Ok, here's whats happened. I did a sprint on my NC on sunday. Set off from the start, heaps of revs, clutch etc gets going no problem, so I go for 2nd gear only to find the clutch wont disengage and the freeplay on the clutch lever has increased so much It'll almost go back to the bar. As I carry on (just banging on the gear lever to change up) the lever gradually comes
back and now it there's no freeplay on the lever at all.

So, here's what I've done..... Pulled the clutch plates out. the friction plates are all well within service limit (around 2.95mm min is 2.8) the steel plates arent warped (but are a bit blue and I may well change them as a matter of course) There's no signs of any damage, the basket looks ok, with no ridges.

So I'm a bit baffled about this one and wondered if any of you guys have seen this before.
Help!!

BTW I'm running on silkolene semi synthetic, and the clutch cable is good.

i'm not sure of its technical name but i call it an actuating rod. Its the arm on top of you clutch, check this first it is still set properly in position, i cant remember about the v4's but my 600's both had roller bearings in them so check that too.

Another problem could be the pull rod itself on the clutch might be slightly bent and this is locking the plates into the basket.

good hunting

Thanks for that graham, I'm thinking the problems with the actuation rather than plates ( if they were knackered I'd get clutch slip wouldn't I ?)

if they were knackered you would tend to get slip, but you seem to explored all avenues there with all plates being within service limits. how can you be so sure the cable is fully intact internally? is it new?
the sysmptoms do sound like mine on the ZX6, right before the clutch cable snapped.
the actualting arm in on the sprocket cover side and i'm sure if you took it apart you could make a further comment. its easy to do, all you need is your size 8/10 sockett

the cable is recent (in mileage terms about 400). but i'll recheck it for sure. I've just removed the actuating rod, it looks fairly straight, about 0.3mm out of true, but it looks pitted at the sprocket end, I'll clean it up and grease it and take it from there.

so now that you have taken it apart you can see the big long rod that runs through the engine from the clutch basket to the actuating arm side. was that shaft straight, you can take it out if you gently pull on it.
did you see the dooberrry on the end of the actuating rod? was that worn at all?

I've cleaned the rod up with scotchbrite it looks OK now. The doobery watsit in the sprocket cover might not have been seated properly. I'll put it all back together when the gaskets and locking nut arrives from Rick O. Hopefully that'll sort it.