new clutch, hard to shift

[rgierer]

nope. It is out as far as it seems to go.

[Planecrazy]

One other minor thing to verify, Robin ... since you replaced the cable you'll want to double check that it's routed properly and not binding anywhere. Does the situation improve or degrade with the handlebars turned one way or the other?

If there is any change (better or worse) you will want to double check the new cable and how it's routed relative to how the old one was set up.

Good luck! I'm involved in my own "last minute" mods to my bike before this weekend's get-together. I added floorboards, and now have to fabricate a custom shift lever so that I can actually ride the bike! I already did a "quick and dirty" mod to the brake pedal to raise it up above the level of the floorboard by welding a piece of square tubing to the top of the pedal (didn't want to risk breaking the arm by trying to bend it) ... it actually looks pretty decent now that it's painted black, but I still want to add a durable rubber pad to the contact surface. I'll worry about that once I have the shifter worked out, but I'm thinking either I'll cut out the sole of an old pair of boots (to get the desired texture) or else I'll try some Duraliner. I'll probably have to remove the paint first to get a good bond with that stuff, but it should work nicely otherwise...

See you this weekend!

[rgierer]

I'll check it out.

I am hoping that this will come together in the next few days and things don't blow a gasket belore I can quietly slip away.

I am a believer in these things just coming together. What I lack in skill I make up for it faith.

[chef1366]

You don't have a bent clutch lever do you? There also should be very little space between the clutch lever handlebar clamp and the hand grip. Now I'm reaching:shock:

[rgierer]

no bent clutch lever and I am doing a good pull. I will check out some things over my lunch hour and take it for an 80 mile ride this evening if I am lucky just to see if it starts to smooth out.

I am starting to think the metal plates may indeed be the issue but am hoping things may seat a bit with some usage.

The more I drove it last night the better it was.

I can't help wondering if it is from my assembly screw up when I didn't have the pinion aligned, if I pushed something to a bit of a contorted space. Such is the way of the world.

[rgierer]

After 120 miles 90% of the issues have been resolved.

[jonr]

After 120 miles 90% of the issues have been resolved.

Robin,

I just found this post, so my point is probably moot. I replaced the fibers and half the springs on my 750 a few years back and had the same issue, just not as severe. I was getting a bit of forward motion with the clutch lever fully engaged and shifting was quite a bit tighter (too tight in fact) for the first 200 miles or so. I used a vesrah kit BTW.

After thsoe couple hundred miles wore by, the clutch acted just the way it should and at the same time I my hand had got used to the heavier pull. My opinion is that it takes a few hundred miles for the surfaces of the clutch fibers to get "settled in" to the clutch plates. The theory is no different than putting new brake pads on an old rotor where finally the surface of the pad matches up with the surface of that particular rotor.

Safe riding-
Jon

[DanTheMan]

Just a bit to add to this thread. I've had my 850 since April of last year, bought it with 25k on it, now have 41k. When cold, mine has always shifted hard, and creeps in first gear. When it's warmed up everything is fine. If the oil is due for changing , the creep problem/shifting problem is worse. I've done clutch adjustments to no avail and as far as I know, it is still the original clutch. I know, and have asked the two previous owners if they changed anything out, and they never did. I just thought it must be a Suzuki thing, because most of the smaller Suzukis we use in the MSF trailers do it too.

[rgierer]

Thanks for your comments. I just got back from Galena and I can attest that any problem I had with the clutch is gone.

Thanks for your attention