09-18-2015, 11:57 AM
(09-18-2015, 04:05 AM)kmoney_imp Wrote: All the clunk is is the gearbox and drive train losing all its combined slack when first gear is engaged. Because of the wet clutch, the drag on the plates from the oil ensures our clutch is never truely 100% released. On cable clutches you could just adjust it tighter so that it released the plates more when you pulled in, but not so much on our hydraulic system.
Bleeding the clutch can help a bit (assuming there has been enough time for small amounts of air to get in) setting the adjustable levers to their farthest position can also give you a tiny bit more pull, but otherwise it's unavoidable.
It's not like our bikes (or any bikes for that matter) make enough power at idle to beat on the drive train that hard anyway.
+1 If you watch the chain while shifting from neutral to first, you can see this in action.
I've had a similar 1st gear "clunk" on every chain drive bike I've owned. My CB750 is actually a bit clunkier than the CB11.
I recall this question popping up routinely over on the old Nighthawk forum. Mostly from folks that were used to shaft drive bikes that had a lot less slack in the drive train.