Over the last little while, when starting my ride, there would be a rubbing/friction type sound for the first few feet of travel. Nothing major, but it did get a little annoying. Asking around to several knowledgeable contacts, they all said it was likely the clutch plates sticking until the oil pressure builds up inside the motor. When it went over to Kyle Plancich for its 3rd oil change at 15,000 miles, I told him of the issue. He wanted to find out for himself so he removed the cover and found a few of the inner clutch plates stuck together and as he called it “Atacama Desert dry”.😲😬
All the plates were removed, cleaned and soaked in an oil bath overnight. Putting it all back together and a test ride confirmed no more issues.
I have talked with Yamaha and other qualified technicians and they all say that is the correct corse of action to take. Because the clutch plates are a wear item, they aren’t covered by the warranty so I’ll want to get the maximum life out of them as I can. Thanks to all that passed along input for this seemingly minor issue. So if your T-7 starts off a little cranky😑 this is something that’s easily checked and corrected.
Thanks Kyle for digging into the motor to figure it all out!
Tenere Across the USA 
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