Kind of, but it's only half the story...

It depends on what your basket is made of! Ideally you want the basket and drive plates to be made of the same material so that they wear at the same rate.

As aluminium is softer than steel, having a steel basket and aluminium plates will mean that the alu plates wear quicker than the steel basket. Similarly, having steel plates and an aluminium basket means that the alu basket will wear quicker than the plates.

The rule of thumb says that if you have an aluminium basket, stick with aluminium drive plates. If you have a steel basket, stick with steel drive plates.

It won't stop the clutch drive plates wearing any less quickly (ie, the thickness of the drive plates and the overall clutch stack height) but it will help to reduce the wear of the plate and basket interface.

Thank you - I will tell them this if they do not already know.

OK I took the bike to Bike-tec in Tamworth for chris to cast his eyes over.

He agreed the clutch was noisy but was more concerned about a noise from the generator side. He though the retaining nut had come off and was allowing the rotor to wear the stator?

No comment on engine smoke abnormality.

I thought the generator locknut coming loose was a pre-1999 engine problem? Can I id my engine year of manufacture from the serial No?

Bike is on an 02 plate and has Showa/Ohlins - could the engine be old stock?

He suggested I did not ride the bike anymore so I will be asking the dealer to collect.

any of them cant, cant they? Just work loose and come off

I agree with Bradders - a poorly fitted nut will still come loose...

Check Ducati John's site re the stator nut

http://www.ducati-john.co.uk/alterna...aining-nut.htm

Easy way to tell a early engine from the later one is the amount of yellow wires coming from the casing on the LHS, if it has 3 its the later 3 phase generator with a completely different design of alternator and are far less prone to the Nut coming undone than the earlier 2 Phase alternator.

But as mentioned any poorly fitted Nut can come loose and to make sure its done up tight on either version a decent alternator holding tool is required.

If it is the later one and has never been disturbed since it left the factory it would be a rare case if it has come loose

Note Chris's link above relates to the early 2 wire single phase setup

John makes reference to it also happening on the 3 wire in his article

OK the shop have agreed to pick up the bike Monday and check over all my concerns.

I have suggested I will pay Trade price for new c&s and a front tyre to sweeten the deal a little.

Bike has a three phase alternator so I don't know why there is a noise.