F4i racers...clutch question here!

To anyone that races a F4i...and has changed their clutch with a Barnett clutch. I ordered a set from LP and have a question about the set of friction plates. I called them but the guy they needed to talk to was gone for the weekend...meanwhile my clutch is laying out on the garage bench still stacked up lol. Anyway, they told me I had the right part number...but the strange thing is that when I pulled the stock clutch out...We have 7 friction plates that have like a 1/2" friction plate surface, and 1 with a 3/8" friction plate surface. Well the Barnett set...only came with 6 of the 1/2" friction plates...and 2 of the 3/8" friction plates. I'd like to finish this up so I can get her all buttoned back up. If any of you can help me out with this and verfiy that yours was the same way or not so I know whether or not this is right or wrong. Thanks for any help. Oh yah...if I remember right I know the F4 had one less plate then the F4i...so I was thinking maybe I had the wrong part number...but they did say it was right.

 

The guy to ask is Rodney, he sold off his F4i arsenal of extras through eBay and I bought a few including a Barnett clutch set. I haven't got it in the mail yet though. You should send an email with your questions, he is a great guy and has a world of knowledge about everything! You can get his email through his website - www.pmcmotorsports.com

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Justin Marm
(215)439-6659

 

Thanks JP...I'll give him a shout. Not sure if I like what a friend told me tonight though. He races a F4. Anyway he told me that he changed his stock clutch for a Barnett and heavier springs...and it only lasted like 4 to 5 races. He went back to the stock clutch but kept the heavier springs and got 18 races out of it riding the same way. So I'm gonna keep this stock clutch around and maybe pick up a spare...just incase this Barnett don't hold up.

 

lol yah I seen that bike on ebay a while back. Did he ever end up selling it. Actually a friend emailed me his auction cuz he thought it was mine. I thought I would be the only one to paint the bike up with the stock color and paint scheme...guess I was wrong lol. Course mine doesn't say Team China on the side of it but that the bikes are identical looking minus the pipe. I sent them an email...we'll see what they say. Thanks for the link bro.

 

IMO, something was not put together correctly if your buddy got a shorter life out of a Barnett than a stock. You may want to refrain from making a judgement like that. Barnett clutches are very good products and would not be around if they lasted 1/4 of a stock part. It's not bad to have made a mistake, but to I think that is a big jump to an incorrect conclusion and I'm guessing that being a Barnett clutch had nothing to do with you friends short clutch life. Four races?...that's so short, that's way f'ed up.

Barnett make great clutches.

So did your buddy approach Barnett?...what was their response? Or is it one of those, he knew what he was doing or he wouldn't have put the stocker back in correctly would he?...no, he could've put the Barnett in wrong and spun it all day burning it up, and then put the stocker back in correctly and wondered why the Barnett didn't last. If the stack isn't tall enough when put into the basket correctly, any clutch will slip and die.

Confucius say - "Engineer don't draw trend chart with single data point."..ie, ask around and get more opinions from more users. If they are bad, everyone will know. But since they have worked on my F3, Hawk, FZ & RGV, I'm betting they are good products, and I would put one in the GSXR or R6 long before I paid the price for a OEM clutch.

 

Hey man...I think your misunderstanding me. I too have a Barnett clutch in my F2 racebike...and that was why I wanted to put one in my F4i. I also think that Barnett is a good product...it worked for me on my F2. I guess it is possible that my friend didn't have his installed right...but he has all the books to put one in...he works at a dealership so who know. My main question was I needed to know if someone with a F4i had installed a Barnett clutch so they could varify with me if I have the right set sent to me or not. I didn't see you had a F4i so you really didn't help me.

 

[This message has been edited by Joe (edited 01-05-2002).]

 

I have heard many Honda riders of the 900RR and F4 say the same thing. OEM Honda clutch plates have an excellent rep, the Barnett springs are better, though. They can be used to replace some or all of the OEM springs to give the clutch feel you like.