clutch

Clutch problem, I think: Bike dies whenever I try to put it in gear. Checked the kickstand button, it's not stuck.

Turned off bike and put it on centerstand, found that even with clutch operator lever all the way out, the wheel won't budge. It's not a handle/cable adjustment issue - I tried disengaging clutch with the spring lever on the faceplate.

Took apart the clutch, didn't find any of the wear and tear that the manual says might be a problem (burrs on the teeth). But I've never taken apart a clutch before.

Bike has 28,000 miles on it, seems early for the clutch to go. It was running fine before I let it sit for a month while doing some work on the fuel tank.

Any ideas?

 

when you took the clutch cover off did you actually take the bolts on the clutch basket out and move the plates?
if not, after setting for a while the clutch springs have squeezed the oil out from between the plates and their just stuck now
you can try pulling in the clutch and rocking it back and forth till it loosens up or get pointed in a safe direction and start it and drop it in gear a few times
never tried this but it should work, put it on the center stand and start it in gear rev it up a little with the clutch in and put on the back brake

 

I believe I'm having the same issue... Bike idles great, carbs are synced, and we're colortuned (plugs look decent too, as a double check)... So... ready to roll, right? Throw the tank and, as well as my seat... give everything a once over and fire her up... get on... put it in gear... let off the clutch and it dies every damn time. This is the first time she's been thrown into gear since late last season, and she did sit without oil for a bit... I'll have to give this a shot.

 

you might want to screw the adjuster on the clutch lever all the way out till you get it sorted out, a little extra travel can't hurt

 

My stock clutch barely made it 10k before self destructing. Just my 2 cents. If its an old clutch, age can take its toll.

 

The original friction plates will get rock hard and crumble, as well as "weld" themselves to the friction plates. Remember they're just tiny thin pads of brake lining-like material, and as switch says, susceptible to TIME as well as wear.

My '81 550 has just over 20K on it and it's gonna need clutch attention soon; that bike never sat (except over the winters) so the clutch has held up remarkably well. It's at about it's wear limit.

My '83 had only 7100 miles when I got it but it sat for two separate long periods of time. You could tell by the "footprints" from the friction plates on the plain plates. The friction plates were toast, all hard and crumbly.

Disassemble; CLEAN; inspect and assess.

Plain plates can be cleaned up nicely with Scotchbrite, provided: They're not warped, burnt blue or have any appreciable wear on the teeth that engage the hub. Look for the edges of the teeth to be "mushroomed" and for corresponding wear on the hub. If excessively worn, burnt or warped they will need to be replaced.

Friction plates can be scrubbed with an old toothbrush and brake cleaner, and then their thickness measured for wear. However if after being cleaned they are completely BLACK and crumbling off the metal you need to replace them regardless of wear. A 25+ year old clutch (at least the friction plates) can be EXPECTED to be about as trustworthy as 25 year old brake pads.

Springs should be replaced whenever the friction plates get replaced. They're cheap.

ALWAYS fit a new tab washer when reinstalling the clutch hub. If there is no excessive wear on the hub and its built-in plain plate is not burnt, there's no reason to pull the hub.

For the 550 and 700 owners (not sure about any other models) watch the orientation of the tabs on the plain plates when it goes back together as well as the placement of the spring washer/special plate in the stack. Helps to have a book.

 

Do you think this would be the case? Last season the transmission and clutch seemed to be the only thing that was working without flaw... would it cause a problem so suddenly after sitting for the winter?

 

My particular problem was just that the oil had squeezed out, like polock said. I took apart the clutch, pulled off the plates and laid a film of oil on each side before replacing them. Now it shifts fine.

But before I figured this out I also managed to finally stretch out my 26-year old clutch cable beyond use while trying to shift into first. I guess it was time.