clutches? changing the gear

[takethis]

hi, i have a suzuki fxr150
i found out it's really hard to shift gears, it's kinda stiff
and when i stop at traffic light, i can't shift to neutral
and the bike is trying to move forward even tho i m holding my clutch
any1 know wats going on?
any solutions or any good bike shop can hav a look at my bike?
i live central auckland
cheers

[James Deuce]

You probably need to adjust your clutch cable. Sounds like it's wound in past the take up point.

[SimJen]

Yeah cable misadjusted or worn clutch plates.
Cable is easy fix, clutch is a little trickier.

[ManDownUnder]

Adjusting your clutch cable is a doddle... there will be a nut (or similar) on a threaded "bolt" at one end of the cable, Sometimes at the handlebar - sometimes at the engine end.

Wind that nut up or down to ease the clutch (take a note of how much you wind it - start of with just one turn).

Check to see if it's better or worse, and if worse, take it back one turn so you know where you were.

Loosen it off so it'll slip into gear "as it should" but not too much. If you go overboard the clutch will slip under heavy load. Test this by riding along in top, gear, pul the clutch in, put a few revs on the engine (4 or 5 thousand?) and drop the clutch. If it slips you'll need to back that clutch cable off a bit.

You're looking for a balance point where it changes into gear and doesn't tug at the lights, but also not slip under load.

MDU

[Flyingpony]

hi, i have a suzuki fxr150
i found out it's really hard to shift gears, it's kinda stiff
and when i stop at traffic light, i can't shift to neutral
and the bike is trying to move forward even tho i m holding my clutch
any1 know wats going on?
any solutions or any good bike shop can hav a look at my bike?
i live central auckland
cheers

How many km have you done?

I'm guessing you can't slip into neutral from either first or second. If so you're clutch cable needs adjustment. Basically, read your owners manual, there should be a cm or bit slack (similar to front brake lever) and the clutch should start to disengage shortly there after when pulling it in. When releasing the clutch lever, it should bite around half-way out and definitely not close up with the handle grip.

With engine idling, first gear & clutch pulled in, rolling backwards should be just as easy as rolling forward. If not, clutch is biting and cable needs adjustment. I'm ignoring worn out clutch because I've no experience with that side of things.

Might like to change the oil/filter while you're at it. Oil might be old or even worse low. They get harder to shift when low, jump out of gear and tend to grind plenty.

Check the engine oil level on the glass window - foot brake side, cold engine, hold bike up right. It has three marking bars beside it. They are high, low and "I need to buy a new engine". Where is your oil level at?

Oh and Welcome to Kiwibiker!