I don't think a sanding disc is a good idea, I used very coarse Emery cloth and roughed the glaze off the friction plates by hand. Trouble with leaving it for now is the more they slip the more they glaze, so it can get worse quite quickly.

 

I appreciate that warning. Do you remember what grit emery you used? 40? 60? 80? I understand what you are describing, and I will do just that.

Getting worse is why I'm going to leave it alone. It's been the same for 2 years now. If I put in the new clutch in tomorrow, I won't have time to test it. If it still slips, it will quickly ruin the new clutch pack. But if I leave it and it gets worse during the trip, so be it. One of the crazy teenagers will be driving it, and it might help him slow it down a bit. It still does close to 50 on flat ground, which is more than fast enough. I've warned him not to burn it out, or he might be sitting out for half the trip, so it's up to him.

Here are the monsters "taking it easy" on the blue Lakota and the Bayou. At least they started off easy, until getting out of my view. Then I heard the engines rev up a lot higher, and this is what I saw when they came back:


Once we get back, I'll go into it. I plan to deglaze the existing plates, then add an extra plate and see how it runs. If the existing stuff is too far gone, I'll use the new clutch pack.

 

UPDATE
I went into my clutches, and they were beautiful. Not worn, everything looked really good, like the clutches had been recently done:



I wondered if they used the wrong oil somewhere but decided to just add an extra metal plate to the middle of the stack and put everything back together with fresh oil, and see what happened.

After reassembly, I had to adjust the clutch more that ever, but I started it up, hopeful and excited...

IT WORKED! This clutch feels better than it ever has before. Nice and tight in any gear. When you switch gears, the end kicks up and the tires spin. SO much more lively! I'm really happy, and I've saved my new clutches for another time when it needs them.

 

Glad to hear it worked for you, strange to need the extra plate, the manuals do give specifications for spring lengths so, if they got a bit weak, I guess the extra plate would compensate.

 

I tested the new springs against the old ones, and they were very, very similar. Either the same or the old springs may have been just a touch stronger, if there was a difference, so I used the old ones. That way, I have a complete new kit for when I need it.

The biggest thing I noticed is that the extra plate put my adjuster more "centered" in its range. I think that is significant.

If my guess is correct, this problem that numerous people have reported might actually be more from wear in the clutch adjustment parts, rather than wear in the clutches themselves. OR, I'm wrong and someone used the wrong oil (auto oil) and it's just making them slip.

My machine is riding great, so no rush, but I might look to see what parts make up the adjustment mechanism, and I might even pony up and buy new parts for next time. But with the good condition of the clutch and how well it's riding right now, that may be a long time.