Okay, I'll get directly to the question. Anyone who begins to feel the need to flame, read the end. NOW, I just had a new Barnett Carbon Fiber clutch kit installed today by a certified Honda tech. New friction plates, new springs, new oil. The oil being used is a Kawasaki 10W-40 I was told (They work on all kinds of bikes there).
With this new performance clutch I figured it would be grabby as hell and second gear wheelies would be laughably easy. My problem: I can't even clutch it up in first anymore. The clutch just slowly slips until the revs match the speed. This is not an issue of skill, because I used to clutch it up in first with the old OEM clutch consistently every attempt. Can anyone explain this to me? I spent a good twenty minutes in both first and second gear dumping the clutch at every rpm and speed imaginable with no results. I can bring it up easy if I open the throttle in the mid-range rpm's in first (power wheelie). But that's not what I'm shooting for.
THIS IS NOT A WHEELIE TECHNIQUE QUESTION. What I want to know is, why the hell is this thing not grabbing? The tech said he let the plates soak in the oil for a full 24 hours. Is that the problem? Is the oil itself the problem? Is this clutch just ****? I'm really lost here why a brand new Barnett clutch kit can't do what an old OEM could (before it got worn out).
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Bike: 01 F4i
Rider: 5'7" 165lb

For the "Rar Rar You're A Wheelie Squid" people:
-I love EVERYTHING about riding and enjoy getting low and working on cornering technique as much as I do wheelies. Fortunately, cornering doesnt require a clutch that grabs.
-I do NONE of this on open roads. I live in Southern Illinois, where we are blessed with miles of perfectly paved back roads.
-I wear a leather jacket, helmet, and jeans everytime I ride.
-I understand this type of riding is dangerous. But it's also fun.

 

I had an OEM and went with a Barnett and now back to OEM. Soaking the plates for 24 hours doesn't really matter, they only need to soak for about 20 minutes. I have installed 3 clutches so far. The plates have a small little dot on each of them. And they all have to be lined up exactly the same, if one is off you can throw off your perfomance. I had mine all jacked up the first time, and the bike didn't even move.

Barnett clutches suck, even though its carbon fiber and kevlar. The OEM is still better and I do better wheelies with a stock clutch than the aftermarket.

I use Honda Pro Oil 10w-40 without Moly.

So you probably need to check the dots on the plates to be sure they are all lined up.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'll check on that as soon as I find some tools to do it. I'm at school right now, so I dont have so much as a screw driver

 

Get a pan and save your oil. You can use the same oil again. You will have to pull your bolts and springs to pull the plates out. Its also possible that the springs might be too tight. Check the service manual and see what the torque settings are. When I put mine in the first time, I had the springs too tight and the clutch wouldn't release like it should.