What's up with my clutch?

Bike is an '87 Radian.
Bought it as a non-runner and got it going. I took the clutch cable off to detail the engine, so I'm not sure where the "starting point" is/was.

I got the bike going today after some carb work. I was using an auxiliary fuel source, so after I was done I was running on what fuel was left in the bowls.
I thought maybe I'd try to ride it..at least up and down the driveway. Put it in gear and no go. OK...I'll adjust the clutch. Still can't get the bike to move. If I let out the clutch and give it gas, I can baaaarely feel it wanting to go.

Someone check my work and make sure I'm doing it right. Or, suggest the next step.

1) Screwed adjuster all the way in at lever.
2) Adjusted the coarse end at the engine.
3) Adjusted free play at lever.

Did this a couple of times and something isn't right. I'm either going the wrong way on the coarse adjustment, the plates are stick together from sitting, or I need new clutch discs.

I put it in second and tried bumping it to free up the plates, but I can actually push the bike around with it in second gear. Not as easily as when it's in neutral, but I can move the bike. It's like the clutch is disengaged all the time.

Some pics of the lower end.



Also, I noticed that I have very little cable left at the lever. It only screws in a few threads to give me all the slack in the cable. I can get the proper freeplay at the lever, but, again, only backing it out a couple or three threads.

What say ye?

 

Your lever is too far forward. Back the little lever up a couple of splines.

Set the adjuster at the top about halfway in/out; and after repositioning the throwout lever as shown below, use the adjusters at the bottom to get the slack out of the cable. Then "fine-adjust."

The lever's "starting point" should be as shown below, when being pushed by hand as far as it will go:

 

That got it! I went the wrong way earlier.

I was able to ride the bike for the first time ever tonight! A short ride because it's starting to rain, but I did get to go up and down my street once!

 

OK, bring this one back to life. I now have a couple thousand miles on this bike BOY!, is it a blast to ride!

However, I'm feeling what I think is some clutch slippage at high RPM's or under heavy load....you know, when I ...um, really get down on it.

The oil is clean and fresh, so I went back and readjusted the clutch using the method listed above.

Ended up get the lever pretty close:


However, I'm just about out of adjustment at the coarse end, down on the cable.


It looks pretty good up top at the lever. In this pic, I'm pushing on the lever just enough to show the free play; about 2-3 mm.




So... with all that in mind, does that mean it's probably time for new clutch plates?

 

BTW, in the first pic, that's as close as I could get it to line up with the adjustment square. With the cable completely slack, that's how it looked.

I then used the coarse adjustment on the cable to make it get snug on the arm/actuator. Then I did fine adjustment up top. I did the lower adjustment with the screw on the clutch perch lever all the way in AND with it threaded about halfway in.

The pics show what worked the best.

Low RPM, sensible riding, around town, etc., all work just fine. Only when I get it up to around 10-11K RPM or really crank on it does it feel like it's slipping.

 

Just an idea, are you using the right oil? Car oils have additives that these wet clutches don't like, and can make them slip. I've run both diesel oil (can't remember the name) and castrol 4t motorcycle oil without any clutch issues.

 

Yep, Castrol 4T motorcycle oil.

 

Yeah these things really dislike synthetic oils lol.

Chances are the plates dried out & fossilised while the bike was sitting, and now the bike's back in use their friction properties are nothing like they should be and as you're getting used to the bike you're starting to show it up as a weak link. BigFitz of the incredibly shiny cases, would you say this is likely here bearing in mind later ('87) bike?

If the clutch is slipping then I'd say replace ideally the whole lot, all plates/springs/bolts together for peace of mind. The plain plates may be still in spec, but if you really want to keep them then the sooner it's fixed the better as slippage overheats them & will blue/warp them in short order.

Not sure, but probably someone will confirm, is it recommended to change the spring retaining bolts on these too? Seem to recall they get fragile/iffy on the XJ clutch :?

 

I see some "no name" plates on eBay, as well as Barnett and EBC ( a personal fave of mine).

Are the ~$39 sets really half as good as the $65-80 sets? What do you guys recommend?

 

Buy cheap buy twice IMO EBC FTW

 

Have you found this yet? http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=29541.html