Clutch life - what to expect?

[Revhead]

My clutch is in no way showing signs of dying, but I was just wondering, for those of you who have put a few more km's on their bikes that I have, how far did you get before your clutch needed replacing? Not looking forward to having to do it, a nine-plate clutch (iirc) can't be cheap to get parts for...

I've done 38,000km so far on my 929 Blade, and although the clutch doesn't have that 'grab' it had when the bike was new, it still has plenty of bite. I generally ride the bike pretty easy, but it does get the berries every now and then. I don't pull the front wheel off the ground with the clutch and don't launch hard except for when I go to the drags. Should have plenty left in it?

Sorry if this is a bit of a lame post, just trying to build the bike section up a bit with some FAQ-style general knowledge stuff.

[Charlie]

*am not a road bike rider*

I just did the 7 friction, 6 steel plate clutch in my wr200. the friction plates cost $60, the steels cost $140, (but didn't need to be done) the 5 clutch springs cost $40, and the clutch cover gasket was $20. (total prices, *not* individual)

may not be as expensive as you think.
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[mondo2000]

I bought my bike ('98 ZX-6R) with 42000k on the clock. I have no idea how it was treated before I got it. After I had it for a few months I took it to the drag strip. After half a dozen passes the clutch started to play up. It wasn't fully slipping, it was slipping then gripping, which caused a juddery feeling through the lever. It only did this when launching hard. I rode it on the road for a few weeks after that and didn't notice any problems.

A short while later I purchased a Barnett clutch kit (http://www.barnettclutches.com/) consisting of new friction plates, new driven plates and new springs. I can't remember how much it cost but I'm sure it was under $300.

When I took the old clutch out, the friction plates looked ok but the driven plates had black/blue marks on them. It looked like it had overheated in certain places, either due to excess slippage or pressure concecntration on the steel plates (they look perfectly flat to the naked eye).

Using the wrong type of oil can stuff a clutch very quickly. I always use a full synthetic oil designed for high performance motorcycles.

Riding a 600, you pretty much have to use the clutch to get any air under the front wheel. When I'm doing a track day, I don't use the clutch at all when going up through the gears. As for how much longer yours will last, I have no idea. I wouldn't worry about it because motorcycle clutches are cheap and easy to replace.