Clutch question

[redthunder]

So i've been unlucky this summer. I filled my tank on the 29th of May and it's still full. Did this to my finger on the 1st of June and needed surgery on it, then just after I got the cast off and pins removed from my hand I get landed in hospital with a kidney stone which required more surgery!  :'(


I've been out of a cast since 11th July and even with all the physio and rehab, my hand still isn't back to where I need it to be to use the bike properly - I can barely pull in my clutch. (Did I mention i'm only in my late 20's  :lol )


I ordered this part 2 weeks ago but apparently it's on a slow boat from the US and god knows when it will arrive.


My clutch is quite stiff, I sat on a friends dragstar 650 2 weeks ago and found his a lot easier to pull in and engage.


I'm hoping the easy pull system will change the feel of it completely but in the mean time until that arrives would fitting a new clutch cable and housing make it any less stiff to pull? Might be a stupid question but sure it doesn't hurt to ask! I'm also thinking of putting on a shorter lever so I only have to use my index and middle finger to pull it and avoid the broken piece of crap ring finger, does that make sense?


Thanks!

[His Dudeness]

a new cable might help but only if the one that's on the bike is worn. you could try oiling the cable you have before replacing it that should help. a shorter lever would require more effort to pull but if it avoids your broken finger it might help. you could look into getting lighter clutch springs too. that would probably make the biggest difference but I'd say you'd have to get them from another model bike

[darrsi]

Oiling and having it adjusted correctly at the lower end does make a difference, but also have a read of this post from a while back, it's worth having a go as well because it's something that you just wouldn't know about.


http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,10124...#msg105622

[darrsi]

I can't even get on my bike, i'm sitting at home bored shitless with a multiple fractured hip ball joint that i was walking about on at work, and lifting heavy stuff, thinking i had a trapped nerve.  :'( 


Was doing that for 9 weeks on painkillers before an MRI scan showed the damage.
2 x-rays didn't show anything up as the bone isn't displaced!

[redthunder]

I know your pain darrsi, i've been off work since the 1st of June and we've been having some spells of fantastic weather which I enjoyed indoors with a sweaty ass arm in a stupid ass cast with pins sticking out of my finger.!


I've had my fazer about 17 months now, only really done about 4k miles on it but I have no real idea of the history of it before I bought it so i'm not sure if/when the clutch cable was last changed/lubed! (I haven't lubed it during my ownership but i'll change that tomorrow)

[darrsi]

I know your pain darrsi, i've been off work since the 1st of June and we've been having some spells of fantastic weather which I enjoyed indoors with a sweaty ass arm in a stupid ass cast with pins sticking out of my finger.!


I've had my fazer about 17 months now, only really done about 4k miles on it but I have no real idea of the history of it before I bought it so i'm not sure if/when the clutch cable was last changed/lubed! (I haven't lubed it during my ownership but i'll change that tomorrow)

Definitely worth doing the trick in the the link though, it really made a difference.

[Punkstig]

Pull the sprocket cover off and give it a good clean/degrease

[redthunder]

I gave the cable a good lube there with some 3 in 1 spray (all I had to hand) and have it adjusted, it's definitely a little better.


I'll have to get some proper grease for the bearings behind the sprocket cover before I got at that - what would you recommend?

[darrsi]

I gave the cable a good lube there with some 3 in 1 spray (all I had to hand) and have it adjusted, it's definitely a little better.


I'll have to get some proper grease for the bearings behind the sprocket cover before I got at that - what would you recommend?

I had a can of white grease to hand so used that, which has worked fine and was easy to use from a spray can.
I gave the bearings a good spray with brake cleaner beforehand as well.

[paulchucky]

i have a what they call "easy clutch" somewhere in the toolbox that i had on an old dirt bike as the clutch needed arnold schwartznigger to pull it in lol  it made things a damn sight easier  it`s like a short cable into a lever mechanism etc thingy
if you want it i`ll dig it out for you

[darrsi]

i have a what they call "easy clutch" somewhere in the toolbox that i had on an old dirt bike as the clutch needed arnold schwartznigger to pull it in lol  it made things a damn sight easier  it`s like a short cable into a lever mechanism etc thingy
if you want it i`ll dig it out for you

He's actually ordered that, it's a link in his first post. 

[paulchucky]

[quote author=paulchucky link=topic=14423.msg163444#msg163444 date=1408564046]
i have a what they call "easy clutch" somewhere in the toolbox that i had on an old dirt bike as the clutch needed arnold schwartznigger to pull it in lol  it made things a damn sight easier  it`s like a short cable into a lever mechanism etc thingy
if you want it i`ll dig it out for you

He's actually ordered that, it's a link in his first post. 
[/quote]


was only trying to be helpfull  :\

[darrsi]

[quote author=darrsi link=topic=14423.msg163449#msg163449 date=1408566516]
[quote author=paulchucky link=topic=14423.msg163444#msg163444 date=1408564046]
i have a what they call "easy clutch" somewhere in the toolbox that i had on an old dirt bike as the clutch needed arnold schwartznigger to pull it in lol  it made things a damn sight easier  it`s like a short cable into a lever mechanism etc thingy
if you want it i`ll dig it out for you

He's actually ordered that, it's a link in his first post. 
[/quote]


was only trying to be helpfull  :\
[/quote]


I know mate, it's not a blatantly obvious link. 


Where exactly do you fit that little gadget out of curiosity?

[robin78842]

Where exactly do you fit that little gadget out of curiosity?

Take clutch cable off the hand clutch lever and fit it to the "Easy Clutch".  The cable coming out of the "Easy Clutch fits into the Hand lever....


Gearing inside the "Easy Clutch"  makes the effort to pull the clutch less.  Just like a pulley!!

[darrsi]

Where exactly do you fit that little gadget out of curiosity?

Take clutch cable off the hand clutch lever and fit it to the "Easy Clutch".  The cable coming out of the "Easy Clutch fits into the Hand lever....


Gearing inside the "Easy Clutch"  makes the effort to pull the clutch less.  Just like a pulley!!

So it just hangs down off the lever?

[redthunder]

Unbeknownst to me the easy pull had arrived in the post yesterday and was sitting in my post box all day while I fidgeted about lubing up my clutch cable. (I'm an idiot!)


Good news first: after lubing and adjusting cable yesterday I took it for a short spin. Felt good to be back on it but I reckon a lot of my gear changes on the road were clutchless, which is ok because I could manage it at lights stopping and taking off and that was my bigger worry.


Bad news was when trying to fit the easy pull this morning my helpful neighbour decided he would give me a hand and ended up breaking one of the cables provided with it (it comes with 2, one shorter, one longer) so I had to use the shorter.


Long story short I couldn't get it to work. Here's a picture: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yaffhukiiscch8...105547.jpg


So my clutch cable sits in the top slot and the cable from the easy pull sits beneath it and attaches to the clutch lever. Could get that far but.. there is no resistance on my own clutch cable housing to actually pull the cable and operate the clutch. I played around with it for a while and couldn't get it to work properly at all so I've left it for now - possibly for good.


I reckon a trip to local bike shop tomorrow pick up some gt85 grease in a can and have a look at behind the sprocket cover is my next step.

[darrsi]

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.co.uk/4...tch-system