New bike, clutch bite seems high

[sarah]

Hi, everybody. I am the very proud owner (haven't stopped grinning yet!) of a 620ie... rode it 3 hours back from Merseyside yesterday... fantastic.. however, the clutch bites with the lever a long way out.. is this a sign that the clutch is on it's way out? ...Its got 10,000 miles on the clock.
Thanks. Sarah

[Pugi]

Welcome to the club Sarah!
My 'experience' (*cough, cough*) tells me it's the opposite. If your clutch is worn it bites later. If you find it difficult to come to terms with, you can upgrade to adjustable levers.

[Will]

Hi, everybody. I am the very proud owner (haven't stopped grinning yet!) of a 620ie... rode it 3 hours back from Merseyside yesterday... fantastic.. however, the clutch bites with the lever a long way out.. is this a sign that the clutch is on it's way out? ...Its got 10,000 miles on the clock.
Thanks. Sarah

This is normal - my 2002 620i.e clutch didn't bite until the level was almost fully released - I assume that you have a pre-slipper clutch model.

[Zimbo]

Shouldn't worry about it. the clutch is operated hydraulically, so the biting point is as much a reflection of the hydraulic control as of the clutch itself. As long as it's not slipping I'd leave it well alone!

[slob]

What year is the bike? I believe the biting point varies on the newer 'slipper' type clutches.

[sarah]

Its an '03. I wondered about reducing the lever gap as I have small hands and its almost out of my span before it's biting... reluctant to fiddle too much though... perhaps I'll ride a bit more before I decide!!! Thanks for all the advice!!

[slob]

Trick clutches didn't come in 'til '05. So yours should always have the same biting point, wherever it is. Adjustable span levers are readily available.
http://www.ducati.com/shop/product.jsp?_DARGS=/shop/details/ddd_boxproduct.jsp.1_A&_DAV=/shop/category.jsp%3Fcatsearch%3Dcatimp00151&prodid=prodimp968275AA&catsearch=catimp00151
sorry, link doesn't work properly, search accessories with keyword adjustable

[emily's driver]

You might find, as the general concensus here seems to be, if you were to fit adjustable span levers, that might suit you that much better. They do make a marginal difference and are cheap enough to source on the net.