Hi guys, it's been a min.for those of you in the southeast, you know how rainy our Spring was.
I have again set out to tackle my bike issues and am back to diagnostics before I pull my clutch pack apart.

I realized when reading back my last post "Loss of Power" that I was pulling the speedo cable when checking my clutch lever index marks. I did pull the little knobby thing out before when checking but in the interest of starting all things anew, decided to check everything out again.

I first made adjustments at the handlebars for slack. I didn't feel the kink when engaging the clutch that I did before but when I started her up and should've been rolling forward while disengaging the clutch,i am completely stationary. The engine has power. I just don't move.

I pulled the clutch cable knob from the lever and it,the lever immediately dropped. I had to use a bungee and the help of my roommate who is a dude and considerably larger than me to pull it back up to reseat the cable knob. I was almost sure I was screwed. It still seems to fall within an acceptable range btwn the index marks. Almost, perfectly seated btwn the two,actually.So, again, I'm back at square one.

Am I missing something here? Am I doing it wrong?
Is OldFeller back in commission?

I have a nail to pull from the rear tire so that has to come off this wk. I'd like to do everything at once but I'm hoping to avoid opening up the clutch pack or removing the side.
Any ideas what it could be?
I've spent all day reading.
The closest circumstance I could find the guy needed a longer pushrod. I haven't heard any of the sounds associated w a bad cam chain tensioner.
Anxiously awaiting your answers

What do you mean when you say "no momentum ???" Can you push the bike? Does it keep rolling? I think that's what is called momentum. Is it that it simply won't pull even if you get the bike moving beforehand? Are the brakes dragging? If they are dragging severely, you may not be able to move the bike by hand, and it will stop suddenly, hence less momentum.


Wait a minute, I read some more. Feel the lever at the transmission for slack. There won't be much, but it should be significant. If not, then your clutch is in tension and will slip. If I understand you correctly, you disconnected the hand lever or something, and the transmission lever dropped? This means your clutch was being disengaged via cable tension. Maybe the cable wasn't seated right in the lever, or, it is possible that the cable end adjuster with the two nuts just above the trans side lever got snagged above it's seat. Perhaps loosening it caused it to pop back into place. What do you think?

That seems to be the most likely story.

I started the bike,didn't move it. Removed the clutch cable to check the lever placement and that is it.

I loosened up my clutch before and was able to push my lever down too. It means nothing as far as I can tell. The whole lever mark thing should be measured at normal free play or around the end of your free play, I think.

If your lever comes way above the marks, then you will need a new rod. My guess is a longer one, but you'll have to consult someone else about that. I'd say Oldfeller knows about all this. There was a big, famous argument on this whole thing. I'll see if I can find a link.
Rod length is pretty unlikely to mess with the ability for the clutch to grab unless the rod problem causes you to adjust the clutch improperly, and that would cause problems. If everything is slack, and you don't have grip, something else is wrong.

My current guess would be that the clutch is stuck open for some reason. For that, you'll have to pull the cover.

jjthejetplane wrote on 07/12/16 at 17:31:19:


I think lever placement can be checked with the cable in place. Again, everything should have a little slack, completely loose. The slightest bit of tension will, at the least, increase the chances of slippage problems. When you let go of that clutch lever, the cable should immediately loosen up so that, ideally the throwout mechanism  is barely resting against (or better yet, not even touching) the clutch pressure plate You should be able to wiggle the transmission side lever up and down (not by a huge amount) with your bare fingers. I mean loose

I think some people put even more slack in it to accomodate their hands, such as for small hands. Am I right?

Also make sure that the cable end at the tranny arm/lever is seated properly in the little carrier. Mine jumped out once and I noticed the feel of the hand lever was tighter with no slack. It's just a wee little bit of difference, but it was enough for me to start checking things before I rode lots of miles with the clutch slipping.

So the clutch doesn't even try the slightest bit to grip???  If you sit on the bike and roll it back and forth in 1st gear with your feet, and you don't feel the clutch even attempt to grip, I don't think cleaning the plates is going to help you. Something tells me that something is holding the clutch pack open, or maybe there's another problem. Did you check the other gears? Are you sure it's not something in the transmission? Are you stuck in neutral? With the engine off, does it roll back and forth in gear with your hand off the clutch?

The clutch plates could possibly have grenaded themselves,   but we'll keep our fingers crossed that it's  just an easy problem. Did you do any clutch mods? Do you feel/hear any weird vibrations or noises from the clutch?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmzGblbeDuU

What do the other guys think?