Ocelot shudders

[Ocelot]

A 1990 K75C with 59,430 miles named Ocelot is my daily commuter.

Ocelot has recently developed the habit of shuddering when taking off from a stop. There just doesn't seem to be much slip when I ease out the clutch. Instead, the clutch consistently grabs way too easy. I lubed the splines a couple winters back, but I never busted into the clutch basket to inspect the friction plate. Do you think this is a sign that Ocelot's clutch lining is worn off and the two metal plates are grabbing each other? There is no slippage. I have three bikes, been riding 55 years, and I am a daily year around rider, so it's not that my clutch hand is clumsy. Just too dang grabby.

What do you think?

[Scott_]

I sure wouldn't think that the clutch disk would be worn to the rivets at only 60K.
I suppose the question comes, what was the care by previous owners. parked outside exposed to the elements? salt water corrosion?
It sounds like your only real option to actually know is to split it open again and get into the clutch basket to examine the disk and pressure plate surfaces.
And of course this is a good time to replace the inevitable, dried out and leaking clutch nut o-ring.......

[mac]

For what it's worth, I get a little shudder taking off when I'm 2up. Otherwise I'm completely asymptomatic. How severe a shudder are you experiencing?

[cy7878]

To me slipping and grabbing are just glass half empty or half full.

When I was working on my main seal, I was worried about leaks. The service guy at the dealer told me that unless the disc is soaked, I actually won't experience "slipping".   However, a little bit of oil on the disc will initially slip and that generates heat.  The heat will burn off the oil and cause the grabbing after heat burns off the little bit of oil (also will cause the blue glazing on the friction plates).   In a sense he was telling me that I would experience inconsistent clutch engagement if there is a little bit of oil and I will get a grabbing as the "slip" goes away and the clutch catches.  I made sense to me at the time.   

My bike is a 85 with 31k miles and when I took the rear end apart, I see oil around the housing but disc itself is dry and measured 5mm.   Now I know my bell house O-ring was leaking, and that's where the oil was from.