Clutch friction plates - sources

[the-chauffeur]

Back after a long break.

Couldn't test the XL plates for . . . reasons.

Next question - is there any significant difference between the 'early' '77 clutch/plates and the 'late' clutch/plates? I can get hold of some that fit the former, but my bike is the latter.

Can't imagine the design changed so much that the plates aren't basically interchangeable . . .

Thanks again.

[DJM]

PM Me

[the-chauffeur]

Hey DJM

Tried to PM you a couple of times and they just sit in the outbox.

E-mailed you on Sunday instead - let me know if that didn't make it through.

Cheers

[DJM]

Your two messages both appear in my in box as 'this message was deleted by the sender' suggest you try again.

[the-chauffeur]

This is all getting a bit strange.

I put a PM in a couple of days back and it's still sitting in the outbox. So I put a post on here to make sure you didn't think I was ignoring you and that post seems to have disappeared as well.

I've got some more information but before I add it I'll see if this post stays put.

[the-chauffeur]

Since my last post has not disappeared, I reckon it's safe to continue . . .

. . . so having gone back to basics and consulted the shop manual (something I should have done at the outset) I've found that my clutch isn't the same as the set up in the book. I've only got five friction plates in my pack, rather than the six specified by the manual. At the very least that would explain some of my confusion over replacement parts.

Having said that, looking at everyone's favourite internet auction site, pretty much all the used clutch assemblies for the CB/CLs only have five friction plates. And I can't square that away in my brain - why does the shop manual from the time give a different set of specs to those the bikes would have been manufactured with?

Going back over my e-mails, I've revisited the information DJM very kindly sent me a while back and can see he has a six plate clutch set up that looks great. Fortunately, I've now found all the friction plates I need, I'm one steel short - or depending on assembled pack thickness I'll need a different, thinner set of steels. I've got a single steel on order so we'll see how everything fits together when that arrives.

Incidentally, the XL plates fit into the basket and have the right OD, but their ID to OD dimensions aren't the same as the CB/CL plates - they're a bit narrower, although that shouldn't affect performance.

[LOUD MOUSE]

HONDA changed the clutch design from first year to last 9 times.
The last 2 years 1966/67 the CUSH design was used and is yhe best design.
Had 5 Aluminum plates ratheer than plastic. ...........................lm