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Dry wet clutch....

tkent02

tkent02

Forum LongTimer
Past Site Supporter
My wife's DR 200 has had a rough, grippy, grabby clutch since she got it. You just can't start out smoothly from a stop, it can't be done. Opened it up today, the clutch plates were dry, no sign of any oil except a little bit where the lowest side of each plate was sitting, just a little oil on each plate on the lower side.

Soaked the plates in oil and threw it back together, now it's silky smooth as it should be, a perfectly functioning clutch.

WTF? How can a clutch be dry on a running motorcycle? There is oil pumped directly into the clutch hub, isn't there? It has operated the same even after a 120 mile plus mountain ride on dirt and highways with a big guy whipping the snot out of it trying to keep up with bigger bikes, or with my wife just putting around for hours. Anyone seen this before?
 
I don't know if the clutch has a pressure feed, but I don't think so, I think these clutches essentially run dry because of centrifugal force, and rely on only a little oil splashing about to provide a tiny bit of lube.
I know some think it runs in a bath, but I think the clutch hub runs above the oil level and you cant have summat spinning and frothing the oil up.
 
tatu said:
I don't know if the clutch has a pressure feed, but I don't think so, I think these clutches essentially run dry because of centrifugal force, and rely on only a little oil splashing about to provide a tiny bit of lube.
I know some think it runs in a bath, but I think the clutch hub runs above the oil level and you cant have summat spinning and frothing the oil up.
Click to expand...

I thought oil was pumped in through the hollow shaft?
 
Does Cliffs welcome package have any links in the "other manuals" stuff? maybe that would tell if its a wet or dry sump clutch???
 
A zcommando clutch runs essentially dry in a wet case. The oil lubes the primary chain. It is essential on those to not overfill the primary case.
 
Just talking about wet clutches in general, doesn't the oil come in through the transmission shaft?
 
I would think that on the GS, at least, the vast majority is just sling oil from the galley the clutch basket flywheel passes thru and messes with the crank..Thats the most obvious place I would think of .Doesnt need to be submerged ..just kept wet.
 
Is the 200 oil in frame like the DR350 or 'conventional' oil in the gearbox liek the DR125 (we never officially got the 200)? If it's the latter, the clutch works just like one on a GS and it should be wet with oil from running in an oil bath.
 
It is a regular wet sump like a GS. If this is true I don't see how it could ever get dry. It has always had the correct amount of oil in it.
 
Last edited:
looking at the clutch assembly on my GS (through the clutch window cover) the clutch sits in the oil about 3/4" when not running.
 
My lad had a DR125 as a learner so I presume it's the same as that then. The clutch should be wet from running in the oil bath - a bit of splish-splash etc. As long as the oil level is ok I can't see how it shouldn't be wet.
 
tkent02 said:
I thought oil was pumped in through the hollow shaft?
Click to expand...

Don't know, sorry. (Iwouldn't have thought so)
I do know that I've stripped old GS's have had very dry and light rust on the clutch plates.
No old two strokes have forced oil in their clutches. Same set up.
 
tatu said:
Don't know, sorry. (Iwouldn't have thought so)
I do know that I've stripped old GS's have had very dry and light rust on the clutch plates.
No old two strokes have forced oil in their clutches. Same set up.
Click to expand...

All true....

OK.

How would a bike that's been run quite a bit recently get a dry clutch from day one?
Before we got it this bike was used 1,400 miles by a beginner rider training place.
1400 miles is a lot of laps around a few cones...
Maybe they replaced the clutch plates and never soaked them in oil before assembly?

And I have unstuck clutches that have sat for years without taking them apart, within a few seconds the clutch is working smoothly as it should.

again, WTF?
 
Last edited:
Dunno, I think they rely on the small amount of oil mist/splash, I'm sure they don't spin in the oil.
 
Agemax said:
looking at the clutch assembly on my GS (through the clutch window cover) the clutch sits in the oil about 3/4" when not running.
Click to expand...

Didn't see this before, I'd be interested to know if the level drops on start up
A very nice window it is too!
 
tatu said:
Didn't see this before, I'd be interested to know if the level drops on start up
A very nice window it is too!
Click to expand...

the oil does drop on start up, start your bike up on the centre stand and watch the oil level in the sight glass drop down.
once running the clutch must rely on splash feed. with my engine running you can see loads of oil splashing over the whole clutch
 
tkent02 said:
Before we got it this bike was used 1,400 miles by a beginner rider training place.
1400 miles is a lot of laps around a few cones...
Maybe they replaced the clutch plates and never soaked them in oil before assembly?
Click to expand...
Bozo's learning to ride smoked the clutches. Bigger Bozo forgot to soak them when installing new.
 
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