[kyle17428]

I have an issue- when I bought my bike and rode it, the clutch wouldn't fully disengage (as in, when I pull the lever the engine is still pulling the bike) and I couldnt adjust it within a reasonable amount of play. So I assumed I had a streched cable and paid the 15 bucks for a new one. I installed the new one, followed the same path as the original, and had the same exact problem!:doh:
how do I fix this? as it is now, I cant even get into neutral with the bike running, which sucks. I asked my local professional and he said that the cable is probably routed wrong; but fixing it for me was too small of a job for him.
so, does anyone have a 88-97 kat 600 and have a sec to tell/show me how the clutch cable is routed?

 

[piester]

a little more info would help. has the bike sat for a while? was the clutch ever changed? how much play is in the clutch lever before it hits the tension of the cable?

 

[kyle17428]

a little more info would help. has the bike sat for a while? was the clutch ever changed? how much play is in the clutch lever before it hits the tension of the cable?

well i just bought the bike. I know it was ridden last season, but the off season for bikes here is extremely long so it probably sat a while. I know the battery was dry as a bone when I got it. also, the old cable looked like it was in perfect condition when I changed it. It feels as if the cable is too long, there is no play in the lever at all, but how could this happen twice in a row?

 

[kyle17428]

*update*
I found someone on the katriders forum with the same issue. I noticed that they meantioned that they had recently changed their oil, as have I. Could having too much oil cause this?

 

[piester]

too much oil wouldnt do anything like that. i run about a half quart too much oil personally but thats because i do a lot of wheelies lol. hm. id suggest checking all of the adjustments for the clutch as per the manuals recommendation and if that doesnt work maybe drop the oil and pull the clutch out. look for anything that could be causing the clutch to stick

 

[Shifty Rabbid]

There cable isn't too long if there's no play in it, perhaps too short. Have you tried adjusting both ends of it to give it some slack to find that nice little deadzone at full lever extension? Maybe I'm just misinterpreting here.

 

[kyle17428]

There cable isn't too long if there's no play in it, perhaps too short. Have you tried adjusting both ends of it to give it some slack to find that nice little deadzone at full lever extension? Maybe I'm just misinterpreting here.

well here's what I did:
1. changed oil and filter (needed to anyways)
2. removed clutch cable and routed it in a way that was most sensible, slightly different than the way it was before.
3. found that perfect "dead zone" that you speak of. years of riding dirt-bikes has made me pretty good at this.

doing all that helped, dramatically. also, while i had the sprocket off i used some chain lube on the part on the case that engages the clutch. not sure if that made a difference.

so, all that made a huge difference. but it's still not perfect. It bangs when I put it into gear, between first and second, and I cant get to neutural at a stop with the engine running. maybe some more fine tuning? any suggestions?

 

[piester]

more fine tuning, yes. for now while your riding try rocking the bike forward when you are putting it in neutral

 

[ROBBO]

might have some plates stickin together mate .Yer probably gonna have to pop off tha cluch cover and strip out tha basket there .Not dificult fer sure ya can do that real easy .

 

[kyle17428]

might have some plates stickin together mate .Yer probably gonna have to pop off tha cluch cover and strip out tha basket there .Not dificult fer sure ya can do that real easy .

Yeah, never had to do this. If I do should I just replace the whole clutch while I'm in there?

 

[fallguy]

If the metal plates look like they've been heated to much or the fiber plates look bad,then yes I would replace it

 

[fieldarcher]

possibly a silly question but what oil are you using, some oils can cause drag.

 

[Mustapha dump]

Check the basket where the tangs of the plates engage, if these have worn and become notchy then this can cause the plates to stay together. If needs be dress the basket up with a needle file and remove any notchy marks, if it is too far gone the a new basket will be required.

 

[kyle17428]

possibly a silly question but what oil are you using, some oils can cause drag.

The first time, castrol 10w-40, second time quaker state 10w-40.

 

[fieldarcher]

is the oil bike specific or general use, car oils do not work well with wet clutches, they either slip or drag.

 

[kyle17428]

is the oil bike specific or general use, car oils do not work well with wet clutches, they either slip or drag.

I.... did not know that.... :doh:

 

[fieldarcher]

I.... did not know that.... :doh:

Just a thought as you had said you had changed the oil.

 

[Shifty Rabbid]

Hah. I always figured it was just a gimmick to charge 4-5x the price for a quart of oil. I still bought it just to be safe, but was never sure what the difference was.

 

[kyle17428]

Hah. I always figured it was just a gimmick to charge 4-5x the price for a quart of oil. I still bought it just to be safe, but was never sure what the difference was.

Thats what I always thought as well.

 

[RatFighter]

Jacked from the Mobile 1 website:

Question:

Difference Between Car and Motorcycle Oils

What is the difference from motorcycle oil than car oil?



Answer:

Motorcycle oils and passenger car oils are very similar, with the exception of a couple of areas that are key to motorcycle operation. The first area concerns common sumps, or the use of motor oil, to lubricate and cool the transmission. As you know, in a passenger car the transmission is lubricated by an ATF fluid, which has frictional properties required for transmission operation. In a motorcycle, where the transmission may be lubricated by the engine oil, an engine oil that does not have the same level of friction modification (for fuel economy) of a typical passenger car engine oil will provide better transmission performance in terms of transmission lock-up and slippage. So motorcycle engine oil does not contain the friction modifiers of a passenger car engine oil. The second area of concern for motorcycle engine oils is that they tend to shear (breakdown viscosity) more quickly than a typical passenger car. Mobil 1 motorcycle oils are designed to provide exceptional protection against viscosity loss.