My clutch makes a noise - is that bad? 

Thanks man. Was away from home on a work trip for a month... was warming up the bike and checking all things on a z900, and I heard this faint noise you're speaking of. Glad your video clarified things and my baby's alright. I'm never rough with her, mostly.

2015 Honda CB500x - recent purchase. It has 15k and i thought i'd been sold a puppy. When idling with clutch engaged, the noise made me worry A LOT that a new clutch assembly would be needed. Or at least a pressure bearing. But it sounds EXACTLY like on your video demonstration. Huge Relief!!! Thank you!

I have a 2014 Suzuki V-Strom DL1000. Same issue, sounds like a sewing machine, but it is all normal noise, every V-Strom sounds the same. I’ve become accustomed to it and hopeful it will eventually crap out a pair of Levi’s. You gave the best explanation I’ve heard to date. Thanks....

Always wondered why the wheel sometimes turns even when in neutral. Now I know. Thanks!

Perfect timing. My clutch started to make a little grinding noise now after I was suck in traffic with a bad charging system, so I had to keep above 2000rpm. Figured I wore the pads some, yet I have no slipping, so I should be all good

I enjoy your videos. Apart from your informative delivery, it's also like having a chat with a friend - no pretence, no gimmicks, just straight up knowledge and easily understood. My XSR900 (2017 model) is my first bike in over 30 years, and I'm the second owner, and the longer I've had this bike the more apparent the previous owner must have ridden it hard - peg and brake pedal ground down, something I didn't see when I bought it. He'd also fitted a Delkevick racing exhaust and customised it here and there. To be fair, it's what attracted me to it. I'd always thought the engine a touch noisy, and this week I'd re-fitted the stock exhaust, and it so quiet by comparison that I hear a knocking from the clutch when not engaged. I can understand a certain amount of mechanical sound will be created, but this just sounds like a loud knocking/ticking. I'm going to be really pissed if this is a sign the clutch is in need of replacing. You'd think, if there is an issue, the dealership would have sorted it beforehand. I've now had the bike a year and done 2777 miles on it, and in total, the bike has just over 9000 in total, so not massive mileage for a knocking/ ticking clutch. Am I wrong?

Thank you for breaking this down so well and now I know why my clutch makes that noise and I don't have to worry about it lol

Good explanation, thx! I have an older Goldwing touring bike that I’ve notice this (and other harmonics developing) that concerned me. She’s always bit cranky sounding shifting up from 1st gear, esp when not fully warmed up, but a 1500cc bike, too. This clutch noise has gotten more noticeable, but otherwise seems to shift fine.Will quit worrying & just ride!

Great explanation! Thanks a lot, I thought the clutch is worn out and is making noise, warning me to prepare digging deep in my pockets.

Thanks a lot man! This just happened to me exactly the same way what happened to yours. The morning i washed my bike (CB400) it didnt have the screeching noise instantly yet, but later that night, after going a few miles on the middle of a ride there it went. I was scared at first😂 "it sounded expensive to fix"😭😭😂😂

That answered a lot of questions. Just bought a ‘new to me’ bike and went straight to Pyrenees and noticed the same clutch noise. Panicked as I was so far from home. but your video was excellent. Great explanation. Cheers

Thank you for this. I bought a Triumph Trophy SE with some 53,000 miles on it that was making this noise. I have since put 7,000 more miles on it and sounds the same but it was keeping me from going on some long rides. No more baby rides.

I just randomly notised that exact noise when pulling in the clutch on my Mt07 recently and was wondering what it was. Im really happy I found this video, because I thought I broke something...

Thanks! I have had two bikes now, and both of them did this kind of "slapping" or "yanking" motion on the chain, when ever I put them on the centerstand and let them free-roll in 1st gear. The chain should be up to spec according to the manual. Just wondering what the heck that is, and why? English is not my native language, so when googling for the answer, I can't seem to find an answer - probably because I'm not using the right terminology. Would you happen to know why?

My headache is a rattle or crackling noise when the engine gets hot and the gears are engage. Could that plates make that noise?

Great !! Exactly what I was looking for. My brand new Triumph Tiger900 rally pro (2024) does this a little bit , so that has put my mind at ease , thanks very much , great explanation.

Thanks Matt. I've always wondered about this.

You described my CBF 600 to a Tee, then pull the clutch in it all goes away and runs like a dream, when the bike is not used for a while (Over winter) I generally warm my bike up from cold with the clutch disengaged to get oil in between the plates... great post

5:20 that might actually be the norm if you ride a Ducati ;)

I saw a good one the other day. Yz250, clutch noisy as heck but went away when pulled in. Turned out to be the idler gear for the kick start. It was removed for a bottom end job and the owner didn't put the washer in between the gear and the snap ring so it was banging around skipping off the big gear on the basket. No idea why it went away with the clutch pulled in tho.

