I’m in the process of waking my beast from winter hibernation and installing a few Xmas goodies.  Without going thru a diatribe of all the maintenance I’ve already performed, I’ll stick to what should only pertain to this issue.  The last couple of days, when time permitted, I’ve been focusing on controls and wiring…installing a Scott’s steering damper, Flexx bars, ASV shorty clutch & brake levers, Sicass multi-function bar switch, and Sicass combo start / kill switch.  All of the before mentioned installs have gone off without a hitch however, after remounting the clutch master cylinder assembly and installation of the ASV levers, I have a very odd clutch issue.  When I pull on the clutch lever, the pull is much harder than normal and the clutch does not seem to disengage.  I have not started the bike yet (i.e. to change the oil and tune the carb) and while installing the controls, I did have the clutch lever assembly dangling from the bike for a day or two.  I’ve done a quick search and didn’t seem to come up with anything.  I currently have two theories…

1.  The dangling clutch assembly allowed air to enter into the system.  I was planning on bleeding to replace all the clutch fluid so, I will eventually see if that theory pans out.  That being said, I don’t think this scenario is likely because if there was air in the system, I would tend to expect a spongy clutch lever and not one that is harder to pull than normal.

2.  Since the engine has not been run or turned over since this past October, maybe condensation has slightly frozen the clutch plates???  This is the only plausible scenario that I can think of…

The bike ran perfect, before hibernation.  I’m struggling to think the ASV lever had an impact, since the clutch self adjusts and the only adjustment on the lever is for grab distance.

My current plan is to put fire in the belly of my beast, let her warm up, and see if lubrication on the clutch system / heat helps (i.e. theory #2).  If that doesn’t work, switch back to the OEM lever.  And if that doesn’t work, bleed the system (i.e. theory #1).

Any other thoughts?  Anyone come across this issue before?

Did you check the fluid line, make sure you didnt pinch or kink it someplace.

cwf340, on 10 April 2012 - 02:20 PM, said:

Yes...all is free & clear.

Was thinking during work yesterday that maybe rotating the engine by the e-start might be interesting to try.  That's about all I had time to do last night, so I gave it a go.  Rotated several revolutions...pulling the clutch lever before, after, and during with no resolution.

Status update: Problem Solved…I think

Last night I back bleed the clutch master cylinder, flushing all the fluid and replacing with new.  During the bleeding process, zero air bubbles were noted.  Next I decided to loosely refit the gas tank, fuel, and put fire in the beast.  Ran the bike for 5 minutes or so, to get everything warm and lubricated.  With the rear tire off the ground, I pulled in the clutch and placed the bike into first gear.  The rear tire rotated at seeming the same rate, regardless of clutch lever pulled or released.  My next thought was to put the rear tire on the ground and perform the same experiment.  This time, all appeared normal…clutch pulled in, engaged first, and the bike did not stall or move.  Slowly releasing the clutch did what it’s supposed to…slowly adding power to the rear tire.

So at this point, I think all is normal.  Given the fact that I never tried engaging / disengaging the clutch with the rear tire off the ground, bike not running and bike running, I guess I never realized how much drag exists in the clutch when disengaged.

This lead me to my next question…does this operation sound normal or should I expect the clutch to disengage more positively?  Is my clutch dragging?  If so, what should I start looking at…clutch plates, basket, etc?

Post the above diagnosis, I took my bike on a good trail ride this past weekend...including pavement sections at times.  Had absolutely no issues with the clutch disengaging and/or finding neutral at a stop.

So I don't think a problem exists but, am still curious if anyone knows the answer to my previous question on disengagement / clutch drag.  Although all seems good, the clutch still seems to drag slightly when disengaged.

I ocasionally have this problem with my 530 where there is suddenly extra free play in the lever and the clutch will not fully disengage.

I pull the lever to the grip and zip tie it there overnight. Next day clutch works perfect every time. Well both times anyway.

-Robert

Rotten Robbie, on 17 April 2012 - 08:58 PM, said:

That's an interesting one...

The only think I can think of in your case is that you have some sort of very small leak in the system that is allowing air to enter and maybe by performing your trick, it allows the air bubble / bubbles to rise into the master cylinder and escape.

In my case there are no free play issues, at least if I'm using the term the same way that would be applied to a cable clutch.  The clutch actually disengages almost instantly when the lever is pulled.  My issue is that once I pull the lever beyond that point, it doesn't disengage any further and seems to exhibit some drag on the clutch system.  Said another way, I only really need to pull the lever ~1/4" to that disengagement point....after that, I'm just working on arm pump and not doing anything to disengage the clutch.

Even before this potential issue, I've been contemplating a Rekluse clutch....this makes me want to go in that direction even more.  My big concern (besides the ~$600 price tag!!!) is that I won't be able to push start the bike.  Not that I do that often, I did run into a scenario last year when my battery died and I couldn't for the life of me kick start the bike when it was hot....kick started perfect when cold but, not hot.....and resorted to allowing gravity and the clutch / drive system to start the bike.

All racing clutches drag.
Disengaging the clutch does not mean all the parts in the clutch are no longer touching. They are just no longer under pressure from the clutch springs.
So, when you remove resistance of the ground against the wheel, you can 'see' the drag as the wheel spins, with the clutch lever in.

Edited by Krannie, 19 April 2012 - 08:11 PM.

Krannie, on 19 April 2012 - 08:09 PM, said:

Thanks!

Guess you learn something new every day

I don't think I ever tried pulling in a clutch and rotating the tire with the rear wheel off the ground.......once I tried and found drag, I just assumed something might be off.  I'll chalk this one up to either, "Now I know" or "What I didn't know in the past, never killed me."  Ha!