Clutch help setup

[oldguy]

Need advice on my clutch setup, was mucking around on the bike the other day with it on the stand, I reset my levers in a more down ward position which I find a more natural position when standing, which I find also aids in my elbows being in a more outward and upward position when in a standing attack.
The thing I find is I cannot use one finger on the clutch lever as i cannot get enough leverage on the lever to engage disengage the clutch, this was a problem before I moved the levers.
What happens is when I pull the lever in it hits my other fingers, hanging on to the bars so the clutch wont disengage, so have to use all my fingers to operate clutch.
Another thing, I find it hard to slip the clutch when in tight sections as the lever is almost fully out before it engage/disengage when your only hanging on to the bar with your thumb.

[green machine]

Maybe you need to adjust it so the lever has less freeplay.....which will allow the clutch to engage earlier?.....does your clutch have a little wheel at the base of your clutch that winds in and out?

[oldguy]

Maybe you need to adjust it so the lever has less freeplay.....which will allow the clutch to engage earlier?

Have taken up all the free play still no luck, maybe my fingers are too fat,

[green machine]

Have taken up all the free play still no luck, maybe my fingers are too fat,

Well that's about as far as my knowledge of the clutch goes so i'm out of this one

[oldguy]

Well that's about as far as my knowledge of the clutch goes so i'm out of this one

cheers anyway mate, I find it had to put into words/explain.
Anywhoo hows that 450 lucky bugga

[barty5]

cheers anyway mate, I find it had to put into words/explain.
Anywhoo hows that 450 lucky bugga

can get different clutch lever set up 1 and 2 finger set ups i would have to check on costs though thinking bout gettin one for myself

[kezzafish]

i don't quite get it oldguy... you say the lever is almost right out to engage/disengage but you also say you have to pull it right in till it hits your fingers??

I always had to pull the clutch up to my other fingers on my SXF (i'm now bikeless!) and had little dents/bruises in my outer two fingers but only hurt if i thought about it so i just ran with it. Tried using two fingers on the clutch? does the lever hit the flat part of your finger or the knuckle that juts out?

[Brian d marge]

clutches are a combination of

Lever ratios
pressure of springs
radius of plates
Number of friction faces

So for example if you want less lever movement and same lever force , for same forces transmitted through clutch

you could add a plate or two

the lever force ( ie you want one finger action ) could be reduced by softer springs or a longer lever , but with longer lever you risk hitting the handlebars before disengagement

how about differently SHAPED levers so that the clear your fingers ?


Stephen

half way through 30 yr old Scottish whiskey from Speyside ,,,So hope above makes sense

[oldguy]

i don't quite get it oldguy... you say the lever is almost right out to engage/disengage but you also say you have to pull it right in till it hits your fingers??

I always had to pull the clutch up to my other fingers on my SXF (i'm now bikeless!) and had little dents/bruises in my outer two fingers but only hurt if i thought about it so i just ran with it. Tried using two fingers on the clutch? does the lever hit the flat part of your finger or the knuckle that juts out?

Basically, I have to almost pull the lever right in to the bars to disengage clutch, what I did try was moving the perch so the ball end of clutch lever was about centre of my hand grip, this gave me better leverage, instead of hanging on to the end of my bar to work the lever with my 2 fingers.

[oldguy]

can get different clutch lever set up 1 and 2 finger set ups i would have to check on costs though thinking bout gettin one for myself

keep us informed mate keen.

[scott411]

your bike is basically a kawasaki clutch lever set up, i have 2 fingers perminatly bent from riding these things for so long, you can get different clutch lever that has more of a sweep at the end,

[green machine]

cheers anyway mate, I find it had to put into words/explain.
Anywhoo hows that 450 lucky bugga

Oh mate....it is a fantastic piece of machinery,heading down to the Pumice Blast this weekend to test it out on those nice flowing trails,and i can't wait for the Mr Motorcycle trail rides to start

[Reckless]

Couple of ideas!

