But they don't fracture like stock ones.I'll post when I get a reply from APE or maybe he'll reply if he sees the post here.

 

[blowerbike]

you can have an H/D backing plate kit installed in 8 and 16v. GS's.
that cuts down on the flexing but no one ever made a steel basket for a GS unless it was a one of one part.
i can count on both hand the number of OEM fiber's ive seen broke in street bikes and anytime a basket lets go most get broken along with the oil pump gears and cases.
my point is...
broken OEM fibers is not a common problem.
the thin/extra plate clutch packs destroy perfectly good clutch baskets.
even the "83 only" E/ES 1100 clutches did alot of damage to the baskets because the fibers was made of steel and yes they was an extra plate design as well.
suzuki went back to the 80-82 clutch design on the higher horsepower 1150's in 84/85/86.
HMMMMMMMM

 

[Guest]

You can put a HD backing plate on the stock hubs but the only real solution is a straight cut gear.
Tear it all apart!!
All the GS dragracers I know only use stock fibers or FBG fibers. You should of seen the mickey mouse setup I had in my spare motor with an old Barnett clutch. Two fibers spun off with an extra steel. Far out

 

[49er]

I have Barnett fibers fitted to my 850, with 3 of the 6 HD springs. The clutch lever was dynamite with the full set of Barnett springs.

I can't recall that the fibre thicknesses varied from the OEM ones, but the Barnett fibre area was a lot greater than the OEM's. The number of the oil relief grooves on each OEM fibre surface were double the Barnett plates.

I've had them fitted for 15,000 kms now, with no signs of damage to the basket.

I will be pulling the clutch cover this winter, so will be better able to judge the wear then. I do get some clutch drag in winter if the bike sits for more than a week. Apart from that, it operates very well.

 

[gs road racer]

Yoshimura made a steel basket in very limited qualities..they also had some very special friction plates...the stresses put on a clutch drag racing and what happens on a road race track or the street are very different. As are the maintenance cycles, race bikes come apart regularly. What may work for a drag bike MAY not work well for other applications. So many GS out there with rattling clutches and owners don't understand where the noise is coming from. It is and continues to be a weak point, I've worked on them for years and seen many broken plates in street ridden bikes.Good discussion but there are many solutions. If you're going to use the extra plate packs you need the basket work from APE and they should come apart to look once in a while.

you can have an H/D backing plate kit installed in 8 and 16v. GS's.
that cuts down on the flexing but no one ever made a steel basket for a GS unless it was a one of one part.
i can count on both hand the number of OEM fiber's ive seen broke in street bikes and anytime a basket lets go most get broken along with the oil pump gears and cases.
my point is...
broken OEM fibers is not a common problem.
the thin/extra plate clutch packs destroy perfectly good clutch baskets.
even the "83 only" E/ES 1100 clutches did alot of damage to the baskets because the fibers was made of steel and yes they was an extra plate design as well.
suzuki went back to the 80-82 clutch design on the higher horsepower 1150's in 84/85/86.
HMMMMMMMM