I learn more and more by yr videos every day thanks so much

Thanks for all the info man! Really appreciate the lesson!

Question. Which way do you turn the anti rattle gear which meshes with the primary gear on the clutch basket. Think it's been put in mesh without loading the gear springs vfr1200f. Cheers

thanks for this. I'm new to motorcycles and 2000km in my new Himalayan I starded to notice this grinding noise whe engaging the clutch; after a 300km or so ride. Thought I had burnt the clutch.

Very professional explanations, thanks mate!

hello my Tracer 9000 2018 makes a dry clutch sound when on neutral. Once i pull on the clutch, sound dissapears, is it normal? is it typical of a cp3 or should i inspect the bike?

Sometimes my bike stalls when I have the clutch fully in and I put it into first gear to pull away but when riding it changes gears perfect ??? Any idea why ?

Need help! My suzuki rmx 250 1996 does a similar noise only dissepears when i pull the clutch Lever theres also some metal shaves onthe oil i open the clutch cover and everything seem good. So my question is It can it be clutch basket bearings Or countershaft bearings?

i can feel a vibration on the basket cover of my 2017 fz 10 only when i pull the lever in and when im trying to find first a lot of times it wants to clunk but go to neutral sometimes even clunk more than once nasty feeling cant find anything online about this either

Didn't answer what I came from but loved the content anyway and learnt something! Some funny stuff there too... Thinner when cold and thickens when warm... 🤣 +1 sub

Since I almost always use my center stand when I'm done riding when I start it up on the next ride that's when I use that spin to inspect my tire for damage or nails.

I haven't had that sound before. Have a Z1000 -08. Drove home from work today and heard it start to sound after about 15 miles. It sounds mostly when I'm in neutral, a little less when I'm in gear and standing still. Since it came on all of a sudden, I assume that the clutch is worn.

Damn man I feel so proud of understanding perfectly when you describe how an engine warms up and why do engines need to be warmed up It’s so satisfying to hear describing a running engine To most people this would be boring or geeky and you most likely won’t land the girl you like but… freaking amazing piece of insight nonetheless Awesome vid man Thank you

Ace, because my Fazer 1000 clutch is noisy, but works perfectly

Dude you are awesome thanks for the Info. i am a newbie rider, my ex ride did not make that noise. But i have a New ride and i freaked out a little bit when o Heard the sound. Thank a lot!

A changed my motorcycle clutch an when the engine is cold its like the clutch is slipping I’m not getting as much power when accelerating but when the engine is hot i dont have this problem what are your thoughts on this?

when I start the my 2012 model m109r, the sound of rattling noise comes from the side of the clutch and as soon as you press the clutch lever, the sound stops what is the problem of the thing please help me

Does the yz450f 2021 does this to and if it does is it normal ?

I like this video,very instructive.

On my tiger 1050 2008. Clutch disengaged no sound. Whilst riding it seems to rattle knock so much I can feel it through the bars. Not whilst under load.. But terribly when on half throttle or no throttle .

A bit of a late comment. First of all great video very nice explanation. My question is I have a drz400sm and when I disengage the clutch while in gear the bike make a humbling noise in every gear as soon as I engage the sound goes away the sound specifically gets louder when going faster therefore when having a lower gear also when I lift the bike (bike turned off) put 1 pull clutch and spin the rear wheel by hand it makes the same noise as well as the other gears.sorry for the huge comment just wanted to be specific to make it more clear. Thank you in regards 🙏

Great video Matt..as for Jake’s ‘chemical engineering’...I’m no chemical engineer, but the only things I can think of that get thicker as they’re heated is porridge or eggs?..I can see it now, damn, I picked up the wrong tub and put Quaker Oats in the engine...doh!

Mate, love this guy’s videos.. wish I was a mechanical engineer or something..

Love the NT sign in the back ground. I lived there for 18 years.

So I have a very weird problem and I'm in desperate need of help. So my crf250r 2020 makes this weird noise only when I decelerate and start engine breaking. It doesn't make a sound when idling and it goes away when I pull in the clutch immediately. The sound of it is the only video on My profile if you want to hear the sound at all. I would think this has to be a clutch problem or maybe a transmission problem. It sounds like a friction/whirring sound

Sorry to post on an old video - Yamaha R1 4C8 making a grating noise on in neutral with clutch released (fine in all gears and no slipping) - noise goes away when pulling clutch in. Are R1s/Yammys notoriously loud like this?

so I own a gsx1100g 92 and it makes like a clunking noise and shakes the whole bike when i let the clutch out also when i go to give it beans it just revs and hardly dose owt and another thing it smells like something is burning if i leave it standing too long.

