clutch annoys me ,

gnu, ur probably expecting too much from a chinagirl.

actually, dry is good, on the clutch pucks.
maybe you could tighten up the clutch spring to make it grab better?
rc

The HT engines clutch are quite weak and prone to slippage. These clutches are not intended to be used from a stop; however, it should not slip when trying to pedal-start the engine. Sometimes you need to adjust your clutch cable in a way that when the clutch handle is held in with the locking pin, the clutch is not completely disengaged since you could have the opposite problem being: If the clutch is completely disengaged when using the handle locking pin, it might not be fully engaged when the handle is released. I guess this kind of problem can be fixed with a disassembly and readjustment of clutch springs but in my case, I decided not to bother with this and put an elastic on my handlebar so that it can hold the clutch in when I do not want to use the engine (holding the clutch in for extended periods of time can be exhausting). In your case, try to adjust the clutch to make sure the slipping is not caused by the clutch cable.

tldr: Misadjustment of the clutch cable can lead to slipping.

lol
yah, sometimes the keyboard don't translate so well.
I threaten mine with a beverage on a regular basis to try and keep it in line.

Well, the 'flakey' part does not sound so gud.
I have not yet seen that symptom.
u might want to get a set of those pucks to have on hand if an adjustment process doesn't fix the prob to your satisfaction.

I can't see where surfacing the pressure plate could really do much, unless yours was really garfed... then it would probably be grabby???

maybe when you take it apart, try lapping it a bit on some 220 wet & dry.
If there's any probs with it, like the 3 holes being elongated, you might want to replace it same time as the pucks??? they r cheep enuf...

Good luck
rc

Not to speak for thegnu, but i think he was referring to restoring the factory knurling or grid finish for friction on the clutch plate. My plate is also nearly worn to a polished shine and was also wondering if anyone had a successful method of restoring an even,uniform, grippy finish. I realize there inexpensive, but today every penny counts.

gud deal gnu...

Sfish, I guess you could maybe set it on a block of wood and use a small pointed punch or nail-set, in a nice pattern... or use one of those mini abrasive disks that go on a 1/8" arbor (like for a dremel) and make a buncha radial cuts around it???
u could probably get one to be pretty grabby, but then it might wear out real quickly.

these chinagirls ain't rocket science... i bet it could be done ez enuf.

Good luck
rc

If you install the centrifugal clutch kit, then you won't be using the manual clutch at all, except for starting.
This way, your manual clutch will last forever.