I must admit, the clutch is the part of my bike I feel the least comfortable working on. My clutch has always been a little grabby and it has always been hard to find neutral.

I tried the washer fix with limited success. I tried YZF springs and it made the problem worse. I bought the bike new and don't really abuse the clutch.

This weekend I got fed up. I absolutely could not find neutral, except when downshifting over a table top with a tight turn on the landing. Very difficult to shift and bike would inch fowrad when stopped with clutch pulled in. I had to adjust cable at perch literally every few minutes. Initially it wold work fine but then would act up again after just a few laps, or less.

I don't even know where to go from here. I thought about drilling extra holes (saw a recent post) but don't have a drill press. I have also heard here about removing the inner most rings or something like that. Any further info. Also, where do you check for grooves on you hub and if you find them what do you do.

Thanks.

Oh yeah, I change the oil frequently and run either Yamalube or Mobil red cap.

Hey fellow Gilroyan, Well I grew up there and moved to Lincoln,Ca 8 years ago. I also have fought this problem since new on my 01 WR 250f. I took apart theclutch plates awhile back and used sand paper on the steels, and lightly scuffed the fibers. I put it back together and adjusted the clutch per the manual. I had to adjust a little at the motor end of the adjustment. It has worked great ever since!!!! P.S. How is Hollister hills and Clear Creek treat'n you?

I rode my bike for a year before I raced it and noticed that it just wouldn't bark out of a gate, like my husky did before it. Sure I use my clutch, and use it often, with no problems or complaints, but off the line, forget it. Sounds like you've got some warpage, or it's out of adjustment if it drags. Occasionally, when I raced arenacross this year, I did notice a slight pull on it, but I think that I didn't warm up before I went to the line, and when I put it in gear, went right into the gate. This all went away, after riding the moto. Are you all warmed up? You mention mobil red cap, is this mx-4t synthetic or conventional mobil?
As for the shifting, I had my shifter extended half an inch, and I can find neutral no problem. We Americans got big feet, and you'd be surprized at how that little bit does wonders.

Rick,
Formerly from the KX and RM camp, I can tell you this- I have had similar problems with these bikes because of grooved hubs and baskets. Pull your plates and check for grooves in the clutch hub where the tangs of the metal plates contact it. Also check your clutch basket for grooves where the ears of the fiber plates contact it. The clutch plates must move freely back and forth on these surfaces as the clutch is engaged/ disengaged. If there is even minor grooving, the plates can hang up and cause shifting problems and make the engagement chattery. If the grooving is really minor you might be able to smooth it with emery cloth. Be careful not to remove much material as you don't want any slop between the ears/tangs and the basket/hub. I have found that Hinson clutch hubs and baskets cure this problem, however they are expensive. I remember from checking on prices that the stock basket for a KX was incredibly cheap. Maybe Yamaha's is as well.
Mike

I have an O2 YZF and have a similiar problem. Very annoying. Problem seemed to start when I switched from Yamalube to Mobil 1 Red Cap. I plan on switching to GTX 20-50 to see if it helps.

You said the bike has always had the problem to some degree so maybe it isn't wear. I had a similar experience with my 03 250f and was very upset that a new bike would act that way - it was notchy and I could not find neutral and I would have to put it in neutral (once I found it) to restart. Then I read a post in this forum about oil changes with respect to clutch grabiness - I was changing the oil about every 2 hours - when I switched to changing it every ride (not the filter, just the 1.25 qts) the clutch worked well right off and continues to work very well. I use yamalube.

Also, if you tear down the clutch again, check the plates for flatness. I don't know if you are using aluminum plates in your bike, but if you are they can sometimes warp slightly (barely visible) and take up the clearance to ruin free-spin.

Thanks for the info. I change oil frequently but not after every ride. I have used both yamalube and Mobil 1. Yamalube was in the bike this weekend and it was the worst yet. I don't think its wear because I have always had the problem it just got real bad this weekend so maybe it is wear now. I plan on tearing apart the clutch this weekend.

I have thought about a Hinson or Barrett clutch basket but boy that's a lot of bucks. If I can find a friend with a drill press, I think I might try to drill the extra holes that was discussed in a thread a few weeks ago.

If anyone else has any other ideas or has more info on removing / replacing the inner most rings (I saw someone had done this in a previous post but cannot find in now)please chime in.

ktown,

Havn't been down to Clear Creek in a while. Hollister is still closest. I redie mostly Hollister, Metcalf, and Carnigie. Its OK now after recent rains but the ground is still hard because we havn't had enough rain. They have redone some of the tracks, seem better, not sure yet because my clutch isn't working.

ktown,

Havn't been down to Clear Creek in a while. Hollister is still closest. I ride mostly Hollister, Metcalf, and Carnigie. Its OK now after recent rains but the ground is still hard because we havn't had enough rain. They have redone some of the tracks, seem better, not sure yet because my clutch isn't working.

Do you guys find yourself slipping the clutch a lot when riding on MX tracks?
I came off of a 96 CR250 and didn't have to slip it very much. Since the 250F IS a "125" bike, I assume it is normal to have to slip it a lot. I wonder if that is causing a lot of the problems.
Your thoughts/experiences?
Thanks!!

I slip the clutch a little bit. But nowhere near the same amount as i do with 2 strokes. No matter what bike you have you will always have to slip the clutch.

does it go into neutral easier while your still rolling to a stop, or just at a standstill?

Finally found this post from PolarBus after a bunch of searching:

Since my '02 WR250F was new I could never find neutral, the trans shifted real notchy, and the bike would creep foreward with the bike in gear and the clutch lever in. I tried the washer fix with no luck. I finally dissasembled the clutch and noticed those 2 rings. After having a good look at how they work, I came to the conclusion those rings were transferring spinning drag from the clutch basket to the inner pressure plate all the time. I re-assembled my clutch without them and now my trans shifts so smooth, and I can find nuetral every time with one normal click. The creeping issue is also gone. I have probably 1400 miles on my bike with no problems. Good luck,

These are my symptoms and my bike exactly. Anybody else have any info on this "mod." And what exactly are "those two rings?"

Thanks

Get a Magura Hydro. They cost around 200 and are virtually problem free