Clutch won't disengage?


FZ6R30073

New Member
Ok, I am new to posting so please bare with me.

I am having an issue where, if I am at a light, stop sign, or not moving; and I have the clutch lever fully pulled in and the bike is in 1st gear, my bike pulls forward, not hard, just annoying and I know it can't be good for the bike. I've worked with the adjustment on the lever and I've got it to where it shifts great, if I go more one way then it grinds into every gear. Go to much the other way, it's the same. Now, I have changed my front sprocket then changed it back to stock, in the process I removed a part that is part of the clutch system, and is it possible to have not put it back in right?

Some more things to add for your knowledge, I am a new rider, been riding for a year. I am new to this bike (first one =) ). I don't have mechanical knowledge but can be savvy enough to do it myself because I want the experience. And all comments are greatly appreciated. Thank You
 

JSP

Super Moderator
You need to adjust your lever. Move your clutch lever and see how much free-play is there. You can adjust it with the roller wheel next to it. Lever free-play should be between 10.0-15.0mm (0.39-0.59 inch). Dont just adjust it to where you think it should be. Get it to the correct specs and see if it is still doing it.
 

Steviet

New Member
You need to adjust your lever. Move your clutch lever and see how much free-play is there. You can adjust it with the roller wheel next to it. Lever free-play should be between 10.0-15.0mm (0.39-0.59 inch). Dont just adjust it to where you think it should be. Get it to the correct specs and see if it is still doing it.
In addition to the post above, if you cannot adjust it enough using that method above you will need to adjust it where the clutch cable goes into the engine.
 

FZ6R30073

New Member
Ok, I don't have a micrometer (I believe that's what it's called), but going very slowly through the dial to change the gap, it still wanted to pull. And if I'm going to adjust where it goes into the engine, how do I go about doing this?
 

Steviet

New Member
Ok, I don't have a micrometer (I believe that's what it's called), but going very slowly through the dial to change the gap, it still wanted to pull. And if I'm going to adjust where it goes into the engine, how do I go about doing this?
Look in your owners manual.
 

Deanohh

New Member
Ok, I don't have a micrometer (I believe that's what it's called), but going very slowly through the dial to change the gap, it still wanted to pull. And if I'm going to adjust where it goes into the engine, how do I go about doing this?
Turn the handlebars back and forth until you find the tightest spot (if there is one) for the clutch. Look at the little gap that you get right at the base if the lever where you can see the cable. Adjust the wheel until the free play of the lever ( the amount you can move it without it doing anything) give you a gap at where the cable is of the thickness of the edge of a nickel. If you run out of adjustment at the lever, then screw the wheel back in and take up the slack at the lower end of the cable by the clutch, then fine tune it using the upper wheel.
 

CtrlAltDl

New Member
Has the bike been sitting awhile? If so the clutch plates can actually rust together. They would need to be taken apart and sanded, then reassemble.

But first try the cable adjustments.
 

FZ6R30073

New Member
A nickel! Would have never thought a nickel would help me on my bike! Haha, gotta find a nickel!

As far as it sitting, it hasn't been. Been riding it frequently.

If I have time, I'll do the adjustment to the cable tonight, and take it out riding tomorrow and see if the problem persists.
 

Deanohh

New Member
If you don't have enough free play (slack) in the cable, the clutch will not engage all the way and slip under power. If you have too much slack, the clutch will drag and not release all the way which is what you're describing. A good cable adjustment almost always fixes this. As the clutch wears and the cable stretches, usually you check the "gap" every few hundred miles and make small adjustments before any of these problems happen.

Did the clutch worked fine and then changed right after you changed sprockets? If you removed the push lever assy on the left side above the sprocket, it is possible that you did not put it back on the right way. That is the lever that the other end of the clutch cable is attached to. To make sure, there is a mark on the edge of the lever and a mark on the body of the assy that is below the lever. These marks should not be aligned in normal position. Then as you push the lever towards the cable, (forward as if the cable were pulling it), it should start to feel hard to push when the marks align.... that is when the push rod starts to lift the clutch plates. If this is not correct, the clutch adjustment will not work. Fix this first if it is wrong. If it is wrong, I don't know if the clutch would even work at all.... so it doesn't really sound like th problem.... but make sure the marks look ok as described.

If the clutch is worn out a lot, there is a way to adjust the pushrod. That is way more complicated and involves taking the clutch cover off which is on the right side of the engine. You probably do not need to do this unless you have to put in a new clutch. The push rod can wear out too, but that should only happen with many thousands of miles and several clutches.
 
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FZ6R30073

New Member
Ok, Nickel idea is great! Worked like a dream! I have more power than I did before b/c I had the cable improperly adjusted.

Now, that did not solve my problem. It still wants to pull in first gear with clutch engaged etc. Another thing noted is that I can not get it into neutral, I have to get the rpm's to about 2000-2200 to get the bike to shift into neutral, otherwise its like trying to pick a 50lb weight up with your toe!

I won't have time tonight, but tomorrow night I am going to pull the shift lever back off, that's near my sprocket, and inspect that I re-installed it correctly. I appreciate all the feed back and I hope to see more!

I also apologize for the late response!

*Edit: Can not get it to neutral from 1st gear!
 

