| Difficulty in selecting neutral is the result of the clutch plates still dragging after the cluch lever is pulled in. As the plate friction material wears, the plate stack height gets reduced so the problem usually becomes less severe over time. If you've replaced the clutch plates, the stack height may be too high, which will also cause the problem.
Two possible solutions:
Your 4-position clutch lever adjuster is placing the lever too close to the handlebar so you're not getting complete separation of the plates. Try a different adjuster position that gives a longer lever stroke.
If you are still unable to engage neutral, the most likely cause is air in the clutch hydraulic line. A trapped air bubble can compress (the fluid can't) so you won’t get a full stroke of the clutch pushrod and the clutch doesn’t fully disengage.
Another common reason that the clutch won't completely disengage is that the aftermarket force-reduction slave units (and later model Ducati slave units) move the clutch pushrod less distance - a design trade-off to accomplish a reduction in clutch lever forces.  |