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[Twolanerider]

The red bike needed a clutch.  Barnett advertises one of their Scorpion line as being a direct drop in for the bikes with hydraulic clutches.  Not wanting to dink with Rivera's unspecified shortening of the clutch pushrod I decided to give it a try.

Install was direct and obvious.  There is almost no documentation with the product.  What is there, however, says to briefly pre-soak the clutch disks and that it's ok to use "any oil."  In one place the "any" part is even emphasized.  That's apparently where the oops comes in.

Buttoned it back up.  Rolled it off the lift.  Eyeballing everything before the primary went on it looked to have normal operation.  Before starting the engine engaging the clutch allowed easier working of the shifter as normal.  Not expecting any problems.

Rolling off the lift meant backing out in to the driveway just a bit.  Thanks god.

Started the engine with the bike in neutral.  Pulled the clutch lever and shifted to first (with the clutch lever still in).  And off she goes.

Clutch was not fully disengaged.  Engine was stout enough it didn't die and I didn't have a tight enough grip on the front brake to stop it. 

Before I have grabbed more front brake and reached for the kill switch (honestly don't know which I got first to kill it)  we'd cowboyed forward 10-12 feet Evil Knieveling the ramp to the lift and coming to stop way to damn close to the SERG setting in the other half of the garage.  I probably had a potty incident but didn't think to look.

The clutch basket is/was stuck together.  Talked to Barnett this morning.  Barely started to describe what it was doing and the tech rep interrupted to ask "pre-soak the disks in synthetic?" 

Did.  In Mobil 1.

They don't have to be pre-soaked.  And they've learned their clutch materials don't like synthetic oils.  Nice documentation almost cost me a major screw up in the garage.

After that I took the SERG for a ride to clear my head.

Probably tomorrow will run the red bike long enough to get the fluid warm and then try to pop the clutch a bit to get the disks unstuck from each other.  If that doesn't work will take the outer primary back off, wipe all the disks back down and use their (now) recommended "good type F ATF."  That is what makes their disks happiest.

So, if anyone ever does a Barnett clutch please learn from my short but wild ride.

[cuthbertss]

The red bike needed a clutch.  Barnett advertises one of their Scorpion line as being a direct drop in for the bikes with hydraulic clutches.  Not wanting to dink with Rivera's unspecified shortening of the clutch pushrod I decided to give it a try.

Install was direct and obvious.  There is almost no documentation with the product.  What is there, however, says to briefly pre-soak the clutch disks and that it's ok to use "any oil."  In one place the "any" part is even emphasized.  That's apparently where the oops comes in.

Buttoned it back up.  Rolled it off the lift.  Eyeballing everything before the primary went on it looked to have normal operation.  Before starting the engine engaging the clutch allowed easier working of the shifter as normal.  Not expecting any problems.

Rolling off the lift meant backing out in to the driveway just a bit.  Thanks god.

Started the engine with the bike in neutral.  Pulled the clutch lever and shifted to first (with the clutch lever still in).  And off she goes.

Clutch was not fully disengaged.  Engine was stout enough it didn't die and I didn't have a tight enough grip on the front brake to stop it. 

Before I have grabbed more front brake and reached for the kill switch (honestly don't know which I got first to kill it)  we'd cowboyed forward 10-12 feet Evil Knieveling the ramp to the lift and coming to stop way to damn close to the SERG setting in the other half of the garage.  I probably had a potty incident but didn't think to look.

The clutch basket is/was stuck together.  Talked to Barnett this morning.  Barely started to describe what it was doing and the tech rep interrupted to ask "pre-soak the disks in synthetic?" 

Did.  In Mobil 1.

They don't have to be pre-soaked.  And they've learned their clutch materials don't like synthetic oils.  Nice documentation almost cost me a major screw up in the garage.

After that I took the SERG for a ride to clear my head.

Probably tomorrow will run the red bike long enough to get the fluid warm and then try to pop the clutch a bit to get the disks unstuck from each other.  If that doesn't work will take the outer primary back off, wipe all the disks back down and use their (now) recommended "good type F ATF."  That is what makes their disks happiest.

So, if anyone ever does a Barnett clutch please learn from my short but wild ride.

ah yes....  process learning!!!! 
im glad that you didnt have an accident ( except in your jockies!)

[erniezap]

Don,

You just keep having more and more fun with that cherry...

[RJ749]

Glad the bike is safe, well you too.  Who would have figured?

Barnett evidently needs someone that can run a computer to reprint the directions.

No more Mob 1 in all three holes evidently. 

Thanks for once again being the guinea pig Don 

[SBB]

Don,

You just keep having more and more fun with that cherry...

Ernie

But notice he now has a backup that is always sitting there waiting.

