Clutch random disengage.

Originally Posted by Serdna

What year is your SV out of interest? Mine is 2001

02

Originally Posted by daddyjob

check your oil level. ideally you want it half way between the two lines. too much oil causes pressure, and in turn the clutch starts to drag and makes it hard to change gear at low speeds and revs.

Tend to use clutchless especially at higher revs - very sweet on this machine btw - but to be honest gear changes are no problem with or without the clutch, the problem is only ever manifest when stopped in gear, and then not always.

I'd have thought if there was a basket issue I would be having more problems and not such a specific issue :dunno:

I'll go through the checklist ie adjustment, lubed cable, oil levels, worm drive. Last time I had a dekko I did notice the oil level was on the generous side, but not grossly - I wouldn't have thought being at the high level marker was enough to kick this off but seems like it is known to contribute.

I've had this problem, bike wants to move forward and if you try and get neutral it just goes up and down between first and second without seeming to want to stop at N itself. In my case it was also somewhat difficult to get the bike to come out of 1st when pointing uphill.

The cause was an improperly adjusted clutch cable, I'll be having to do it again soon as well.

The signs of a notched clutch basket is there being no bite in the clutch even with the lever let out.

Originally Posted by Dopelgaenger

I've had this problem, bike wants to move forward and if you try and get neutral it just goes up and down between first and second without seeming to want to stop at N itself. In my case it was also somewhat difficult to get the bike to come out of 1st when pointing uphill.

The cause was an improperly adjusted clutch cable, I'll be having to do it again soon as well.

The signs of a notched clutch basket is there being no bite in the clutch even with the lever let out.

Alll the occurences of these symptoms I have found is a notched or worn basket. The clutch actuator moves as it should even when adjusted correctly but the plates in the clucth do not separate with the engine running due to them not being free to move along the splines of the clutch hub or being held by notches in the basket. This gives enough drag to prevent clean selection of neutral. It is simple to check, lean the bike over to the left or drain your oil, remove your clutch cover the basket can be seen and any wear. to check the splined hub simply remove th end cover ad springs then the clutch plates, keeping them in order!! and the hub can be seen.
Any small notches can be removed by light emery paper it is amazing how a small wear groove can prevent smooth operation of the clutch.

I had this problem with my old curvy after I changed the oil to 15/50w before a summer trip. I stripped out the clutch and found that the plates were suspiciously dry ! after much research I found that the oil feed to keep plates nice and wet comes from the center ( where the push rod pokes through) , the oil delivery rate is controlled by an oil jet (restriction) somewhere down near the oil pump. Not enough of the 15/50w oil was getting to the plates and hence it started to drag after a while, I changed oil again to OE specification and problem disappeared . Fraser

Blimey.

A good long list of suggestions to work on. Nowt wrong with that, I'll go through the list from oil level to basket.


I don't know if this is related, but when I picked the bike up it was one of the last hot London days, traffic aplenty. I stopped off for a cuppa coming out of town, the bike was hot, and I noticed a tell tale patch on the ground - insepction revealed a little oil seepage from the clutch cover. The little O ring seal that runs in a grove around the cirumferance appeared to be seated correctly, but because I had a long journey ahead on an unknow quantity with an as yet unsolved oil leak, I dipped into the emergency supply bag for a tube of instant gasket and applied it. Since which time we've been dry. The slightly odd aspect of this is that the O ring looked OK, I'm wondering if a bit of oil isn't making its way through via another seal up the line. No oil is escaping and there is plenty on board, it just occurred to me that the initial spill might be related to the disengage issue, but it seems to minor an issue to be causing a problem.

Originally Posted by davegixer1300r

a notched or worn basket.

Been a bit busy, but everything else bar worm drive issue has been eliminated from inquiries... they're next on the list.

It has to be that or the basket, will examine the plates etc into the bargain. Mate had identical symptoms with Gix 750, it was the clutch basket, he's convinced its the same issue. BTW the symptoms have been gradually getting worse...

Update.

Worm drive fine. Every other possible scenario has been checked.

Clutch plates look a bit grim, like they've overheated at some stage, but good oil supply.

Basket has tiny markings, you'd accept it as a used condition basket. I've ridden worse with no problem.

Because my problem only occures when the bike warms up, it points to the plates I reckon.

Basket clean up and new plates? Just new plates? I reckon its a good two hours of careful work with the basket, had not Gix suggested this I'd never say such minor markings could cause the problem...

A bit stumped as to what to do next. Repeat: it has to be basket or plate related (or both), everything else hunky dory.

Good to hear you are getting to the bottom of it, ill be doing this in the coming weeks. Interested to see the result.

Originally Posted by saintnick

Update.

Worm drive fine. Every other possible scenario has been checked.

Clutch plates look a bit grim, like they've overheated at some stage, but good oil supply.

Basket has tiny markings, you'd accept it as a used condition basket. I've ridden worse with no problem.

Because my problem only occures when the bike warms up, it points to the plates I reckon.

Basket clean up and new plates? Just new plates? I reckon its a good two hours of careful work with the basket, had not Gix suggested this I'd never say such minor markings could cause the problem...

A bit stumped as to what to do next. Repeat: it has to be basket or plate related (or both), everything else hunky dory.

Yep my sons basket only had small marks but it was enough to cause the drag you say you re experiencing especially when warm. It will trash your plates as it never really clears when you are sat in gear with the clutch fully in even when adjusted correctly as the plates cannot seperate. Like you say careful work to polish out the marks is how we got round it. the same bike is road retired and is now thrashed as a track bike with the same clutch and basket and she is fine.

Dave.