clutch working?

So I am making slow progress on my 82 xj550 seca. I got it running, replaced the clutch cable, rebuilt the front brake master cylinder. I am close to taking it out for a test run but I have one concern.

Stupid clutch question: With the bike up on the center stand I can run it and shift through the gears. When I turn it off and have it in neutral the rear wheel will spin free. When I put it in one of the gears with the clutch pulled all the way the wheel does not spin free. This leads me to suspect that the clutch is not fully disengaging. Am I correct about this?

If so what next?

 

Adjust your clutch. RickCoMatic has a GREAT writeup on it.
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2 ... cable.html

To paraphrase, he basically takes you step by step on how to install a new cable and adjust it. There are 3 points to adjust. The throw out arm, which should be adjusted to take out any slack in the linkages. There's lower adjustment above the engine cases, which is adjusted so there is no slack on the cable at rest, and the adjustment at the grip, which will fine tune your adjustment.

Sometimes the clutch can stick a bit when cold. If it's running, you put the clutch in and it is creeping on you, it needs to be adjusted. But the bike will roll more easily, especially when cold, in neutral than in 1st with the clutch in.

 

If you have 1/8" slack at the perch, that's good & you will always get a bit of 'creep' with the rear wheel off the ground, in gear, clutch engaged, you should be able to stop it rotating with your foot.

 

Good point wizard...I meant creeping with the wheel on the ground...as Rick refers to it in the linked thread - red light creep. The best way to fine tune your adjustment - once you do all the things Rick describes his thread, is to see when it engages as you take off from a stop, and if it pulls at all with the clutch all the way in and slips at speed. If you adjust it properly but can't get the clutch to act right on the road...it'll be time to dive in to the clutch.

But I missed that you were doing all this on the center stand with the rear wheel in the air (and the engine off I assume). I thought you were trying to push it in 1st with the clutch in. You can't fine tune the feel of the clutch on the center stand, you can only set it up for fine tuning.

 

On the center stand I was just trying to see if the clutch would disengage from the drive. I guess I wasn't doing it right. I will try it differently now.
Thanks all