shifting

[david lee]

what would make it hard to get neutral from 1st on a 5sp with everything adjusted right. thanks

[Hossamania]

Some just do it. Try revving the motor a bit when stopped with the clutch in, it should break the clutch plates loose and let you find neutral.

[Burnout]

Clutch release mech not correctly adjusted
Dragging clutch
Primary chain too tight
Too much primary lube
Primary lube too heavy
warped clutch plates
broken clutch plates
Clutch springs not same
Broken clutch spring
Clutch release limited (easy pull, wrapped grips or levers)

[david lee]

thank all. my mate whos a mc mech -jap bikes,bled the hydro clutch, adjusted the pushrod said it feels good. started it up put it in 1st and could not get neutral. you can click thru all the gears and neutral with ease when not going. it also changes smoothly when ridden

[76shuvlinoff]

I bought my shovel 28 years ago and was quickly conditioned to clicking neutral as I was rolling to a stop.  I played with all kinds of primary chain tension and clutch tricks.  For other reasons I swapped the 4 speed for a 5 speed in a 4 case, still had a tough neutral.  some guys get it but I just never got my head around the 4 speed clutch.

When I put the 93"er in it my adjustment window got tiny. I tried every trick clutch "fix" on the books except the aluminum pressure plate. I eventually went to a Rivera Pro Clutch.  Sometimes I have to slightly blip the throttle if I want neutral while sitting but that clutch is still night and day from the stocker.   Actually, the shovel shifts better and more quietly than my 12 EG.

FYI.... Even on the TC I often catch myself going for neutral as I roll in, conditioning.   At a stop I find I get neutral on the TC  with a light tap from my heel. If I use my toe I overshoot it. 

[72fl]

I'm with Mark as I took his suggestion and put a Rivera Pro in my 72 as I was fed up with taking the clutch plates in and out adjusting all the adjustments 3-4 times ariding season. Mine would pull you at a stop sign no matter what I tried, I tried the Ramjet and all the other Fixes, Guess What ? Yep you guessed it None of them worked, but when I got the Rivera, Shifts Like a Hot knife through Butter. Smoooooooooth

[Racepres]

Clutch Adjustment and Engagement/Performance is Critical

[kd]

I use the heel trick lots.

Sometimes I drop it into first and put light pressure up on the lever and give it a tiny blip on the throttle. It shifts on the decel after the blip. I see that as a sign of wet clutch plates and surface tension from the oil because I know my adjustment is mechanically sound.

[david lee]

I use the heel trick lots.

Sometimes I drop it into first and put light pressure up on the lever and give it a tiny blip on the throttle. It shifts on the decel after the blip. I see that as a sign of wet clutch plates and surface tension from the oil because I know my adjustment is mechanically sound.

so what your saying is because of oil on the plates they are sticking together thanks

[kd]

In my experience (provided the clutch is properly adjusted) that's usually the cause.  Primaries are oil infested environments.  Clutch discs WILL be contaminated with lube oil. For that reason many (myself included) will run a reduced primary oil level to prevent this from occurring in a big way. Very often this problem happens when primaries are at their max level or over filled.  If you take two clutch discs or something that can represent 2 clutch discs (2 pieces of glass) and wet them with oil, place them together and try to separate them, you will notice they tend to stick together.  They will still spin between each other but not want to separate.  That's surface tension created by the oil film.  Remember that one steel clutch disc is tabbed to the hub and the other fiber to the basket. The space between the fiber pads on most clutch discs allows the oil to expel with centrifugal force to minimize this effect..   

Like Hoss described, if you release the clutch (pull in the lever) this tension keeps the steels and fibers spinning together causing drag and the transmission remains engaged because the clutch doesn't fully release enough.  Holding the clutch lever in and giving the throttle a blip will cause them to release from the surface tension and the transmission will stop spinning.  At that point the short neutral shift (which is actually between 2 gears) works better.  It then becomes easy to shift past neutral so it's a learned feel.  Like 76, I find a light tap with my heel on the heel shifter is easier for me than lifting my toe just right.  Otherwise I will put a light lift pressure under the toe shifter and when I blip the throttle the lever will click into neutral (provided I don't lift to hard and go right past).

[FSG]

adjusted the pushrod

I'd be checking that again

[david lee]

adjusted the pushrod

I'd be checking that again

im out of action at the moment due to a broken left foot so a trike test ride is not possible.what he did was adjust the pushrod till it just seats and back it out half a turn.i would have thought a quarter of a turn would have been sufficent if not less the problem seems to arose after sitting for a couple of months thanks

[kd]

If sitting for an extended period made it worse, you should probably remove, clean and inspect the clutch discs.  It'll give you the opportunity to do a total proper readjustment and then you'll know exactly what you are dealing with.

[a_disalvo]

I have found that drilling the holes in the clutch disc 1/64" bigger has helped, don't know why, but it does, especially if there are grooves in the hub stems. Frank

[david lee]

If sitting for an extended period made it worse, you should probably remove, clean and inspect the clutch discs.  It'll give you the opportunity to do a total proper readjustment and then you'll know exactly what you are dealing with.

ive thought about doing that too,to me its a plate problem

[FSG]

the problem seems to arose after sitting for a couple of months

plate problem   

[david lee]

the problem seems to arose after sitting for a couple of months

plate problem   

thanks so disassemble and clean ?