Date: 28-03-24  Time: 09:39 am

Author Topic: Clutch cable adjustment  (Read 3931 times)

JD-LincsUK

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Clutch cable adjustment
« on: 28 February 2016, 09:40:42 am »
I've just put a new cable onto my Gen1 Fazer, but the settings in the service manual seem way too slack.

The free play is shown as 10-15mm. Once I'd got everything on and slack taken up, I had 9mm at the lever. At this point I tested the bike on the centrestand.

In neutral the wheel is spinning pretty fast - it does stop with a finger. In 1st gear, it spins a hell of a lot faster, with the clutch lever pulled all the way in. In 2nd it carries on at the same sort of speed, but still stops with a finger pressure - and spins up again immediately I let it.

I slackened the cable off a couple of mm but it made no difference (and why would it, when the cable is completely slack?).

Is it normal to have this amount of wheel spin both in neutral and in gear, with the clutch lever in?

It's been clunky since I got it, and I assumed this was normal, as apart from a stiff lever (which I now know was due to a cacked-up cable) there have been no big issues with it.

It's getting a 48,000 service next month, so I'm not massively concerned as I'm sure they will adjust it correctly, but it is a little worrying, nevertheless.

TiA
« Last Edit: 28 February 2016, 09:42:15 am by JD-LincsUK »

PieEater

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Re: Clutch cable adjustment
« Reply #1 on: 28 February 2016, 10:29:14 am »
To borrow a phrase I think you need to ride more and worry less.

Adjusting a clutch cable according to settings in a service manual is new to me, in all my years of biking I have managed perfectly adequately by setting the bite point to where I feel comfortable with it whilst ensuring there is sufficient slack to avoid clutch slip. As this is a personal thing depending on your own preferences and affected by the gloves you use having someone else do this is unlikely to give the best results for you.

I appreciate that you are concerened but as long as the new cable has been routed correctly so that the inner can move freely in both directions by hand then you won't be experiencing any 'problems' that were not already there. I've experienced the rear wheel spinning in neutral and / or with the clutch engaged on pretty much every bike I've owned the Gen1 is no exception.

The clunkiness can be helped by having the correct chain slack which is a little looser than a lot of other bikes at 45-55mm. Fresh oil and lubricating the gear change linkage can also help to an extent.

Hope that helps.

slappy

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Re: Clutch cable adjustment
« Reply #2 on: 28 February 2016, 10:30:38 am »
There should be another adjuster on the right hand side of the engine, use this to adjust it first and then just use the handle bar adjuster to fine tune so it feels right for you, I have never bothered about measuring the free play on any bike I have owned, I have just adjusted it till it feels right for me.
When I had my gen1 the back wheel always spun slowly at tickover on the centre stand and my gen2 does the same.

JD-LincsUK

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Re: Clutch cable adjustment
« Reply #3 on: 28 February 2016, 04:00:04 pm »
Thanks for your replies. I ended up using what felt right (about 6-7mm) and the bike has been transformed. I adjusted with the input end and left the lever wheel screwed in all the way, as per Haynes.

It's like a different bike now - really pleased I did this. Missus is really pleased, too, as she reckons the ride is a lot smoother now.

I was just concerned as I didn't want to shag anything up due to doofiness.  :lol

If soldily clunking into gear is normal for these, that's fine.

PaulSmith

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Re: Clutch cable adjustment
« Reply #4 on: 01 March 2016, 01:11:13 pm »
There are two adjusters on the cable and they can be used to do different jobs. The handle is used to adjust reach, the engine is used to adjust bite point. The way I was shown was to set the adjuster on the handle roughly in the middle then adjust the bite point of the clutch with the adjuster on the engine so that the clutch starts to engage just after the slack is taken up. The handle is then adjusted until the reach is comfortable. Doing it this way also means that you can loosen the handle connector to disconnect the cable for lubing without having to adjust the bite point again afterwards.

PieEater

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Re: Clutch cable adjustment
« Reply #5 on: 01 March 2016, 01:33:07 pm »
There are actually 3 adjustment points the third is in the middle of the cable see Pat's guide for clutch adjustment - http://www.cartestsoftware.com/fz1/clutchcableadjustment.html