Hey all. My clutch has started to have problems - when opening up the throttle it gets to a certain amount of revs and then the revs seem to level off even though I’m still opening the throttle. It’s as if the clutch is slipping or something. I’ve tried adjusting the clutch cable tension all the way from one extreme to the other but it doesn’t make any difference.
Is this my springs/plates that are on their way out? Any tips on how to fix it? '09 Aprilia SXV 550 with the stock clutch.
Revs would increase and road speed stay the same if the clutch was slipping, it doesn’t sound like that’s what’s happening?
Agreed!!
Are you in the right gear?
‘bogging out’ maybe… usually when a engine is starved of either fuel or air,check the fuel line if the tank has been fiddled with recently and the fuel filter if you have one is clean and free of debris.have you used a different octane rating or suppliers fuel recently?
check your air filter is clean and fitted properly and oiled if stated by manufacturer,also check the rubber/alu inlet manifolds between the air box and carb and from carb to cylinder head.if these are loose/not fitted right or there are splits in the rubber this will cause prob’s.
then check any breather/overflow/vacuum hoses from the carb,i guess on the sxv exit somewhere below the swingarm/rear shock mount.check to see if these hoses are either blocked or caught up in anything and that they are still correctly fitted to the carb.
if it’s none of them it may be a fouled spark plug or blocked/bad jetting in the carb even a sticky float bowl…second thoughts is your bike fuel injected? :rolleyes:
even simpler it could be a strecthed throttle cable worn or frayed?
if in serious doubt take it too a decent mechanic or good aprillia specialist
Thanks guys, yeah the revs seem to level out momentarily even though I am still twisting the throttle, then they kind of catch up again with what my right hand is doing on the throttle. It doesn’t seem to matter what gear, and it happens when accelerating quite hard. I see what you mean Alex - the revs would increase but road speed stay the same if the clutch was at fault.
The bike is fuel injected, the airfilter is quite new and it actually replaces the entire top of the airbox so there’s plenty of air getting to the throttle bodies. Do you think it might be a throttle problem then instead?
sound’s like a throttle prob…possibly with the injection side of things,i’ve heard of a similar problem with aprillias shiver due to the ‘fly by wire’ system used and riders stated a ‘hesitation’ in accelleration.is the sxv a cable operated throttle or electronic?
i’d take it too a aprillia dealer as they’d know exactly how to deal with it
Thanks GP, it is cable throttle so I’ll investigate on that side - I have a feeling my new air filter might be obstructing the throttle body linkage, I’ll put the stock filter back on with the airbox lid and see if I still get the problem. Cheers.
Have you checked for water in the oil 
hahaha, that ones been sorted by cal 
I dropped the oil in the engine and transmission only last week, so it’s all nice and fresh 10W60 in there.
I was wrong in my initial description of the problem, the revs ARE increasing more than the road speed as I twist the throttle hard, so it seems that the clutch is slipping after all.
Having never had a clutch problem before, and assuming the cable/tension is OK, what would you chaps think I could do next? Anyone had similar problems? Could it just be new springs? Or new plates also?
Cheers
face palm
Ive found adjusting the clutch cable might work for a while. My old cbr600rr had the cable too tight and was causing itself to slip, adjusted off and it was better.
Hurry up and sort…greenlaning soon…if Serrisan pulls his finger out!
Will double check the tightness of the cable, I’m pretty sure I went all the way in both directions without much difference but I’ll give it another go.
Would be good to get it sorted before the greenlaning
My aprilly falco was a bit oil fussy . Certain brands rock oil fir instance made it slip castrol did not .
On the plus side its a bike clutch so its only an hour or 2 to change it if you need to .
Yeah I use expensive 10W60 in the engine and transmission from the advice I got from the Aprilia SXV forum. How long should a wet clutch last usually? The bikes only done 5000 miles (a lot for an SXV but not a lot for a clutch I’m thinking?)
5000 aint much thats for sure 10 times that would be more like it . Did you use a different brand oil to what you were using when you changed it ?
No I used the same 10W60 oil I always use, never had a problem with the oil before.
Well he your using the same brand oil as you have always used its got to be adjustment or worn clutch . Is there any chance your clutch could have been badly adjusted for some time resulting in premature wear of the plates ? Do you have a micrometer ? Pull the cover off and check um tolerances .
I don’t know the history of the bike before i bought it other than that I bought it from a Triumph dealer in Blackburn, judging by the bubbled rubber on the edges of the front tyre (rear was new) the geezer who had it before had certainly put it through its paces, so it’s possible the plates might be on their way out. When changing the transmission oil I’ve had a few fair sized (couple of mil in diameter) pieces of clutch plate come out too, but according to the Aprilia SXV experts this is pretty normal though.
I’ll give adjustment another go, a slipping clutch could be caused by the cable being too loose right? Which would mean that biting point would be close to the bars right? Because my biting point doesn’t come until I release the lever a good half way from the bars.
If it’s slipping due to a a cable problem it’ll be because the cable is too tight not too loose - i.e. it’s preventing the clutch from engaging fully when released.
Too tight is where the pain is thats what can cause overheat . You want it loose . . . when you let the clutch lever right out the cable becomes loose and floppy . If there are bits of friction plate in your oil I would say thats not normal even for am aprilia and it wants new friction plates . Chances are the steels are okay .
Cool, thanks gents, was trying to get my head round whether it would be too tight or too loose, so it may well be too tight. I’ll have another butchers at it and see if adjusting it more helps.