D/C---> pm that address

[miker]

I hate when I do stuff like that...or loose....misplace,er...loose things

[Boatman]

Glad you and the bikes are ok..  You read the directions and know what you are doing and barely escaped disaster.  Can't believe these companies are this incompetent.    

[erniezap]

Ernie

But notice he now has a backup that is always sitting there waiting.

D/C---> pm that address

That's why some of us have multiple machines...

[RJ749]

That's why some of us have multiple machines...

That's right Ernie, maybe Scot could learn from Don's experience

[Twolanerider]

Don,

You just keep having more and more fun with that cherry...

Ernie, came too close to popping the cherry that time.  In the end no harm and no foul though.  It's just a bit of  a surprise when you drop it in first while holding the clutch in and the bike decides to take off.

Worst part was I knew there was only about a bike's width between the lift and the SERG and it was not straight in front of me.  So while trying to kill it was also trying to point it.  Manged to get both done at about the same time.  It's just a good thing I'd done laundry the day before.

[Twolanerider]

Glad you and the bikes are ok..  You read the directions and know what you are doing and barely escaped disaster.  Can't believe these companies are this incompetent.    

The tech rep this morning even mentioned that they really needed to reprint those directions.  It's apparently not something that happens everytime.  But it sure as hell happens often enough that he knew what I was going to ask before I'd even gotten to the point in the description of saying that the clutch wasn't disengaged.  So they've been there and done that before.

[Twolanerider]

  Who would have figured?

That was just it Rog.  We try to consider all the possibilities.  Be as prepared as we can.  Scan traffic.  Scan loads on vehicles in front of us or that we're passing.  Etc etc etc.  Still, you just can't think of everything every time. 

[erniezap]

Well chit, you don't think about traffic and obstacles in your garage, especially when you're holding the clutch!  I'm just glad that there was no damage!

[sadunbar]

Now that all's well that ends well, I hope you don't mind hearing that I had to chuckle at the visual of you performing the Evel Knievel/cowboy walk with a warm trickle going down your leg...

That being said, it sure seems much more common than not to question anything and everything these days.  No longer can you rely on suppliers of ANYTHING to be competent, correct and complete.

Here is an example of incompetence that entered my world today...

When I purchased my Bushtec trailer last fall, I applied for the state required license plate.  The application asked the question of whether you preferred the full size or motorcycle size plate.  I chose the motorcycle size plate.  Of course, the state sent the full size plate.  I filled out the appropriate paperwork and returned it (along with the full size plate) - and the state replaced it with the motorcycle size plate.  In today's mail, I received the renewal for the plate - or should I say plates.  The state sent me a renewal statement (and bill) for both the full size and the motorcycle size plate.  So, I called our state's customer friendly DMV.  Of course, there is a form I can fill out to cancel the renewal of the full size plate - but they also would like me to return my full size plate (that I no longer have - because last fall I had to return the full size plate before they would send the smaller size plate....).   Bureaucracy then ensued - catch 22 at its best.

Long story short, I told the nice lady that I would send in the renewal for the motorcycle size plate - and throw the renewal for the full size plate in the trash.  And if they could not figure out how to correct their multitude of errors prior to next years renewal, I would again send in the renewal for the motorcycle size plate and throw the full size renewal in the trash - and so on and so on for as many years necessary.......  She tried to explain why I should not do this - but then the phone mysteriously went dead....

[erniezap]

Now that all's well that ends well, I hope you don't mind hearing that I had to chuckle at the visual of you performing the Evel Knievel/cowboy walk with a warm trickle going down your leg...

That being said, it sure seems much more common than not to question anything and everything these days.  No longer can you rely on suppliers of ANYTHING to be competent, correct and complete.

Here is an example of incompetence that entered my world today...

When I purchased my Bushtec trailer last fall, I applied for the state required license plate.  The application asked the question of whether you preferred the full size or motorcycle size plate.  I chose the motorcycle size plate.  Of course, the state sent the full size plate.  I filled out the appropriate paperwork and returned it (along with the full size plate) - and the state replaced it with the motorcycle size plate.  In today's mail, I received the renewal for the plate - or should I say plates.  The state sent me a renewal statement (and bill) for both the full size and the motorcycle size plate.  So, I called our state's customer friendly DMV.  Of course, there is a form I can fill out to cancel the renewal of the full size plate - but they also would like me to return my full size plate (that I no longer have - because last fall I had to return the full size plate before they would send the smaller size plate....).   Bureaucracy then ensued - catch 22 at its best.

Long story short, I told the nice lady that I would send in the renewal for the motorcycle size plate - and throw the renewal for the full size plate in the trash.  And if they could not figure out how to correct their multitude of errors prior to next years renewal, I would again send in the renewal for the motorcycle size plate and throw the full size renewal in the trash - and so on and so on for as many years necessary.......  She tried to explain why I should not do this - but then the phone mysteriously went dead....