Unsticking my clutch - advice?

[Guest]

Hey, everybody. I got my bike to start up so I can ride it the half mile to my new house. Buuuuut pulling the clutch doesn't do anything. It seems like the plates are stuck together.

The cable works, the lever arm works, but the drivetrain remains engaged. I tried putting it in gear with the engine off and yanking the rear wheel back and forth. No real luck like that in 1st gear. 2nd seemed a little better, but I'm not sure if I was turning the engine over. The rear wheel is spinning with the engine if I put it in 2nd with it running (and while cranking).

I would just push the thing, but there is a driveway with a 6-8 foot rise up from the street. I can't get it up it by pushing.

The oil is old, and it sat for several years. I think the clutch plates are sticking together, but I'm not sure.

Cheers!

[gsrick]

Hey, everybody. I got my bike to start up so I can ride it the half mile to my new house. Buuuuut pulling the clutch doesn't do anything. It seems like the plates are stuck together.

The cable works, the lever arm works, but the drivetrain remains engaged. I tried putting it in gear with the engine off and yanking the rear wheel back and forth. No real luck like that in 1st gear. 2nd seemed a little better, but I'm not sure if I was turning the engine over. The rear wheel is spinning with the engine if I put it in 2nd with it running (and while cranking).

I would just push the thing, but there is a driveway with a 6-8 foot rise up from the street. I can't get it up it by pushing.

The oil is old, and it sat for several years. I think the clutch plates are sticking together, but I'm not sure.

Cheers!

You are probably correct in why your clutch plates are stuck together. When I get a bike at work like this, I'll pop it in gear as I'm revving the engine up around 3-4k. The shock usually pops them loose and I immediately pull the clutch in. Mind you that it may not break free and will want to go forward if it doesn't loosen, so make sure you have room to go forward and not run into something and can either ride it out or hit the kill switch. Be careful and good luck.

[Dogma]

Is the clutch stack visible through the oil filler? I'd probably try a little gently probing through there before trying Rick's method. Not prying on anything, just seeing if things can move with the lever pulled in, to verify the issue.

[tom203]

Relocate clutch lever arm on its pivot so there is almost no clearance before you feel resistance.- this way the clutch cable can pull the maximum. Or since you ain't going far, try no clearance.

[2BRacing]

Select 3rd or 4th gear and sit on the bike without the engine running. Rock the bike back and forth and the clutch plates should break free.

If your feet cannot touch the ground enough for you to rock the bike back and forth safely, get two friends around and ask them to rock the bike backwards and forwards.

[Brendan W]

Going back to what Dogma was saying, the 850 clutch basket is easily accessible from the oil filler and with the lever strapped down at the bar you can get a wide flat screwdriver in there and start twisting gently between plates. I might not take much to start them separating.

[WilliamGLX81]

Got it! Thanks for the advice. I tried rocking it back and forth. I also let it run and let the oil warm up while the clutch plates got oil all over them.

Rocking forward and back didn't work in 1st-4th, but starting with it in 4th on the center stand and mashing the rear brake did work. Definitely need to change the oil. The level is good, I just figure that the oil had drained out of the clutch packs. Interesting phenomenon. I think letting it heat cycle a few times helped too.