Everyone you'll run into on your Ducati will notice the sound that your bike makes. With the clutch lever pulled in, you will here almost a "jangling" of sorts. Some people will look at you funny and say "What the hell is wrong with your bike!" Alas, no worries. Ducati's are equipped with "dry clutches". These dry clutches offer benefits that wet-clutches do not have, and downfalls.

First off, a dry clutch acts very similar to a wet-clutch, with the primary difference being that it is not immersed in oil. The difference in a dry clutch, is that rather than "splines" on the clutch plates themselves (like on wet-clutches), the clutch plates instead have a materal around them, similar to the material used on brake pads. Between each clutch plate is a solid metal plate. When the clutch is dis-engaged, springs hold the plates together, the material grips on each clutch plate grips the plates in the middle, and you have grip!

Why do we want to take a look at the clutch? Because we want to see how the clutch throw-out bearing is doing. (no, it doesnt mean you can just throw it away). Since the clutch throwout bearing is subject to lots of dust and other anti-bearing materials, you want to make sure that it operates smoothly. If the bearing seizes, then the clutch pushrod (described below) will start spinning in its bore with the clutch, blow seals, and before you know it, you'll be spurting oil, or brake fluid.

Now, first off to get at the clutch, you'll see the clutch cover on the right side of your bike. Its held on by a couple of metric allen bolts. Easy enough to pull off. Once the cover is off, you'll be staring at the pressure plate + springs of your clutch, in all its glory. Now, there is no reason you cant actually run your bike without the clutch cover. I've done it many times during shakedown rides after long maintence. Just be careful not to get a bootlace, or edge of your jeans caught in the whirley bits, otherwise you may find yourself not only pant-less, but in a world of ducati hurt. Here is what you'll see after taking off the clutch cover. (click for larger image).



Now, we need to remove the springs that hold the pressure plate onto the clutch basket. Simply remove the bolts, and the springs will come with it. Dont worry, as long as you're not doing something completely assinine, the springs will not go shooting across the room after you remove the bolt. But I've seen stranger things happen.



With the springs off, you can pull off the clutch pressure plate. There will be a little bit of resistance, as the clutch pushrod fits into a rubber housing into the bearing. Once off, you'll see the clutch pushrod, and the clutch basket. Plates, spline, the whole nine. If you had any questions about how your clutch works, they will be answered simply by looking at the entire assembly. Suddenly you'll realize that the pushrod goes through the engine to the slave cylinder that pushes it a couple millimeters (when you pull the lever), which pushes the pressure plate against the springs, which slacks the plates and allows your transmission to dis-engage. Was that a run-on-sentance. Absolutely. (note, hokey MS-Paint arrow points to the pushrod.)



Now that the pressure plate is off, time to check the bearing for smooth operation. The best way I found (because I have big hands), is to put my thumb and index finger on the bottom, and upper portion of the plate, and rotate it slowly with one hand and feel the bearing for smooth operation. Everything is good here on my end, so I dont have to worry about pulling that bearing out and replacing it. Anytime I have the fairings off my bike, I usually do this just to check. Can never be to sure, and its so damn quick to do, that its really not a big deal.

Now, if you really want to be anal, you can pull off your clutch plates (noting the way they came off, because they need to go back on the same order 'n way). Pull out your micrometer, and measure the thickness of the double-sided plates. (The plates with material that looks like brake-pads on both sides.) If the plates are around 3.5-3.3mm thick , then your in the good. Anything less, and your getting twards the end of life for the plates. Easy stuff huh?