Correct clutch cable for clip ons?

[Guest]

So I've been trying to find a problem with a bad clutch drag for sometime now. I've adjusted the cable many times, filed minor grooves on the basket, soaked the plates and steel which look good, but still I feel like I'm needing really force into gears. As you can see in the pictures I have clip-ons and the cable adjustment on the engine mount is maxed out. Is the cable too short/long so I can't make a proper adjustment? I'm out of ideas?! Thanks,

[dorkburger]

You may want to try turning that adjuster the other way. That will in effect lengthen the housing in relation to the cable and pull the clutch in further.

Cool looking ride by the way....

Add..could the cable possibly have a sharp bend in it somewhere due to the clip ons causing possible binding?

[claygs750e]

I made sure there were no bends in the cable. Should I take the cable off the arm and move it in or out a couple teeth as well? Its funny because sometimes it works great, other times its really bad so that's why I didn't think it was an adjustment problem.

[dorkburger]

Strange about the inconsistency. Not sure there. I have a crappy Motion Pro clutch cable (second one, never again) on mine and they both seemed to require regular adjusting for the first month or so. I assumed they stretched....

[hillsy]

Your cable hasn't been pinched or damaged by the steering stops by any chance?

You might want to also route the cable around the neck and down the other side of the tank tunnel to try and get as shallow a bend as possible.

[claygs750e]

The cable curves down in front of the tank inside the opening of the frame, over and down between carb #1 and #2 then bends straight into the mount on the engine. I thought I remembered the stock cable going the same route. I did go out and tweak the adjustment and backed it out a bit, but I'm pretty sure I've been this route before.

[Blower]

I had problems to find neutral when the engine was running in my GS 1150. Last winter I took all the clutch steel plates to the machine shop,
where they level grinded. Now the clutch is better than ever. Even the new oem steel plates have a small bumps, which effects the clutch function.

[dorkburger]

I just finished troubleshooting clutch problems on mine. Turns out a PO didnt install the shim between the inner and outer hub causing zero clearance and not smooth shifting, plus other issues.

[claygs750e]

Well I adjusted the cable AGAIN per the manual and I still have to pull up on my foot 5-6 times to go into gear, especially 2nd. Maybe I do need new plates and steel because I really can't think of anything else. When I had it opened up they looked ok and were flat when laying down and not warped. I was hoping not to spend that much, but I'm at the end of the line.

What shim are you referring to? Can you tell me what # on the parts fiche? Thanks guys

[dorkburger]

My bike is an 1150, so I dont know if yours is the same. #4 circled on the attached pic.
Pic is from another thread hence all of the other notes....

[Steve]

... they both seemed to require regular adjusting for the first month or so. I assumed they stretched....

Believe it or not, cables don't stretch.

What happens is that the cable saws through the nylon liner, cutting a groove on the inside of any curve. The deeper the groove, the shorter the route the cable has to take, giving the impression that it has "stretched".

.

[claygs750e]

The furthest I've taken the clutch apart was the basket so I'm not sure if I need any special tools to break it completely down. Is taking the clutch apart very difficult and I wonder the likelihood of something in the back of the basket is the actual problem. It looks like it has never been off before when I looked at it.

[Grimly]

Believe it or not, cables don't stretch.

What happens is that the cable saws through the nylon liner, cutting a groove on the inside of any curve. The deeper the groove, the shorter the route the cable has to take, giving the impression that it has "stretched".

.

From direct observation, I'd be inclined to agree that OEM ones don't stretch (apart from a very slight initial bedding-in), but cheapy aftermarket ones do - that, and the outer compressing too, which doesn't help.

[claygs750e]

I've had this problem every since getting the bike when it had the stock bars and cable on it. I now have clip-ons with a shorter aftermarket cable so I'm inclined to think my problem is something else. There's really no hard bends in the cable and its routed as the manual states. When I looked and the steel and plates the main thing I noticed was that they were not warped, is there anything else I can see when looking at them if they are damaged. Crazy thing is when I took them out the first time and put it all back together the first time I rode it the bike shifted great all day, but the next day it went back to normal. Every so often it shifts ok and normally when its warmed up more. I also lightened the oil at 5w 40 thinking maybe it was too think when cold.

[claygs750e]

Update: So I'm confused....I rode the bike and about after 20 mins of riding it was shifting perfect. So why is it that the first 20 mins its very difficult? This tells me its not the cable or adjustment so is it the plates? I lowered the weight oil because of this, but that doesn't seem to be the issue either?