Stalls when I put it in gear.

Hi gents...

Im having EXACTLY the same problems as OP. Stripped clutch down and checked that I have movement etc...checked adjustment and bearings...new worm gear etc etc....but put it into first amd it jumps and stalls...only time anything changed was I wiped the plates etc with degreaser to remove oil and put everything back together...adjusted clutch as per manual....started and perfect...slipped into first...no movement or stalling...for about a minute then i started to feel tugging forward and then it died
 
Sure sign of clutch adjustment moonman. As these motors heat up, the tolerances close up, tightening the clutch. You have to find the happy medium. Unfortunately, it comes with a cost. The ellusive phantom neutral. One if my bikes is just on the edge of pulling forward ingear, clutch lever pulled, and still able to find neutral. Keep hunting on the lower adj. you will find it.
 
+1 I'm dealing with the same symptoms.

I think Stella knew I received a new clutch cable for Christmas and was unhappy that I'd put it on the shelf for Soon. She wanted that cable Now.

In the meantime, while the new one gets oiled and I wait for some free time, I'm playing with the adjustment of the old one. Thankfully, I got pretty close with it last night and I was able to get home from work. Barely (maybe an eighth) backed off from the point of first resistance seemed to do it for me.
 
I adjust cold. 1/8th backed off the screw. I don't have a problem with neutral being elusive.
 
Well, so far I have found that the p.o. put both ball bearings on front of the smaller push rod plus another one between the longer rod and the smallest one. Could this be the problem?
 
That would be a spacing/clearance issue for installing the side cover, but not a dis-engagement problem?
 
Idk, I switched it back the way it should be and I reinstalled the old Phillips bolts instead of the Allen heads that I purchased. They are the same length and same shoulder as the Phillips but for some reason, I switched those two things and now it is working properly. Thank you all so much for your advice and knowledge. I really appreciate it.
 
These clutches need as much plate separation as possible. I used to do the screw adjustment back off at the worm gear, but nowadays
I don't back off at all. Same up at the hand lever....................I leave almost no gap at all. Of course all of this done cold.
 
I set my clutch at the worm until I see the lever move. I dont back off anymore. Then adjust the lever. Otherwise, after its up to temp, it gets hard to shift.
 
Not so long ago there was a thread called "Clutch Adjustment". In this thread Weekendrider (Entry 3) and 5twins (Entry 6) talk about how they set up the clutch cable at the hand lever perch. I agree fully with what they say because there is considerable expansion taking place in the first fews minutes of starting an XS650. Out of curiosity I took their ideas and tested them to see just how much this expansion affects the setting at the handle bar perch and was absolutely stunned by the results. I documented my findings in the same thread in Entry 10.

The result of this is that if you adjust the gap at the clutch lever perch to feel perfect when cold it will be completely wrong once the bike has idled for a couple of minutes. As the engine warms and expansion takes place you will find the clutch lever is too loose (i.e. the gap at the perch will be too great) and you will be unable to fully activate the clutch. The result will be the bike lurching forward when you put it in gear and it will be very very difficult to get into neutral. You may also find the bike wants to keep pulling forward like an automatic car at the traffic lights when in 1st Gear with the clutch lever pulled fully in.

So when the engine is truly cold set the gap at the perch to no more than about 2mm and possibly even 0mm. Above you will see that retiredgentleman also goes for close to zero gap.

Best of luck.
 
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Hey guys, one more slight problem. It is going in gear like it should be but now it is very hard to get out of gear. Is this normal with new plates?
Reduce the adjustment at the worm gear and at the hand lever to almost zero gap. You will get more plate separation and should be easy to shift out of gear i.e. first to neutral.

If you think you have a strong left hand, you can drill a new hole in the actuating lever down at the worm gear to give more plate separation. That is what I have done. If you want more details, just ask.
 
Thanks retired gentleman, I have it adjusted to almost zero gap but it is still getting stuck in gear. Is it because I adjusted it cold and did not readjust it when it's warm?
 
No, you don't want to set it when it's warm. Parts will be expanded and then when it cools down, there will be too much play. Maybe your new clutch plates are a bit "fat" and just need to bed in some.

But, I'll run through my clutch adjustment procedure. As mentioned, you want to do this cold and you want the adjustment set up rather snug. It won't remain this way long once you start the motor. As things begin to warm up, more free play will develop. Setting it snug cold is the best way not to end up with too much play when hot. So, start by turning the adjuster at the handlebar all the way in. Put as much play in the cable as you can. Now go down to the adjuster screw on the worm and set it. Turn it in until it's snug. Now "fan" the clutch lever while continuing to tighten the screw. By that I mean pull it in until you feel resistance and release. Don't pull it in all the way to the bar and disengage the clutch, just pull it through the available free play. Do this repeatedly. What you're doing here is "stacking" all the clutch push rods and balls together tightly. You may get as much as another 1/4 turn in on the worm adjuster screw while doing this. Now back that screw out the 1/8 turn and lock it down. Then go back up to the hand lever and final adjust there if need be. "Fanning" the clutch level is an important step in this process and will give you the snuggest setting possible without being too tight.
 
I misspoke slightly. If you set it snug hot then it may end up too tight when things cool down and the parts contract.
 
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