Yeah, sound advice indeed. When I started this whole rigmarole I thought the clutch was on its way out. I thought I felt a bit of slip and all the engagement was right at the end of the clutch lever travel, so I decided to give it a going over before it let me down.
When I stripped the clutch, I checked the friction plates which were all well within the service limits quoted in the Haynes manual, but I'd bought new plates, so fitted them anyway. The steel plates are fine too, completely flat and showing little or no signs of wear at all. The springs are the same, well within listed tolerance. I measured them again last night, totally regular right round the inside circumference, measuring at just a gnat's chuff under 5.5mm, and the Haynes book states 4.8mm as minimum allowable.
So, for now I am working on the assumption that I was being a ham-fited baboon when I set the cable last time and that a bit more care taken later this evening will produce a satisfactory result. I may have been leaping to entirely the wrong conclusion before.
The warped EBC springs are going back and I'm gonna give the standard springs another try.
One last thing for now, just out of curiosity, when the clutch lever is pulled back to the bar, how far should the pressure plate actually move?
With the lever released, I have set mine so that the lifter plate is just clear of the internal circlip on the pressure plate, to ensure there's no initial slippage caused by the cable being too tight, and when the lever is pulled back to the bar the pressure plate is lifted by about 1.5mm. Does this sound about right?
I haven't put it all back together yet to try it properly, but it does disengaged the drive to allow the bike to be pushed when in gear, but I'm just wondering if it is moving far enough?
Cheers.

Cannot comment on the pressure plate lift dimension etc because I do not known and it is not a figure I have seen defined in any document.

All the documented resources on this website are under the "Document Library" tab at the top, first line of text, of any page.

Yeah, found it, cheers.
I was searching through the discussion forum topics, getting ever-more frustrated, and there it was at the top of every page, hiding in clear sight. Observation? Can't even spell the word! Lol.

Anybody else got a idea of how far the pressure plate should move when the lever is fully back?
Ta.

Soupyzrx wrote:Yeah, found it, cheers.
I was searching through the discussion forum topics, getting ever-more frustrated, and there it was at the top of every page, hiding in clear sight. Observation? Can't even spell the word! Lol.

Anybody else got a idea of how far the pressure plate should move when the lever is fully back?
Ta.

Honda don't give a figure so don't worry about it.

Just make sure it is assembled as it should be and your clutch arm lever is engaged properly on the sprocket cover and that is engaged properly on the push rod.

Set the clutch cable freeplay on the lever to what it says in the haynes manual by adjusting the slack in the adjuster near the sprocket cover (do it with the adjuster on the handlebar fully in, as this lets you take up the slack from cable stretch without moving side panel) and go from there.

It shouldnt need anymore adjutment providing everything is within tolerances, this is how the manual says to set it up.

Also when fitting the clutch friction plates, make sure you soaked them in oil before installing if they are new.