Kevlar I think. But people use it without any issues. I think it's actually cheaper than stock brand new.

Does anyone know Is the pressure plate anodized?? Dave mentioned in the past it is but from what I understand anodized aluminum typically has a dark(er) surface than non anodized and usually a matte finish. The pressure plate new has a shiny, polished surface.

Any insights here?

I think the Barnett clutch material is simply harder than the plate. Call me crazy but this is my current idea.

Since putting the stock clutch pack back in, I've been fine... However it doesn't grip as aggressively as the Barnett. Time will tell.

I really think the Barnett clutch was the issue here. I'll keep this thread going over time regarding any clutch issues.... I suspect, though, given the material of the stock clutch that my current pressure pate is not being worn away as it was with the Barnett.

I don't believe the pushrod length should be changed. I think the middle length rod should be used as per factory specification unless an aftermarket with different clearances is being used which could put the actuating arm outside the case in an undesirable position -- i.e. above or below the case marks.

Nothing unusual was going on Inside the case except for, once again, the pressure plate being severely worn away. The hub mating surface was at stock thickness when I checked via micrometer. Both basket and hub shows some minor grooving from the friction disks, not enough for me to consider filing them down as there is no chatter or impediment.

The Barnett kit, with its stiffer springs, felt better to use than the stock clutch pack. It had a tendency to keep the friction zone closer to the bar, which was nice. That's what I mean by gripped aggressively. The stock clutch reaches full engagement further out based on what I've observed.

All in all, I attribute this wear to the Barnett kit. I believe barnette makes a fine product, and I would not knock their product line, but I believe that their plates were causing the pressure plate wear at this point. In roughly 4 months from now, if the clutch starts slipping and I open it up and see another seriously worn pressure plate, I'll revise this theory. But that's my current thought.

Adjustment of play at the perch does effect clutch throw and relative height of friction zone, yes -- but so too does spring stiffness/length. By their nature shorter springs typically have more resistance and more spring force bouncing back all things considered equal, and the Barnett springs are noticeably shorter/stiffer than stock. This means that lever feel is stiffer, and the range of engagement shorter than the stock springs. I happened to prefer the feel of the shorter springs is what I was pointing out.

Regarding the Barnett kid causing the pressure plate wear, I agree that I have not encountered another mention of the Barnett kit causing this issue -- however -- if this situation were described to me by anyone else, my inclination would be to point to the aftermarket part. The Barnett friction disks are way more robust than stock -- that is actually their selling point: more longevity and better performance/engagement. It's undoubtedly a harder material, in this case a type of kevlar mix with what I believe is aluminum, but i'm not positive.

as to why others may not be having this issue -- I genuinely don't believe there are many savages on the road every day in stop and go traffic in a major metro with a barnett clutch kid. I genuinely just dont believe this. I think the combination of the harder friction material and the conditions in which i'm riding, which necessitate being constantly on/off the clutch, are what caused this issue with the pressure plate wearing away faster than the disks. But this will be easy to test--- if the clutch fails prematurely as it has been, and the pressure plate is worn as it has been, i'll be proven wrong and will be able to explore other contributors to this situation -- but as it stands I think going back to an OEM clutch pack was the way to go.

mechanical clutches are finnicky, and the savage is not a particularly robust machine. were talking about a $500 dollar motor here.

Anyway I don't think you're being an A hole, these are valid criticisms of my claim and i appreciate the feedback.

I just used a single washer under each bolt,stock springs, the throwout broke. Maaan,, that wrecked a chainguide,, completely inconvenient.

The release plate and bearing don't really do too much. If you think about the clutch during operation, the entire basket is rotating while In gear, however the pushrod, which sits inside of the bearing itself, doesn't spin. I stead the bearing around it spins along with the rest of the assembly. When you pull the lever in and disengage the clutch, the springs are extended and the basket and friction disks spin while the steels, hub, pressure plate, pressure disk are no longer mating and slow down/stop unless the clutch is engaged again. A bearing failure presumably would cause issues in a couple of ways. For one the pushrod would be locked in place spinning against the cam lobe, for another you may not be able to disengage the clutch. But a bearing failure is easy to establish once you open the case because if you remove the spring bolts and pull the release plate you can pop the bearing right out and inspect it.

I did replace mine since the bearing is pretty cheap, but the bearing I replaced was perfectly fine.