The sound these engines make is often discussed, so quite a few other threads reference that, but it's not the clutch that's making the noise.
Higher among the preconceptions is it's design that differs from other types in clutch mounting. Coming principly from Kawasaki Z1 type designs, the primary drive is taken direct off the crank with a gear, mounted to this gear is the clutch basket which can rattle dependant on the mounting design used on those engines. This being transposed onto the Honda SOHC construction is not valid as there is no primary gear with clutch mounted to it. Often given as a common problem, it doesn't exist in the Honda and no common solutions would follow.
When the clutch is released, the clutch pack of plates is immobile from one component to another (else it wouldn't transmit drive) this also won't give you any sound. What is heard are the remainder of the drive train responding to oscillations in crank speed. When you pull the clutch lever it disconnects the onward drivetrain so it's not rotating (if clutch is fully releasing correctly), when you let the lever go it will rotate the gearbox whether in neutral or not. It's a dog drive, constant mesh, straight cut gear train which most views fail to take into consideration. In neutral, all of the gears are rotating except the output gear to final drive sprocket. It's not a design that's aimed at quietness
When you adjust the clutch, that initial setting of the screw in centre of clutch casing is setting the clearance of the lifter mech to the clutch pack. Too little play may result in the clutch being held slightly open and so slip. So they state 1/4 to 1/2 turns out from touching the clutch thrust bearing. This also sets the clutch bite point ultimately as increasing the play here will bring the bite point back toward the handlebar at the lever. Obviously, the opposite will occur if you run reduced clearance. It's not a signifier of a worn clutch if the lever bite is a long way out, just where you've set the clearance (this happens automatically in hydraulically operated clutches, on the fly as they compensate). The only real determinant of a worn out friction plate set is to set up the operation of the clutch correctly with specified clearance and then see if it slips. For this you need to warm it up, then running under load, maybe third gear uphill, with enough throttle to be pulling hard, just ping the clutch lever. The engine torque should be grabbed instantly and not decay back to gripping slowly/not at all. This would indicate the clutch pack is too worn to be held tight enough by the springs to transmit the required torque.
The lever bite position is set out quite a way from the bars to avoid non release when the clutch is hot/overheated. If you did a few full bore launches with it the clutch pack will get saturated with heat, this will move the clutch lift plate away from the thrust bearing (increasing the normally set clearance) and start to move the bite point toward the handlebar, in extreme cases it stops the rider from being able to disengage the clutch fully and make it difficult to ride.
Any "transmission rattle" is directly affected by the idle smoothness and condition of things like cush drive condition.
