What exactly is an improved clutch
Honda attempted to improve the clutch in such a way that it would not damage the shift dogs on the C2 gear when someone hot-rodded it into 2nd gear, and because the 1st gear was taller than the earlier bikes (beginning with F0). This was done by installing one less friction plate (6 instead of 7) and using a double-stacked, spring-separated, riveted steel plate in either the 2nd or 4th position (from the inside) in the pack. The top plate was replaced with one having slanted cork blocks as well.
What this does: when dropping the clutch hard, it lets the pack slip for about 2 full turns before fully engaging. This was to reduce drivetrain shock (mostly to lower warranty costs).
As the bikes have aged, those rivets on the double-stack plate have become loose. This leads to the infamous "clutch rattle at idle" problem, a noisy clattering sound that usually goes away as the engine is revved up past 2000 RPM. One fix for this is posted above, using the GL1000 double-thick steel plate in plate of the riveted one. This still lets the stack slip at startup, which usually wears out the top plate long before the others.
Another "fix" is to just use 7 friction plates and 6 normal steel plates, like the earlier bikes had. Just don't go dragracing every day with it, and it will be fine.
