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I have done a bit more on this today.
I have been in contact with Kawasaki UK who were helpful.
I have had the slave cylinder off and looked at the clutch rod at their suggestion.
They were considering if the clutch bearing had gone and the rod was spinning generating the heat but then discounted this going by the fairly minimal wear on the rod for a 43k BIKE
The slave cylinder was difficult to remove and had a yellow crumb like substance inside which they suggested was crystallised hydraulic fluid.
The only real route for that to be there would be if the seal on the slave cylinder was not all it should be?
I have never noticed a loss of fluid but I suppose it could be fairly subtle, I have ordered a a new seal and with give the slave cylinder a once over.

   

I don't think or know the heat source is the clutch itself, and it does not make any difference if you use the clutch a lot or or not. 
I am assuming the heat source is the engine....

The thing is, I can predict when it is going to happen now.
I have had the bike getting on for 3 years.
I ride 12 months of the year in the UK and never have a problem.
I ride down to the Alps or Pyrenees and I don't have a problem.
I ride from the Mountains to the Spanish ports when it is 35+ degrees C and I don't have a problem.
But once I go up the mountain with any thing other than a cold engine at the start of the day and it happens.
Last week I did manage to get over Tourmalet from Bareges once (about 2100m I think) at the start of the day riding very conservatively with a cold engine with no problems but I did it 5 more times with a warm engine and it is there every time.
It has to be the mix of heat and altitude that causes the problems, i.e. some of the fluid vaporises and moves or completely looses the biting point.
Remove the heat or altitude or both the gas returns to a compressible fluid and everything works once more.
From what I understand the boiling point of hydraulic fluid is reduced at altitude.
I struggle to see what else it can be.....

Thanks for your help.

Should I go for standard Kawasaki lines or after market ones?
If so which brand?

I would be helpful to know if other GTR riders have ridden at at over 1500m in the Alps / Pyrenees or elsewhere and either been trouble free or not.
I don't want to have a another trip compromised by the issue, I really enjoy the GTR  but would I have to be very confident it was not going to be a problem wherever I head for next years trip. 

ta,

Roy

I am hoping you good people can help me with a technical issue with my 08 GTR 1400.

I have just returned from the Pyrenees mountains for a touring holiday but experienced the same symptoms in the French and Italian Alps last year.

When the bike is warm i.e. just over 1/2 way on the LCD temp gauge and at altitude (over 1500m) the clutch biting point moves back towards the handle bar and sometimes I will completely loose the clutch. It Leaves me with one gear (generally 2nd) to complete the mountain pass and just hope I don't have to come to a complete halt. Descending and or letting the engine cool resolves the problem but is not always a safe option on some mountain passes. I can only conclude that hydraulic fluid is boiling.

Knowing the problems I had experienced the previous year, I had changed the hydraulic fluid in both brake and clutch systems two weeks before leaving with fresh DOT4 from a new sealed bottle.

On both trips there has been another GTR but the later '10 model, that bike did not suffer the same problems but was perhaps being ridden more conservatively.
The routing of the clutch fluid pipe appears to be different on the later model.

Everything works fine closer to sea level even when ridden hard in hot conditions.

I have searched for but not found anyone else describing similar problems.
I have not had any issues with the braking systems.

What is the solution?
DOT 5.1?
Re-routing the clutch line away form the engine?
Braided hose?

Hoping  you can help,
thanks
Roy