JSP

Super Moderator
How many miles are on your bike and when is the last time you did an oil change??? What type of oil is in it?
 

nucmedman63

New Member
what it sounds like to me is that when you changed out your front sprocket and when you removed the clutch mechanizm that overlies the sprocket needs to be loosened and checked to make sure it goes on striaght and flush and remember there is that rubber chain guide on that housing check to see if maybe it got pinched and hold the housing out alittle because it wont take much to prevent the clutch pushrod from exstending far enough to completely disengauge the the cluchplates
 

FZ6R30073

New Member
Did the clutch worked fine and then changed right after you changed sprockets? If you removed the push lever assy on the left side above the sprocket, it is possible that you did not put it back on the right way. That is the lever that the other end of the clutch cable is attached to. To make sure, there is a mark on the edge of the lever and a mark on the body of the assy that is below the lever. These marks should not be aligned in normal position. Then as you push the lever towards the cable, (forward as if the cable were pulling it), it should start to feel hard to push when the marks align.... that is when the push rod starts to lift the clutch plates. If this is not correct, the clutch adjustment will not work. Fix this first if it is wrong. If it is wrong, I don't know if the clutch would even work at all.... so it doesn't really sound like th problem.... but make sure the marks look ok as described.
Ok, the lines are matched up without pulling the clutch lever in (couldnt push it lol). So I am disassembling it as we speak. Is there anything I should know?
Thank You!
 

FZ6R30073

New Member
Ok so how far do these marks need to be apart? And is it the silver part that is ahead of the black mark or the other way around? I believe I had a gap and that was the problem, but I'm having a problem getting the steel rod into the black housing.
 

Deanohh

New Member
Ok so how far do these marks need to be apart? And is it the silver part that is ahead of the black mark or the other way around? I believe I had a gap and that was the problem, but I'm having a problem getting the steel rod into the black housing.
Make them as far apart as it takes to get it back together. I don't know the colors of the marks, but the one on the lever would be forward of the one on the housing so that when the clutch cable pulls it (or you are pushing forward on the tip of the lever with your hand), you don't feel anything until the marks align, then it gets hard to push. If the marks line up when you put it on the bike, you are pushing on the clutch springs when you are trying to put the rod in. You might have to loosen the clutch cable adjustment to let the lever can get into position when you put the assy back on.... then adjust it the same way again as a last step.

Its hard to explain how exactly to do it but just think it through. The little lever on top that the cable is on turns the shaft that it is attached to. That shaft is a little cam that when it turns pushes the rod to operate the clutch. You want the lobe of that little cam behind the rod so that when you pull the cable, the little cam ramps up and pushes in on the rod. So the cam lobe has to start out "behind" the rod. The rod length has been already set so that the cam "lifts" the rod to where it just starts to push against the clutch springs at the position where the marks are lined up. Thats what you are feeling as resistance when the marks align. You don't want pressure on the rod all the time... thats why you set the hand lever to have some slack or free play to make sure to let the clutch completely engage.
 

FZ6R30073

New Member
Alright! Got good news! Got it fixed! I didnt have the black clutch housing plate on all the way. Probably was off by 1/8-1/16". Pulled it off, cleaned everything and put it back on, took me a while because I had to fight the metal bracket that goes between the engine housing and the bolt ports of the clutch housing. And you really gotta push it on their good!! Bike shifts like it's brand new!!! Lesson learned for sure!!!

Thank you all for all the inquiries and what not! I appreciate all the input!

Thanks!

Shane
 

tho9504

Member
I might be reviving an old thread, but i read some good information so far on this thread and wanted to see if i could get some comments / recommendations etc.

I just learned about the "marker" point for the clutch on the fairing side after reading this thread. Can you confirm from the pics below if mine is set normally? i did mess with the lever adjuster and it feels like slipping when i hit the throttle hard. i feels like i am dropping down a gear or two. My rpm jumps up and the bike screams. Also my gear indicator confirms i am in a lower gear. This only happens when i give it sudden fully throttle above 5k rpm.

Below are some pics i took with regards the "marker" with comment. is this the correct setting? Should i tighten the lever more or loosen it?
 

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Scott_Thomas

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Elite Member

tho9504

Member
Might be too much free play. Should measure about 1/4-3/8" movement measured from the end of the clutch lever. Too much slack and you won't disengage gears. Too little and you'll have problems engaging gears. Just right = :)
Un-fortunately, when i do adjust it to the recommended free play (1/4" - 3/8"), that is when the problem persists. if i tighten the screw adjuster almost all the way closewise (much more freeplay), then the it does Not slip, but i have a little trouble getting to neutral.

Maybe the previous owner (i bought it at 650 miles) messed with the lower adjusted at the fairing side? So, just to get it straight, if i pull my clutch in all the way, is it supposed to be aligned perfectly with the "marker" at the lower fairing side? Or is it suppose to be aligned at the end of the freeplay? Or is it supposed to be aligned when the clutch is not pulled in at all?

Everyone has the transmission working fine when it's in the recommended freeplay range, but in order for mine not to slip, i go to have it more than 0.50" ?? Could my clutch plates be burned already? The bike only has 750 miles on it so far?
 


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