Clutch not engagning

[oohsam]

Hey guys.
Doing more work on my gs1100 cafe build.
The bike came with no handlebars or levers. Finally got my tripple clamp and put the front end on. Hooked up the throttle cable and the clutch cable.
The cable is extremely hard to pull in, but i can do it. Its an old cable, and I do have a new one, but I just wanted to check that it all works good.

Anyway, So Its hooked up, but I noticed the clutch does not put the shaft into neutral when pulled in. It doesn't seem to be engaging. I have not pulled off the clutch cover yet to see whats goin on in there...

I thought maybe the cable wasn't adjusted properly and it wasn't pulling the lever far enough so I adjusted it but no luck.

Anyone got any ideas?

[hjfisk]

Hey guys.
Doing more work on my gs1100 cafe build.
The bike came with no handlebars or levers. Finally got my tripple clamp and put the front end on. Hooked up the throttle cable and the clutch cable.
The cable is extremely hard to pull in, but i can do it. Its an old cable, and I do have a new one, but I just wanted to check that it all works good.

Anyway, So Its hooked up, but I noticed the clutch does not put the shaft into neutral when pulled in. It doesn't seem to be engaging. I have not pulled off the clutch cover yet to see whats goin on in there...

I thought maybe the cable wasn't adjusted properly and it wasn't pulling the lever far enough so I adjusted it but no luck.

Anyone got any ideas?

You have lost me . what do you mean by not putting the shaft into neutral ? If you mean the clutch is not releasing, it could be a couple of things , Has the bike been sitting for awhile? If so could be just stuck clutch discs, could be bad adjustment , or cable.

[oohsam]

OH sorry. Its a shaft drive. I meant that when the clutch is pressed the shaft does not spin freely as if it were in neutral.
Yeah the bike's been sitting for a while.

There is a lever that the clutch cable bolts onto. When i pull the cluttch, it moves the lever so its working from that view.
I might have to open it up and see whats happening inside.

These are wet clutches right...so I'll need to drain the oil before opening ?

[old_chopper]

You can put the bike in a high gear and rock it back and forth. That should shock the discs loose if they are just stuck.

[oohsam]

Hey Old Chopper.
I gave that a crack, and it seems to have somewhat worked.
with the bike off, bike in 5th gear i pushed the bike forward and backward. The wheel locked completely when i did it but i jerked it real hard.

Pulled the clutch in and the wheel wasn't locked, but it wasn't the same as it is when the bike is in Neutral. There is still some friction there.
So it would seem that its not fully disengaged. But its progress.
Might just need some cable adjusting now...not sure.

[JCSkokos]

Hey Old Chopper.
I gave that a crack, and it seems to have somewhat worked.
with the bike off, bike in 5th gear i pushed the bike forward and backward. The wheel locked completely when i did it but i jerked it real hard.

Pulled the clutch in and the wheel wasn't locked, but it wasn't the same as it is when the bike is in Neutral. There is still some friction there.
So it would seem that its not fully disengaged. But its progress.
Might just need some cable adjusting now...not sure.

I have/had this same issue. My bike has been sitting for at least 10 years w/o anything but putting the tarp back on it.

I have heard that old oil gets thick after a while and that can cause a sticking issue. You may also want to be careful if you haven't changed the oil since there is probably water in it.

[tkent02]

Don't worry about it, when the engine is running it will work fine once the clutch plates get unstuck.

[oohsam]

Jcskoskos first thing I did was flush all oils from the bike and replace it all with top shelf oil.

Tkent02. I sure hope so, otherwise ill replace it with a new clucth kit.

[blowerbike]

it will never be the same as in neutral..
there will always be drag.

[JCSkokos]

Sorry oohsam for jumping in on your thread... lol

it will never be the same as in neutral..
there will always be drag.

When I had mine started for a few minutes after I cracked it loose, I had the clutch pulled all the way, bike in first, and it felt like it wanted to go. Holding it still seemed to bog the engine slightly. is this still normal?

[bobthebiker88]

that is your clutch not fully disengaging for whatever reason. probably too much slack in the cable.

[Flyboy]

IF the clutch cable adjustment is correct then as Blowerbike says, don't worry too much about it.
Simply starting the bike will non do the trick, the clutch needs to be exersized and it will come free completely, take it for a spin for a half an hour or so, so that the oil can heat up and the clutch can work a bit, preferably around the neighbourhood where you have to shift and use the clutch a lot, it will free right up and be fine by the time you get home.
And yes, with the bike in gear and the clutch pulled, there will still be drag, it will not be as free as when the bike is in nuetral.

[PeteGS]

got that problem to

Hi all,
I had my clutch replaced by a friend of mine and its not working at all,new plates,discs,springs and cable,when pulling the lever its like there is not enough pull to release the clutch so when in gear its toebreaking to shift gear and when the lever is pulled she is still in gear,could it be the plates or discs inserted wrong or is there more going on??

[oohsam]

Hey Pete, Probably best to start a new thread so others can have a look at it and help> dont forget to mention your bike model and location .

Just quickly there could be a few things going on, Firstly you may need to adjust your clutch cable, secondly, I have read that the lever that comes out of the clutch box needs to be winded to the right position so when pulling the lever it is at a point to do so, i hope that makes sense.

Your fibers may be in the wrong way also.