Now, I'll start by saying I know I need to replace the Norge's clutch slave - no complaints, it's lasted over 113,000 miles and problems have only become noticeable in the last 10,000 or so. I've been putting it off since I should also likely replace the clutch plates and associated hardware, and who wants to dig in there twice if once will do?
In the meantime, I've noticed a rather odd behavior. While here in Las Vegas, whether during last winter or the heat we have now, the slave has not been leaking, and the feel of the clutch grip is normal. Even when I do a long ride, I have not noticed a significant problem with the clutch feel or fluid level. However, when I do a long ride and stop in a somewhat cooler climate (doesn't have to be much, but in in John Day it was noticeably cooler) the clutch slave starts leaking, fluid level drops, and both feel and clutch release go away in a hurry.
The fluid was topped up in John Day - I rode back to Las Vegas, and while there were drips on the garage floor after the ride, the clutch has been good ever since. No further drips, feel and release are normal, and so on. I call on the collective Guzzi wisdom to explain this bizarre phenomenon.
Oh, and if there's a way to get in there and replace that slave unit (or even just do a fluid flush) without halfway pulling the drivetrain from the bike, please let me know - I don't want to do the rest of the clutch work quite yet!
