What does a bad or old clutch feel like?

[Gimpy]

I just passed 30K miles on my 2001 m900ie.  I feel like I have to feather the clutch more and more during take off.  Not race starts mind you, just stop lights and the like.  I don't have any other issues.  I can find neutral at will and I don't find false neutrals in higher gears.

So I ask this incredibly subjective question, what does it feel like when you know you need to replace the clutch? 

I'm sure this will turn out to be rider error.  I have been riding since I was 17 (I'm in my thirties now) and I still feel like I learn how to ride every day.  So feel free to boot this thread to riding techniques and critique me there.   

[Speeddog]

It will get noisy, IE the clack-clack will get very loud.

It will squawk and grab a bit at the last bit of engagement.
Due to the grooves in the basket/ peened over plate tabs acting as a self-servo.

Usually they'll get to that point before the friction material is worn off enough to make it slip.
But that depends how hard you are on the clutch/city riding/highway riding/etc.

[Gimpy]

It will get noisy, IE the clack-clack will get very loud.

I thought I was just getting overly sensitive to it. 

It will squawk and grab a bit at the last bit of engagement.
Due to the grooves in the basket/ peened over plate tabs acting as a self-servo.

This is exactly what it is doing.  So I have been feathering that last bit.

Time to pull the cover and look for grooves it would appear.

Thanks for the precise description Speeddog!

[WTSDS]

Yep, mine grabbed and squawked at 20,000 km

I took out the pack, hit all the steel and friction plates with Scotchbrite, emery paper and strong detergents, filed all the hooks off the plates where they had been hitting the basket and it ran sweetly until 40,000 km when it began to squawk again. It responded to similar treatment and I've no doubt it will need some attention again at 60,000km.

[ducpainter]

Yep, mine grabbed and squawked at 20,000 km

I took out the pack, hit all the steel and friction plates with Scotchbrite, emery paper and strong detergents, filed all the hooks off the plates where they had been hitting the basket and it ran sweetly until 40,000 km when it began to squawk again. It responded to similar treatment and I've no doubt it will need some attention again at 60,000km.

I did the same to mine as well as adding another dished plate to the stack.

It's loud, but no groaning.

[WTSDS]

>> I did the same to mine as well as adding another dished plate to the stack.

You're a perfectionist :-)

[ducpainter]

You're a perfectionist :-)

I've been accused of that before.