carpb202 Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Good morning from good ol' North Carolina! I just ran into a very strange issue on the ride into work. I have started to store my bike outside under a bike cover (I know, it pains me too) and starting today it seems that the clutch isn't engaging/disengaging all the way. When starting off from my driveway, shifting from N to 1, the bike lurched forward a little. Then it shifts fine. I stopped at a light, shifting down to 1, and stalled it releasing the clutch when the light turned green (people weren't very happy behind me). Once I made it to work, I played around in the parking lot a little seeing what it would do. Once I stopped, it was very hard to shift out of 1 (as if it was engaged). Then, the bike wanted to move forward without me turning the throttle. I was able to let out the clutch and it moved normally without any throttle input. I was able to shift out of 1 at that point, but it was a little difficult, and again, it was able to move in 2 without any throttle input. It feels like the longer I hold the clutch in, the more the issue presents itself. I've tried searching on the forum for this but can't really find anything (could be different wording). Thanks y'all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperT Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Normal. Or should I say, "typical". Motorcycles have a wet clutch design that is lubricated by oil. There's always a bit of drag, until something stops movement in the engine and various parts from rotating, in this case the 2 shafts in the transmission. Which is why you get a clunk when dropping from Neutral into either first or second. Check chain tension. Others on the board say that having the chain tension at Yamaha spec makes it harder when shifting. The consensus is that 5-15mm is too tight. You'll find a lot of opinions on this. Change your engine oil. Sometimes lessens the difficulty in downshifting through gears when coming to a stop, or trying to find neutral. You can also adjust the shifter position for a more positive feel to your foot. Make sure you have enough clutch lever free play- I like 10-15 mm as measured at the end of the lever. Or the width of a quarter as a gap measurement where the lever goes into the perch. This should be set with engine COLD! I find it easiest to slowly and steadily shift down through gears before I come to a complete stop. Neutral is definitely easier to find before stopping. The high idle and engine design on this model makes finding neutral aggravating at times. Hopefully one of these tips will help. -Skip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpb202 Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 Thanks Skip! I've had many cycles of 1-2-1-2 trying to find N. I have been riding this particular bike for 2+ years now and this is the first time I've had it give me this problem. I'm more worried that it wants to move while the clutch is engaged (like stopping at a light, I need to keep the brake held or it will move forward on its own) and it has never done that before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted September 13, 2017 Supporting Member Share Posted September 13, 2017 @carpb202 - If this is a sudden noticeable change after 2+ years of riding the same bike, it does sound like something is amiss. These bikes do have a history of clutch cable problems, so I would start there... if it's frayed and starting to stretch, it might give you the behavior you describe by not fully disengaging with the lever pulled all the way in. Does the clutch seem to have more free play than before? Good luck, and keep us posted on what you find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpb202 Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 @texscottyd, this behavior is certainly new as of today. The clutch lever play seems to be the same as it has been but I might not have been playing that close attention to it. I'll try to grab a video later to show how much play there is. I'll update this thread once I get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpb202 Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 Here's a video I took this afternoon of the free play and the clutch itself. The more I look at it (and based on the ride home today), the more it looks like I'll need a new cable... https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_qFJMhjSOBZMDlQRUowNkctUEk/view?usp=drivesdk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted September 13, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted September 13, 2017 I second Texcottyd, if you haven't changed your clutch cable in a while, do that first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koth442 Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Sounds like clutch cable wear. Leaving the bike outside may have accelerated the wear too. Steel rusts... '15 FJ09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpb202 Posted September 14, 2017 Author Share Posted September 14, 2017 Thanks! Now the hunt to find a cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperT Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 carpb- that video shows it all. Way too much free play in the clutch. A new cable would be the best first step. Good luck! -S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpb202 Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 Wanted to let y'all know that I bought and installed a new clutch cable and it resolved the issue! Woot. Thanks! BTW, that cable install was very annoying. Yamaha certainly doesn't make it easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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