Clutch Not Completely Disengaging

[Phail]

I finally fixed my clutch problem today. While building some new 1" bars I swapped out my clutch lever. Now I can find neutral and shifting works awesome.

I picked it up from Trumpnut/Ace Cycles in Sparks/Reno. I still need to get an adapter for the slug, but it's working awesome!

 

[Carmine]

1980 Yamaha SX650 Special - I have problems shifting the bike into neutral and I find that the clutch does NOT fully disengage when in first. I spoke to a senior Yamaha mechanic who told me that these two problems are inherent to the Yamaha xs650. Even when new, these bikes had these two issues. Nothing really can be done about it. Just adjust the clutch as much as possible, but these two problems cannot be eliminated completely.

 

[5twins]

Well, the hard to find neutral is pretty common. Best solution there is to pop it into neutral while the bike is still rolling, before you come to a complete stop. Complete disengagement in 1st can be accomplished if you set the adjustment tight enough. The manual tells you to screw the adjuster for the worm down on the left side cover in until it makes light contact, then back it off 1/4 turn. Most of us only back it off maybe 1/8 turn at most. We also run the adjuster up on the lever quite tight, with virtually no freeplay in the lever. These settings should be done cold. More play in the lever will develop after the bike is started and begins to warm up. That's the big issue with these. The clutch pushrods are steel and the engine cases are aluminum. The cases expand with heat more than the steel rods so more freeplay develops as the engine gets hot. If you don't have the clutch set fairly tight cold, you'll end up having too much freeplay once things get hot. Then you may possibly experience clutch dragging in 1st, the hard to find neutral problem will be even worse, and shifting may even become more difficult.

 

[Ralph Koch]

The trick to finding neutral when it is hot. Do not stop before trying to find neutral, do it while it is still rolling and when going from second to neutral i tap, and not push, the gear lever, more often than not it will find first if i push down on the gear lever.

Same here, can’t go from 1st to neutral, have to got into 2nd and then light tap will drop it into neutral. Too hard a tap and it will go back to first

 

[Kevin Werner]

I finally fixed my clutch problem today. While building some new 1" bars I swapped out my clutch lever. Now I can find neutral and shifting works awesome.

I picked it up from Trumpnut/Ace Cycles in Sparks/Reno. I still need to get an adapter for the slug, but it's working awesome!

This seems the solution. A clutch lever with more travel. Pity that Pfail's info seems lost.

 

[gggGary]

The early shorter arm worm gear helps a bit. At a stop, slightly let out clutch til the bike eases forward an inch or two, pull it back in (the bike will roll back) then tap the lever. This squeezes the oil out reducing drag and kinda unloads the gear dogs.
The 80 up clutches with the half plate might act a bit different, mebby worse for neutral.

 

[GLJ]

This seems the solution. A clutch lever with more travel. Pity that Pfail's info seems lost.

Magura levers have more travel.

 

[GLJ]

http://www.xs650.com/threads/magura-clutch-lever-and-aluminum-pushrod.56574/

 

[BowlingSS]

http://www.xs650.com/threads/magura-clutch-lever-and-aluminum-pushrod.56574/

Are you still selling the pushrods?
Thanks.
Bill

 

[GLJ]

Are you still selling the pushrods?
Thanks.
Bill

I don't have any ready right now. When I do I will let you know.