Chirping Clutch - Polly want a cracker?

[robinsoncr]

When the bike is cold and I start it up with the choke.

If I let the idle drop below about 1200 - 1300rpm, as I'm setting the choke to idle and warm up, you can hear the clutch make this chirping/barking sound and can feel some slight vibration if you place your hand on the clutch cover.

Any ideas what is causing this? The po had a new clutch installed last winter. When the bike is idling above 1200 rpm, you hear nothing. The clutch engages and disengages fine.

I'm going to drain the oil and change the filter before I take it back out. The po had told me it had a new oil change in it but you can't see anything through the sightglass. It's black but the oil you can dip out of the crankcase looks fine. Just figured that it was better safe than sorry and change out the oil.

Any ideas on this one?

Thanks,
Chris

[Steve]

A little confusing there. "you can't see anything through the sightglass. It's black but the oil you can dip out of the crankcase looks fine."

If you can't see anyting through the sightglass, how are you knowing that it is black? If the sightglass is all black when the bike is on the center stand, the level is too high. You need to determine why it is too high. Two common causes are 1) simply putting too much in, and 2) gas leak that drips down the cylinder and fills the crankcase. Smell the oil to see if it smells like gas.

To help in determining which is the case, change the oil and filter. Make sure you install the proper amount of oil, run the bike for a bit, then let it sit for a while so the oil level settles. Check the sightglass. The color of the oil will probably be darker than what you just put in because there are little pockets that hold oil throughout the engine, and they will discolor it a bit. Not to worry. Monitor the engine oil level on a daily basis before you ride. If the level has gone up, you have a fuel leak.

I am not going to start any kind of discussion on what oil to use, except that the book calls for 10w-40 or 20w-50 for typical summer temperatures. Look at the API seal on the back of the container to make sure it does NOT say "Energy Conserving". Very few 40 or 50 weight oils have that, but things change, it's best to check.


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[robinsoncr]

Steve,

The sightglass is "black" as in no longer translucent. From the oil dipped out of the crankcase, there isn't a gasoline odor to it. But I'm going to drain it and go from there.

Now, back to the chirping. Any ideas there?

Thanks,
Chris

[robinsoncr]

Well, yesterday afternoon, I drained the oil and changed out the filter. The oil is what was black. The po had overfilled by about a quart. It didn't appear to have gas in it. But I'll keep a check on it to make sure I don't have a problem with fuel getting into the oil.

Now for the chirping clutch. With the new oil, the chirp went away. I could let it idle down to nearly dying and no clutch sound. So, it appears that having too much oil in the crankcase was affecting the clutch.

Thanks,

Chris

[Steve]

Just curious, now. Is the sightglass still black? Or can you now see the level of your new oil?


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[robinsoncr]

Sightglass is no longer black. The oil was black and the crankcase overfilled.

thanks,
chris