Puzzling clutch issue

[RoMoMoTo]

Hi folks - I have not posted here in years, but I still am an enthusiastic Guzzi owner. These days I have a modified CX100 with a carb 1100 Sport engine, and I'll soon be swapping a T3 for a LM3.

But I'm posting today on behalf of a friend. He has an Eldorado and presented me with a scenario I could not help him with: Starting from cold, the clutch operates normally. But after it's been running for a while it drags, will not fully disengage - it acts as if the cable has been slackened off (though it has not been).
I remember having the same issue with my own Eldo many years ago and don't recall how I solved it.
Anyone have an answer to this problem?

[pehayes]

Most likely it is the intermediate 'floating' steel plate between the two clutch discs.  Supposed to be dead flat.  The warp with age and heat and develop a slight 'cone' shape.  As the parts heat up, the cone shape becomes more severe and takes up more space to create clutch drag.  When it cools off, the cone returns to near normal.

Meanwhile, before stripping the whole thing I would first inspect both ends of the clutch cable very carefully.  Inadequate lubrication can cause one or more internal cable filaments to fracture off causing odd changes in cable function.  Secondly I would pull the swing arm and remove the clutch throwout outer body and radial bearing to insure they are still intact.

There is a report somewhere on the Internet for some German who took a brand new intermediate floater plate and cut some radial grooves or slits into it to prevent the cone shape tendency.
Found this:

https://www.thisoldtractor.com/guzzitech.dk/pdf/clutch-intermediate-plate-heat-warp-the-cure.pdf

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

There is a report somewhere on the Internet for some German who took a brand new intermediate floater plate and cut some radial grooves or slits into it to prevent the cone shape tendency.

MG Cycle had been offering an "improved" intermediate plate as you describe. It may still be available from Stein-Dinse:
https://www.stein-dinse.com/en/moto-guzzi-clutch-intermediate-disk-for-sidecar-large/item-1-1050285.html