So I just went over 100 miles on my odometer today on my deluxe (the weather has been poor since I bought it but it got sunny yesterday and today).
Bike is great except for one thing: I noticed several times that when letting out the clutch in either 1st or 2nd, the clutch handle didn't return to it's full engaged position and would sit at 3/4 with the clutch not quite engaged. I then reengaged the clutch and let it out again and most times it would fully engage, only once did it only again go to 3/4.
I noticed there are numbers on a dial on the clutch lever and mine is set to 2 but I thought those were for adjusting total distance the handle goes out. I have not tried to adjust that dial as of yet.
This is clearly not normal. Does anyone else have any experience with this? Is it just a quick little adjustment I can make?
Being a hydraulic clutch, the clutch lever should return to the same point each time it is released. I would take the bike back to the dealer and have the system checked out. It may have some air trapped in the system which would need to be bled out. The numbers on the clutch lever are strictly for adjusting the lever for your preference for reach.
Thanks redbirds. Yeah, sounds like some air in the line is likely the cause.
Andy does it only happen in 1st and 2 nd as thread title suggests, but ok in 3rd thru 6 th?
The numerical dial on the levers is for adjusting span or reach to the blade. The smaller the number the further the span, and on my bike each number represents 1/8" difference
So, #1 on the dial would be say a 4" span, #2 on the dial would be 3 7/8" span and so on. If you decide to adjust yours, be sure and push them forward first to relieve pressure before moving the dial.
The span doesn't need adjusting as the current distance is fine at setting 2.
Yeah, it only seems to happen in 1st and 2nd gear. Maybe I'm my attempts to feather the clutch a bit at low speeds is causing it to misbehave. It sure feels like air in the lines (which should have occurred to me before I posted but oh well).
I can't imagine what would make it misbehave only in the first two gears> Did it just start happening? at any rate I would keep an eye on it and take it back to the dealer and ask them if it could use a clutch bleed if it continues.
(01-26-2015, 03:55 AM)AndyHe_imp Wrote: [ -> ]So I just went over 100 miles on my odometer today on my deluxe (the weather has been poor since I bought it but it got sunny yesterday and today).
Bike is great except for one thing: I noticed several times that when letting out the clutch in either 1st or 2nd, the clutch handle didn't return to it's full engaged position and would sit at 3/4 with the clutch not quite engaged. I then reengaged the clutch and let it out again and most times it would fully engage, only once did it only again go to 3/4.
I noticed there are numbers on a dial on the clutch lever and mine is set to 2 but I thought those were for adjusting total distance the handle goes out. I have not tried to adjust that dial as of yet.
This is clearly not normal. Does anyone else have any experience with this? Is it just a quick little adjustment I can make?
Sounds to me like something is binding in the mechanical portion or portions of the clutch such as the pressure plate lift rod, clutch springs, pressure plate itself or its shaft. I dont believe the hydrolics have anything to do with engagement, just disengagement unless one of the pistons is sticking upon return. Dont see any valving in the master or slave cylinders in the service manual in the exploded views. I think it may of been coincidental as far as what gears you were in.
(01-26-2015, 11:45 AM)fiscy_imp Wrote: [ -> ] (01-26-2015, 03:55 AM)AndyHe_imp Wrote: [ -> ]So I just went over 100 miles on my odometer today on my deluxe (the weather has been poor since I bought it but it got sunny yesterday and today).
Bike is great except for one thing: I noticed several times that when letting out the clutch in either 1st or 2nd, the clutch handle didn't return to it's full engaged position and would sit at 3/4 with the clutch not quite engaged. I then reengaged the clutch and let it out again and most times it would fully engage, only once did it only again go to 3/4.
I noticed there are numbers on a dial on the clutch lever and mine is set to 2 but I thought those were for adjusting total distance the handle goes out. I have not tried to adjust that dial as of yet.
This is clearly not normal. Does anyone else have any experience with this? Is it just a quick little adjustment I can make?
Sounds to me like something is binding in the mechanical portion or portions of the clutch such as the pressure plate lift rod, clutch springs, pressure plate itself or its shaft. I dont believe the hydrolics have anything to do with engagement, just disengagement unless one of the pistons is sticking upon return. Dont see any valving in the master or slave cylinders in the service manual in the exploded views. I think it may of been coincidental as far as what gears you were in.
Agreed. Looking at the Hydraulics should be done just in case, but I can't fathom why only first and second. Surely has to be mechanical. I'm with Redbirds and fiscy on this one. Check clutch for lever play before the hydraulics actuate in all gears. Engine off for a start. Is play the same for all gears? Is there any play at all? With the engine off does the clutch lever return to the same position when selecting all gears? If you are game to run the engine while the bike is secured on the centre stand try it with engine on. Idle RPM should be OK. Same results? The answer to these questions might give a clue to the source of the problem It is hard to diagnose by Internet. The dealer might have to look at it.
Cheers, and good luck with it.
(01-26-2015, 03:55 AM)AndyHe_imp Wrote: [ -> ]So I just went over 100 miles on my odometer today on my deluxe (the weather has been poor since I bought it but it got sunny yesterday and today).
Bike is great except for one thing: I noticed several times that when letting out the clutch in either 1st or 2nd, the clutch handle didn't return to it's full engaged position and would sit at 3/4 with the clutch not quite engaged. I then reengaged the clutch and let it out again and most times it would fully engage, only once did it only again go to 3/4.
I noticed there are numbers on a dial on the clutch lever and mine is set to 2 but I thought those were for adjusting total distance the handle goes out. I have not tried to adjust that dial as of yet.
This is clearly not normal. Does anyone else have any experience with this? Is it just a quick little adjustment I can make?
Greetings Andy,
Did you get your issue sorted? If so, what was the cause?
Cheers
Yes, I took it back to the dealer on Saturday ( a very chilly 35 degree foggy morning hour long drive ) and they test road it and found nothing wrong but did make sure the hydraulics were bled. I wasn't too surprised that they didn't notice it on their ride as it had stopped occurring after the first sixty or so miles. I put another 150 miles on the bike this weekend and didn't notice it occurring again so have concluded that it was probably air in the hydraulic line working it's way out.
It's working fine now and if the weather would get better, I'd be riding more. Back to rain so the bike is tucked away.