clutch and shift kit

i am going to be replaceing the clutch and installing a factory pro shit kit this winter, and am wondering what the consensus is weather to go oem or aftermarket. i want to do some track days with it but want a smooth enough cluch that i dont go crazy in city trafic. any ideas or opinions a appriciated.

 

in my 96 vfr i bought the ebk kevlar clutch kit with heavy springs and ebk/ebc steels. its been a great difference. gets a little to get use to the stiffer grab but its really nice i love it total paid less than $200 usd.

 

Did you put in the ebc sRk race/sport clutch kit. With new steels,spring,and friction plates? That is the one I am looking at.

 

I had 70,000 miles on my original clutch. I changed the fibers and metal plates along with new springs and a steel clutch line. STOCK HONDA PARTS. I wouldnt waste my time with barnett or ebc for my trouble. EBC does make nice rotors and pads though and has good custamer service. BTW I installed a Factory pro shift kit about 15 years ago in this bike, kit comes with a new detent arm along with a stiffer spring and a gasket. If you dont have a manual and some decent experience, I would recommend having a competant shop do the work as it is not for beginners. Also, my clutch did not look that bad after all those miles, no blueing or warppage. Bike rides slightly better at over 100 mph though. Have fun wit ur third gen bike, its got the best looks of any viffer IMHO. :smile:

 

The mechanical aspect is not a problem for me (day job aircraft mechanic) but apriciat the heads up. The reason I am looking into the ebc clutch the faster grab characteristics,although it may strain the rest of the drive chain a bit more with the stock 530 chain instead of the downsized 520 I'm not as worried about that. Iv got 49 xxx miles on the bike and I find when I exwl hard shift to 2 and 3 I get slip at 8k rpm. Just want solid hook up.

 

Take it apart then and see how the steels look. If they are burnt replace em along with the fricitions. The new steels that are made by Wonda dont have the little stipple dots on them, they are smooth, guess its cheaper to manufacture em without the dots. Something else I noticed with the new clutch pack was the bike went into first from a cold start in Nutral with a bit of louder and forceful "CLACK" maybe its because those little stipple dots arent there with oil to cushine the engagement. Anyway, I never experienced any slip of any sort on my motor when shifting. I only replaced em cause I have high mileage and I take care of my shtuff. Replace the stock crappy rubber line with a nice braided line and ur good to go. BTW I usually reserve 6th gear on this bike to the highway and usually go into it at 90 mph at 8-9 grand RPM. Kinda an ova-drive....i am outie eace:

 

So after talkin to my buddy down at the Honda shop and talking to a mechanic there that just installed an ebc on a bike the a barrett. He said the e c fits like shit but the Barrett was flawless. Apartment from the guys there if you were to go after market the Barrett would be the "step up"from stock. Although there a no garenties with aftermarket for perfect fit as oem. So I think I am inn go with the Barrett kit,with new frictionsin kevlar,steeled and the heavy duty springs.

 

So... finally got all the parts and put in both the clutch and shift kit, for both including panel re and re, coolant drain/fill, and the obviously oil change, it took about 5 and a bit hrs. with a lunch break. All parts fit together perfectly and seemed to work seamlessly. clutch feel is far superior in my opinion to stock, but that was just a short boot around the block( with snow on the curb and wet roads.) shift feel is also far superior with even the thought of a shift it is already completed. due to all the information on-line about Kevlar clutch instillation, i saw a lot about not being able to use a full synthetic, i e-mailed Barnett and asked them. response was absolutely you CAN still use a full synthetic as long it is motorcycle grade oil.( no anti-friction additives) so that is all for now, once i get a chance to really ride it and check out the clutch on a solid acceleration and hard ride i will post how i like it.

 

so i finally got insurance and got the bike on the road. with the new clutch and shift kit it is night and day difference. clutch feel is much firmer and grabs much faster without being at all choppy. i would highly recommend both of these items for anyone looking for a new clutch or just a different feel and a smoother faster shift and acceleration.