As the owner of a 90's ZZR, I have enough rattles to scare me for a lifetime, apparently these things have always sounded like a bag of spanners, even back in the day. A notoriously noisy engine from the clutch, the chains, the bodywork in places. Nice. Side note, can you perhaps briefly explain why my bike struggles to start when it is warm? Still running carbs ofcourse, and she starts no problem from cold 1st time, everytime. On hot starts I have to give her a handful of revs, I have never encountered this with any other bike, is this a jetting problem?

Hello! I learned alot from you! I have a question, if you can reply me, it would be awesome! Can a bad clutch cause engine to vibrate? I'm getting vibrations at 100-120 km/h, and i got them in neutral too when i rev it at 1800-2000 rpms, vibrations appear more in the decelerating part! I changed oil. spark plugs. air filter. Thanks in advance!

I got into a crash and its when i release the throttle it makes that gear noise that you showed but not when i pull in the clutch

1:29 Oh, that's the noise my bandit 1250 was making, only twice as loud. Made me very nervous in the beginning since my sv650 sounded the same with the clutch in and out.

Hello I know it’s an old video but maybe you have some suggestions about my situation. I have 2017 Triumph bonneville bobber. When I’m releasing the clutch lever at the moment when clutch is going to engage it’s making a knocking sound. When the bike is warm even when I’m pulling the clutch lever all the way, so the clutch is disengaged it may also make some knocking noises. Do you know what can be the the cause of this knocking sound?

Bro my yzf r15m making noise at 4k rpm what can i di now?

mine is opposite where you press the clutch and it makes the sound. Any advisd to help me? 😅

When i pull my clutch It makes cracking sounds someone help what could IT be??

My 05 Suzuki gsx600f katana makes a noise on neutral if i don't hold the clutch some said it need a clutch basket but the noise is not loud and my bike won't run fast it rides like it dont want to run lol

I have a Yamaha blaster and when give it gas it starts knocking every 5 seconds until the rpms go down

Is this normal in a125 cc bikes

Brother.... You have given me a little picture of the working of the clutch on your motorcycle. Que1. My clutch is a bit Noisy ( Noisy-er ) than my other two bikes. Somehow I can flip into till the 4th Gear....but its Not getting into 5th. 2. What is the issue....???

Have a blackbird ( ladybird ) makes noises just like you explained, would describe the noise as a knackered bearing.

Who on earth is putting a thumbs down to this video?? WTF?? It's a great video made to help people, how on earth can some people dislike it?

Aye :DT125 2 stroke could anybody help me with a sound thats realy irritating When the bike is in neutral theres no ticking noise when I rev same thing no ticking when I pull in the clutch and coats no sound but if its on load it starts to tick tick tick tick and if i go faster the tick goes faster starts at 2k rpm Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick any suggestions?

Only time ive worried about clutch noise was when a Yamaha mechanic forgot to bend the basket washer up against the nut in my Yz426F and it came loose while I was on track 🤦‍♂️ 😂

Nicely explained. 👍

6:29 - is that the fastest it goes? Old man's bike :)

Hi i got a 06 honda cbr 600rr The bike in gear when pulled in clutch does not want to rol back then stalls And now the bike wont start in neutral on when clutch is pulled in and when putted into gear ot stalls...

My gen 3 haya have same issue some 1 help ?

My YD110 makes the same noise but louder. Turns out the rubber dampers for the clutch basket is worn. The play on the basket is really bad. I replaced it with new dampers, rivetted, then reassembled again. Noise is gone. It's basically the same engine as a ybr 125 only it's a smaller 106cc lol

Omg thanks so much this happen to me on my bike

Cheers Matt ⚙️👍

Is it normal or there is some problem?

Bro my 2 stroke clutch drags at high rpm even after changing clutch disk,plates and clutch boss ..any idea ?

Is slight clunking (back lash noise) normal when you take up drive from 1st gear until around 3000rpm? Doesn’t happen all the time but does make a bit of a banging noise every now and again when going from a stand still below 3k in first🙏👍

Help please, I bought a brand new suzuki sv650, rode it for the break in 600 miles then changed over to synthetic oil, all oem suzuki stuff. Now I have a ticking noise while idling in neutral, but it completely goes away when i pull in the clutch lever. The noise wasn't there at all with conventional oil. Do I have to go back to conventional oil to get rid of it? Or maybe try semi synthetic?

