Hey guys,

'08 990 SD, I think I've encountered my first problem with the bike! The clutch doesn't seem to fully disengage, it's been dragging slightly for a while now most noticeably on startup. If the bike is started in gear with the lever bottomed out to the grip (Pazzo full length lever, even when adjusted to maximum reach) it will lurch forward slightly.

Pumping the lever makes no difference, the fluid was dirty but full and I've never added to it in the last 2 years (10,000km ridden in that time). I did the reverse bleed technique tonight with a syringe and put in fresh Motorex 75, no change. Clutch slave cylinder was replaced with a KTMtwins unit by the previous owner at an unknown mileage and the bike now has 36,600km. Bike rolls very easily in neutral, but is tough to move in gear with the lever pulled fully to the bar.

What should I be looking at first?
Slave cylinder again?
Clutch rebuild?
master cylinder rebuild??

Every now and then mine drags a little (2007 SD) but i've found that by putting a little length of pipe on the master cylinder bleed nipple and opening with pressure on the level (6mm spanner) sometimes a little air will be bled from the cylinder. Once i've done this its spot on...i'm guessing with the fluid reservoir being so small that if using the clutch just so happens to be when its bumpy etc a bit of air gets pulled into the system hence it not disengaging fully...there's a few posts on here about it

I feel your pain brother

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=25364

I have tried everything and it's still not cured. Using 10W 40 oil has helped a little and playing with the clutch oil jets is the last thing but it is all a bit of a pain

I saw your thread right after posting mine, looks like you've gone into it quite a bit further than I have.

I started bleeding the master cylinder last night which I hadn't done the first day, I'm getting tons of air out of it. I've attached a small piece of clear tubing to the bleed screw and run it down into a catch bucket so I can clearly see what is coming out. After pumping the lever 50-60 times and holding while I crack the screw I get one big bubble and sometimes a few little ones. I've put almost half the bottle of Motorex 75 fluid through the master already last night and still get the same bubble every time. I'm starting to suspect that I'm pulling in air through either the piston or somewhere on the res/hose link between it and the master. I'm thinking my best guess is to continue trying to bleed and if I don't get anywhere by the end of the bottle I will order a new res/hose and the master rebuild kit and try again.

The no fluid loss makes me doubt it's the KTM Twins slave cylinder acting up, and I still can't imagine a way it's the clutch itself that won't disengage but I don't fully understand motorcycle clutches as I've never seen one apart in person to see how it functions.