NOS Barnett Friction Plate Kit

Hmmm...
Anyone able to share good/bad experience using Barnett clutch plates like the kit pictured shows?

 

I'm debating whether to purchase this old clutch kit for my ZN1100 motor with the following upgrades to counter potential slippage issues.

Mildly ported bathtub head
84 ZX1100A camshafts
Wiseco 10:1 K1172 piston kit
Balanced and welded crankshaft
APE main/cyl studs, and chain adj.
Mikuni RS34 carbs
Dynatek 2000 ignition 
V&H 4-1 exhaust

Stock Kawasaki clutch

180-190 psi engine compression test readings when cold.

😜

 

😜

Is it slipping?

Thanks Steve!

I felt some slippage when I stopped after exiting the highway during my oily first/last ride in December.   
Then I got back on the highway for what wasn't a quick ride home.
Fortunately that rest stop was just a couple miles away.



Hmmm...my back tire was probably oil-coated already when I pulled off the highway to turn around.  


Anyone know if this old, apparently obsolete-Barnett clutch kit was intended for use with OEM Kawasaki steel plates?

😉

 

I can not say if that system will work correctly for you or not.  Will say I did install a like system on my 650 (included springs) many many years ago and it is still the clutch I am running today. Even with lots of burn outs and abuse it still appears to be working as intended. Does that mean the item(s) in your attachment will do the same for you I do not know.

I'm not sure about this Barnett kit, but some of the hipo kits are "extra plate" type.  The frictions are thinner, which allows one extra plate to fit in the basket.  Problem is, the thinner plates gouge out your basket more than stock, thicker, plates.  Hard NO on those clutches.

if your getting clutch slipping, first step is installing a new set of stock clutch springs.

All I can say about the Barnett clutch plates are my experience on a 1974 H2 I have had for 46yrs now. I used it for drag racing back in the 80’s and the Barnett friction plates disintegrate real quickly in my experience. The stock plates work fine and last much better. However, the days of factory parts have long expired on these old motorcycles. If you can still get factory Kawasaki parts, go that route. If not, the Barnett is not bad, but not as good as stock plates by any stretch of imagination.

Ditto what Nessium said!! If side by side comparision you'll note the fibre plate tabs are steel and have sharp edges on the tabs that fit into clutch basket. I've never used them because of this fact. They "notch" up the basket slots much faster then originals. But you can't deny they work, persons have used them for years successively. I sold all the kits of similar Barnett years ago via ebay. 

Partzilla and Webike and CMSNL have the factory parts in stock. Oddly, Partzilla is a little cheaper, but i did not check shipping from each.

www.partzilla.com/product/kawasaki/13088...e52020c425368cb2e35d

japan.webike.net/ps/13088-1051/#!search&p.k=13088-1051

www.cmsnl.com/search/?section=all&q=13088-1051&tab=

I went with new friction plates from Z1parts.net an extra steel plate, Barnett springs and a roller pusher. Once I did the stage 1 porting and the 1075 it would slip in second gear a little until I did it. The late clutch actuator helped a lot before then. Funny I never had trouble with the OEM clutch before, I wonder why? 
Steve 

BTW the shaft drive gobbles up some power making it harder on the clutch. I know they compensated for that but I don't think they expected it to handle the extra power we've been giving to our bikes. Just saying. 

POWER sounds good to me!