okay, 1987 750 paso:

master cylinder is from a monster
all clutch plates measure thicker than spec. all plates are dry.
plain plates are all flat - except the bottom most plate that sits against the clutch basket, it is more warped than .2mm - not much (maybe .3mm), but it is. plain plates are not blue.
clutch is bled, there is no air in line.
clutch springs are withing spec at 40mm..
no leaks at slave cylinder
master cylinder is full
clutch basket is not particularly notchy, but there is some slight wear.
i can visually see clutch plates move when clutch is disengaged, and the lever 'feels' good.
i can shift through the gears and find neutral when bike is not running.
when running at a stand still, shifting is not smooth, neutral is almost impossible to find. clutch drags, and bike creeps.
when rolling, shifting is still not smooth, i can find neutral from 2nd but not from 1st.
the hotter the clutch gets, the worse it gets..

any ideas???

Are you certain that the monster MC has the same diameter piston, leverage and stroke as the stocker? This is very important in a hydraulic system. The displacement (movement) of fluid must match or the slave will not move as far and not fully disengage the clutch stack.

The thicker clutch (too thick) plates may also be causing the drag if the MC/slave are correct. The slave can only lift so far.

i still have the stock master cylinder also - it had same problem - it had a slight leak so i replaced it - i believe the two are identical in every way.

i guess i worded the friction plate thickness thing funny - they are above minimum wear limit spec.

i also have been through full range of adjustment at lever adjuster and it's not helped either.

here's what i've been told:
Ya gotta pack the clutch pack so that there is 5mm clearance in it when there
are no springs in it. Measure with calipers from the last plate to the big
circlip. 5mm. Too much cleearance=slip. too little clearance=stick.

so, how do i pack for less clearance? sand friction plates?

Have you read this info:
http://forums.ducatipaso.org/viewtopic.php?name= ... opic&t=705

Scroll down to the clutch info. You might be able to just substitute an old friction disc??

i'm gonna tear into it again and see what i find - maybe i have the dished plates facing the wrong way or something..

I had similar problems with our clutch but eventually trackd down the correct clutch plate fitting sequence which solved the problem. I posted a link about it:

http://forums.ducatipaso.org/viewtopic.php?name= ... highlight=

Regards, Steve.

I had similar problems with our clutch but eventually trackd down the correct clutch plate fitting sequence which solved the problem. I posted a link about it:

http://forums.ducatipaso.org/viewtopic.php?name= ... highlight=

Regards, Steve.

Here's something interesting I found on Ducatitechnica.org posted by Bruce Meyers. Bruce is the former owner of BCM in Laconia, probably one of the top Ducati dealers in the country:

It involves an 851 but the year is close and Ducati doesn't seem to change much, model to model:

I have recently acquired a Ducati 851 Strada (1990) with 5k miles. All is well except for two things:
1) most of the time--all, really--I can't get the bike into neutral, it's there, but the lever always moves past or requires too much strength to shift and so doesn't stop;
2) front brake doesn't activate brake light.
I would like to address these problems myself, if possible, because the closest dealer is a bit far for away and would require me to leave the bike for quite some time. I would therefore appreciate any suggestions you may have. -Greg, USA
A.
Bruce Meyers responds:
The '90 851 has a different clutch stack. It probably has the old style pack where you should replace the single sided friction plate at the bottom of the stack with two metal plates. Then thoroughly bleed the clutch. Also, the shift arm on the early 851 is two pieces of sheet metal welded together...take it out and toss it...replace with a later model one. Unfortunately this requires removal of the left engine crankcase cover. While you're in there, red loktite your alternator nut. The newer shift arm has a little mark on it which you use to center the arm over the shifter.