Adjusting clutch play

Hi all,

Thanks for your sterling newbie advice previously. Have done an Oil change, battery charge and a few minutes of minor tinkering to ensure a smooth bike running.

Apolgies if this has been on here before (I did search), but the bike sometimes struggles to slide easily into first gear - both from a standing start. I pull the clutch lever right back to the bars, but still it won't slip in perfectly - I hear a fluttering sound (not a horrid grinding sound).

I assume that all I need to do is to raise the clutch 'action' as I assume that when the clutch is fully depressed it's still rubbing against 1st gear - If I do this, will this sort the problem out...?

From the service manual, adjusting the clutch seems a pretty easy job too. Hope so!

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

[yorkie_chris]

How much play is there in clutch lever?

Well, shifting from say 3rd to 4th I can pull it back so it's about an inch from the bars and it will shift with no issues, sliding it into first it's pulling it right back to the bar and there's still a tiny amount of clicking...

This only happens intermittently as well.

It's a confusing one!

According to Haynes, there should be between 10 - 15mm freeplay in the lever before the clutch begins to engage.

Check the freeplay with a ruler against the lever, if the freeplay is too much undo the locknut on the cable by the lever and screw the adjuster next to it away from the lever to reduce freeplay. If you run out of adjustment on the lever, you need to adjust from the other end of the cable by the front sprocket...

Hope this helps - I adjusted my lever to 10mm last week and the shifting is mch smoother now

Lovig the Haynes manual, will have a look tomorrow now I guess (blooming dark evening and lack of a garage conspiring against me and the SV

Many people forget the most important adjustment is actually at the actuating leaver/mechanism, NOT the clutch leaver itself.

take the excess slack up at the bar leaver, sure, but if it doesn't resolve your issues, then take a look at the actuating mechanism (under the front sprocket cover). The destructions of how to adjust are in the manual. Its the starting angle of the actuating leaver that is most critical.

When my bike is cold, the clutch drags a fair bit (with the engine OFF and COLD, if I put it in first and try and push the bike (leaver in) then it is hard to push the bike ... do the same thing when the bike is hot and it is much easier to push! ).

I know this is a bit of an old thread, but I'm having a similar problem, bike had been dropped very slow speed and a f**ny sitting on it... wasn't me honest....

anyway clutch was fine before i changed clutch leaver, now with new lever, clutch really dragging, impossible to put it in gear without back wheel spinning?? I've tried adjusting it right up & loosing it off, no joy...

[Sid Squid]

Adjust the clutch as per previous advice - messing with the cable adjuster does just that - adjusts the cable, not the clutch.