Heat and bend the lever out a bit (as long as you can still reach it)
Move the attachment on the lever at the gearbox closer to the spline so it has a sorter pull ratio (this will make it harder to pull though).
Maybe investigate new or shorter/tougher clutch springs??
Practice no load clutch less shifts and don't use it so much. To clutch it out of a corner/up a hill you don't need full disengage to keep the revs up.
Get Barty's fancy lever. Actually for some bikes they have a shorty version. They did for the CR250 so try aftermarket.
Buy a Ktm and get a Hydraulic one LOL!!!

Dunno if any will be the fix for you but just a few thoughts???

[Brian d marge]

Couple of ideas!

Heat and bend the lever out a bit (as long as you can still reach it)
Move the attachment on the lever at the gearbox closer to the spline so it has a sorter pull ratio (this will make it harder to pull though).
Maybe investigate new or shorter/tougher clutch springs??
Practice no load clutch less shifts and don't use it so much. To clutch it out of a corner/up a hill you don't need full disengage to keep the revs up.
Get Barty's fancy lever. Actually for some bikes they have a shorty version. They did for the CR250 so try aftermarket.
Buy a Ktm and get a Hydraulic one LOL!!!

Dunno if any will be the fix for you but just a few thoughts???

I went through the numbers on my old Cr , trying to get it like the modern four strokes, clutch wise

If you are reducing forces , levers and hence travel becomes longer

if you want softer then Longer or softer springs or both ,

or Add a friction plate

If you ever look at a Moto GP clutch , they can be very small dia , but with many plates and are as light ( lever feeling) as a feather

A lot of the time the middle plates stick together ( with resulting slip , so owners fit stronger springs) so on a lot of bike there is a soft belleview spring which stops this

Hydraulics are nice but lever travel comes back again I think some of the better ones you can swap ratios ..cant remember though

Stephen

[oldguy]

your bike is basically a kawasaki clutch lever set up, i have 2 fingers perminatly bent from riding these things for so long, you can get different clutch lever that has more of a sweep at the end,

haha be it a yellow one the lever idea sound good.

Couple of ideas!

Heat and bend the lever out a bit (as long as you can still reach it)
Move the attachment on the lever at the gearbox closer to the spline so it has a sorter pull ratio (this will make it harder to pull though).
Maybe investigate new or shorter/tougher clutch springs??
Practice no load clutch less shifts and don't use it so much. To clutch it out of a corner/up a hill you don't need full disengage to keep the revs up.
Get Barty's fancy lever. Actually for some bikes they have a shorty version. They did for the CR250 so try aftermarket.
Buy a Ktm and get a Hydraulic one LOL!!!

Dunno if any will be the fix for you but just a few thoughts???

cheers for the advice, may try different levers

i don't quite get it oldguy... you say the lever is almost right out to engage/disengage but you also say you have to pull it right in till it hits your fingers??

I always had to pull the clutch up to my other fingers on my SXF (i'm now bikeless!) and had little dents/bruises in my outer two fingers but only hurt if i thought about it so i just ran with it. Tried using two fingers on the clutch? does the lever hit the flat part of your finger or the knuckle that juts out?

Doing tight figure 8's I have too fully engage/disengage clutch to maintain momentum, others wise i will ass off. because I have to use all my fingers to operate the clutch lever, so don't have a comfortable grip on the bars.
if that make sense.

clutches are a combination of

Lever ratios
pressure of springs
radius of plates
Number of friction faces

So for example if you want less lever movement and same lever force , for same forces transmitted through clutch

you could add a plate or two

the lever force ( ie you want one finger action ) could be reduced by softer springs or a longer lever , but with longer lever you risk hitting the handlebars before disengagement

how about differently SHAPED levers so that the clear your fingers ?


Stephen

half way through 30 yr old Scottish whiskey from Speyside ,,,So hope above makes sense

cheers for the help. it does make sense