Loose clutch lever OK?

Just got back from having my new Hyperstrada given a light tune-up at the local top-rated independent motorcycle shop. One of the things they did was tighten up the clutch lever so it had less than 5mm of play as they said it was a bit loose. As soon as I drove away, I found that it made it harder for me to smoothly start from a stop.... because the clutch only engaged after I had almost entirely let the clutch lever out. Whereas before, the friction zone would begin after I had let the clutch lever out less than halfway. So I found I was over-reving the engine on starts because I would let the clutch out but it wouldn't engage until the lever was almost entirely released.

Didn't like that. Drove that way for about 15 miles and had some really high-rev starts. As soon as I got home, I slackened the clutch lever around back to how it was, maybe even looser than how it was. Practiced a bunch of starts and it was MUCH smoother. So my question is...

Is it okay to have a loose clutch lever if that's the most comfortable for me? Does it hurt the engine at all? One thing I noticed is that sometimes I would get a metal clack-clack sound while slowing letting out the clutch while accelerating. Never heard that when the lever was tight, but that's probably because I was accelerating a lot faster out of necessity of the lever being tight and such a small friction zone.

I think what I'm saying is that I like a medium to large friction zone and a tight clutch lever only provides a small friction zone.

So is it okay to have more slack in the clutch lever than the manual recommends to give me a medium to large friction zone if that's what's most comfortable for me? Or is that going to be really bad for the engine and/or clutch?

Thanks in advance!

Finding the sweet spot again is a ***** after it loosens. I still don't think I ever got it back to that first 1000 miles feel. Resist the urge to mess with the slack at stop lights, especially when getting comfortable on the bike in general...it was the only time I stalled this bike in traffic.

I can't speak technically but, as long as your getting full engagement and not a lot of chatter, it's a personal preference thing. I think I see 2-4 mm of play every time I check it and it drives me mad.

It's actually one of the very few frustrating aspects of the bike for me but the slipper clutch is so awesome that I call it even. I skipped the back tire around too often on my sport bikes back in the day and literally drooled when I started reading about the proliferation of slipper clutches in the early 2000's.

gatdammit said:

Finding the sweet spot again is a ***** after it loosens. I still don't think I ever got it back to that first 1000 miles feel. Resist the urge to mess with the slack at stop lights, especially when getting comfortable on the bike in general...it was the only time I stalled this bike in traffic.

I can't speak technically but, as long as your getting full engagement and not a lot of chatter, it's a personal preference thing. I think I see 2-4 mm of play every time I check it and it drives me mad.

It's actually one of the very few frustrating aspects of the bike for me but the slipper clutch is so awesome that I call it even. I skipped the back tire around too often on my sport bikes back in the day and literally drooled when I started reading about the proliferation of slipper clutches in the early 2000's.

Click to expand...

Okay, that must be what I'm hearing... chatter! Is "clutch chatter" the official terminology? I'm definitely getting some clutch chatter with the slackened setting, but I wouldn't call it a lot. Just for a second maybe 30-40% of starts. Is any clutch chatter at all bad, or is a little bit like this just fine?

Not sure how much play I have mine set to now, but I quite like it. I will only tighten it up if I'm told that it's bad for the bike somehow. Will check how many mm's of play with my caliper later tonight.

But no no, I wasn't playing with it at stop lights. I got home, turned off the bike, tweaked the slack, then started it up and did a bunch of starts from 0mph in my parking garage.

Re the slipper clutch... that's one thing I'm slightly confused on... what's the benefit to that? (Sorry, I'm new to riding!) From what I understand, just less wheel slip on hard downshifts right? I have yet to do a hard downshift as I always match the throttle to where I think the revs will be as I'm letting out the clutch after I downshift. Not matching the revs will skid the rear tire, right? Or not so with the slipper clutch? Should I try doing a downshift from 3rd to 2nd and just let the clutch all out at once with no added throttle to feel the benefit of the slipper clutch? Is the point of the slipper that it will control the abrupt clutch release after a downshift?