clutch/transmission help pls!!

Hey guys n gals, so I no sooner end a thread with a happy ending just to have to start another! Lol hopefully with another happy ending!!

So after getting the bike running I figure I need to check the clutch and make sure the gears shift and all that! I propped up the back end and squeezed the clutch and popped into 1st gear. As soon as I popped into gear the wheel started to spin even tho the clutch was being squeezed! When I move the lever down at the other end of the cable with my hand I noticed that it only has about an inch of movement which is really easy to move, not sure if this is normal or not! Any chance that stuff inside just needs a chance to work a bit due to the fact that it's been sitting for awhile?
Thx

 

On a side note, how do you guys lift your bikes onto stands when the exhaust sits lower than the frame? Would be a real pain to have to remove the exhaust every time you wanna put your bike on a stand!

 

if it sat a long time the clutch plates get stuck together. what i've always done is point the bike in a safe direction, start it up in neutral, pull the clutch in, no throttle, shift to first quickly, so it doesn't grind. the bike will lurch and probably stall but the clutch should work right next time

 

Ah, this is what I'm hoping! A little nerve racking tho! Lol
Thx for the tip!!

 

Shifting with a stuck clutch and the engine running is not my favorite way of freeing it. It could damage shift dogs and such. I put the bike in 3rd or 4th gear, pull the clutch and rock the bike back and fourth to free it. If it is stuck you will most likely need to replace the friction plates and clean the steel plates.

 

Maybe I'm not understanding correctly. The rear wheel spins with clutch pulled in. I bet you could put your foot on it and easily stop it. I believe that is normal when a gear is engaged. My bike does it too.

 

With the bike on the centerstand, the rear wheel will spin even when the bike is in neutral just from drag in the transmission; especially when cold.

It does sound in this instance like the clutch needs attention. If it still drags excessively once properly adjusted, or slips, then pop it apart and rebuild it. You can't expect a 30-year old petrified wet clutch to work properly until you've rehabilitated it.

 

If you have an inch of movement at the motor end before anything happens then it sounds like a simple adjustment issue to me! Should only have very small amount of play at control lever. Is this what you have?

How did all this start have you just re-assembled that area?

 

Got some news to report! I was a little leary of popping it into gear this way so here's what I did! I put a wire around the clutch lever to squeeze it in all the way. I found a video on how to adjust the cable properly on YouTube! Guys name on YouTube is mrmaxstory, he's got some cool vids on these older bikes! I then opened the oil cap exposing part of the plates. I used a syringe to squirting oil on plates and rotated wheel by hand to get oil all the way around plates, I then let it sit awhile and I'm pretty sure this did the trick! I can now spin wheel freely while in gear and in air with clutch squeezed in! Gonna drop it down and check shortly!

 

What type of oil did you squeeze in there?

 

Just the regular motorcycle oil, I used the syringe so that I could get it on the plates!

 

Personally I'd drain it and open up that clutch. Pull the plates and inspect. Replace if necessary. Better to do it now than in the side of the road. Its super easy to do. And it will ease your mind.

 

I've got a long list of things I wanna do to this bike! Although this is on there its now lower on the list as it's functional perfectly fine now!