My ninja 400 clutch whistles when I release it. I'm a new rider. Thanks for this video

I occasionally get a sound kind of like Abba in concert from my bike during cold weather starts, should I be considered?

Mine makes a bang while engine braking. Is that bad

I love the explanation. I have a 2005 CBR 1000rr and I hear a clutch noise even if it hot it increases in speed. What could it be?

Cracking video. Question: my rear wheel spins a lot faster than that in neutral on a paddock stand. I can still stop it with my hand: it's not pulling in neutral, but the rear spins up to a decent lick. It's a 2007 FZ6 S2 with 32k on it, it's had a new clutch cable not too long ago and an oil change. I've no idea if the friction plates have ever been changed. Problem or is it just like that on some bikes? Thanks in advance!

Just curios if you feel the gear "grinding" sound when you are pulling the clutch?

Came for drawings on the board, was disappointed!

On the FZ/MT09 it’s the bushings on the clutch basket …sure you can replace them but the noise comes back within a few thousand miles…It’s entirely normal.

Yah know wot Matt? I warmed my bike up this morning and witnessed the very same thing with the wheel turning, and the oil warming, and the wheel 'stop' turning; and I thought. Fuck me Matt is 'JESUS' in disguise. 🤣

Can a little to much oil make it clink a little.

Hey mate I’ve got the same issue in my Daytona. Just wanted to know if I would feel a vibration on the clutch lever before disengaging?

Hi there, my noise is a bit louder then demonstrated but very similar (rumbling, as soon as I disengage the clutch the noise goes and there is a vibration on the lever when it’s out) as soon as I raise the RPMs to 1800, the noise disappears. I’ve replaced every clutch component I was just wondering if this was okay (for peace of mind)👍 r1 2004.

When the clutch is pulled it start to whistle when is hot.The whistle is so loud that covers the engine sound.Is doing in every gear ,even on neutral when the lever is pulled.Other then this is changing gears good .Happend to somebody?

Hello, I have a brand new Honda and after riding for about an hour, I can hear a weird noise if I am in 2nd or 3rd gear while disengaging clutch. For example I am in 3rd gear and after pulling the clutch in I can hear a weird sound as if the clutch is trying to grab and engage in a gear. Like a rattling. Like you mentioned in the video it may be normal - Its not SUPER loud but it doesn't sound good. - I am sure it may be fine. The bike only has 100km on it and I have been babying it. Is there anything I should be worried about?

Missed a trick here Matt should have posted clip of Del doing insane demonstration of gears with his hands. Will let you off this time

I wonder, is this noise only noticeable because motorcycles have straight cut gears? Would a motorcycle transmission with helical cut gears be silent when running in neutral with the clutch out?

I dunno if it’s my clutch I just know my bike hasn’t done it before but when I’m cruising for a lil on my 2021 yz125x it sounds like a slipping brake pad like a scraping sound it’ll go away and come back sometimes. I hadn’t ridden in while and it wasn’t doing that last time I rode it but today it was freaking me out. I still see it as a brand new bike since I got it last October so I don’t understand what it could be.

So I changed oil on my Kawasaki kle 500 a few days ago and found some white "cream" on that thing you unscrew to put oil in ( sorry I don't know what it's called) so I suspected that water is getting in the engine, but when I drained the oil out it was basically perfect in all honesty it didn't need changing, also after I changed oil my bike started to make a "bad" sound, but only when I wasn't disengaging the clutch, for example it will only make the sound when I'm going down hill in let's say fourth gear without accelerating, as long as you are accelerating or pushing down on the throttle it won't make the sound it also won't make the sound when you press the clutch. Any advice would be massively appreciated.

On the topic of noob questions. I’ve got an A2 restricted bike that uses “washers” with a small diameter hole placed in between the inlet rubbers of the carbs and the cylinder head to restrict the power. Will this affect the AFR and require me to move down to smaller jets to get the bike to run smoothly?

Why clutch produce a slippery sound while picking up

I see that, cu in the nt sticker in the background

Hey your back from your thanksgiving vacation! 👍

What about when she "clanks" when shifting to second and third gear as well...? Is it a clutch or gearbox issue?

my clutch sounds like a bag of bolts. done it since i bought it. looks to be good condition but still concerned. any help?

Is it normal that on my mt07 when the engine is cold so basically first start of the day. When i dont let it warm up (still does it when it warms up 5 ish minutes but less harsh). The first gear slips one time and makes this weird noise like its screeching. Like as it slips the bike kinda stops but then jumps forward when it gains traction again or something Could it be that my oil is making the clutchplates stick or something? The bike started doing this after 15000km something like that.

Thanks. very heplfull