TOPIC:

I replaced the clutch on my 79 KZ650 this winter. Since that time I've had an occasional noise issue with it when rolling off a stop. If I don't release the clutch slowly enough, the bike shudders and the clutch squeals (like it's grabbing hard but also slipping).

I don't usually release the clutch too quickly from a stop, but sometimes it happens.

It didn't do this before I replaced it. I'm confident that I re-assembled the clutch correctly. Any advice or recommendations are appreciated.

Did you soak the friction plates in oil prior to installing them?
If not, that's what might be causing what you're experiencing now.
From what I've been told, the material on those plates will absorb the oil slower in some areas, so will have spots that are technically "dry" and will grab more readily than other spots ie: noise and a shuddering feeling.

Leaving them in the bike to soak might work. But even when full, the oil level in your engine won't be high enough to cover the entire plate like that, so you'd have to rotate the engine to soak the portion sitting above the oil level.
I know you probably don't want to hear this, but IMHO you'd be better off removing them and soaking them correctly so they absorb the oil evenly over each plate.

Hey thanks, Retro!

I wasn't aware of this, but it certainly makes sense. I've done lots of car clutches, but this was my first motorbike (wet) clutch. Do you have any idea how long are they supposed to be soaked? It's my daily commuter bike, alas.

You are right about another thing - I *didn't* want to hear that!

It might just be normal. I can say in over 200,000 miles of KZ650 riding on around 6 different KZ650s all of them have done something similar. What happened on all of mine is if I left a stop at a pretty good clip and tried to slip the clutch, once in a while I'd get a shudder, a noise, the clutch would grab and make a shreiking noise. Normal in my book.

ive ridden a few dirtbikes that did that, and they had the stock clutches in them.....the one i owned that did that only did it once in a while.....