clutch not fully engaging?

[Freeze05]

So I put the battery in and she fires right up after three months in my basement.  I wiggle her back and forth lining her up with the ramp to get up the two steps out the basement door, pull the clutch in and shift into first so I can drive up the ramp.  Lurch and stall.  Restart, shift to first - lurch and stall again.  Hum, did I have the clutch ALL the way in?  Start, shift lurch and stall again.  Yes, the clutch was in.

Hummm.  Adjust lever free play so the cable is tighter.  Start, shift, lurch and stall again.  

I found this thread: http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13940&highlight=shift+shifting using the search feature.  Weaslenose - did you ever figure it out or do you think it was the cracked/broken adjuster?  What else could be causing it?  She ran like a top before storage in late December.

Anyone? Buller?

[cummuterguy]

try starting it already in 1st with the clutch pulled in.. does it spin a lot slower, or move the bike?

I know mine does this sometimes after sitting for a few days. I just assumed the friction area had gotten a bit of corrosion and was 'biting' too soon...  or not able to let go.
one time it was bad enough that after I warmed the bike up in neutral, i shut it off, then push-started it in 2nd down the driveway. by the time I came to a stop again, and pulled in the clutch, it was fine.  hasn't ever been that bad again

[weaselnoze]

mine turned out to be the cable adjuster at the lever end.  it was moving around and thats why sometimes i had the problem and other times i didnt.  try adjusting it again

[treybrad]

Well I've been having lots of clutch issues lately.. replaced the cable because it broke, and even after that there was too much free play and it was very, very hard to engage... It was like I didn't have enough adjustment on either end of the cable. I rode the bike on a 500mi trip over spring break and just as I rolled into my destination the clutch just stopped working. I took off the whole cover and looked at everything... the cable seemed connected correctly and seemed ok, but the lever was just NOT engaging the clutch..

Where am I going w/ this? That little cover (about an inch or so long) held on by 2 phillips screws, it's on the clutch side case... right above your gear shifter... there's a little screw in there that had come completely loose and a few twists on that and I was as good as new. I tightened it back up and haven't had any issues since... Clutch feels better than it ever has.

I don't know if that's a bizzare problem or what, I had never heard of it before... I just happened to pull that cover off out of curiosity after I had more or less given up.

trey

[weaselnoze]

ya if the clutch cover isnt on good the clutch wont work.  take a look at it

[Freeze05]

Thanks for your imput guys.  I did try and start it while already in first,  no luck with that.  It pulled the bike forward and immediately stalled.

I'll check out the clutch cover, all screws, fasteners and such tonight and let you know what I found.

[Freeze05]

I never figured out what the issue was, but she is better now and I went for a nice spin around town last night.  I played with the cable adjuster again, wasn't it.  Checked for that loose screw a la Trey, wasn't it.  Thought of Commuterguy's push start and had an idea.  Since she was up on the center stand I started her up and shifted into first.  Yup, the rear wheel spun and spun even with the clutch in.  Shift back to neutral, wheel slows and stops.  Shift to first, wheel spins but more slowly and then stops.  Back to neutral.  This time when I shifted into first the rear wheel didn't move.

I was getting a bit nervous about the carbon monoxide build up in the basement so I installed the ramp, rocked her off of the center stand and up I went.  She was fine on the test ride around the block.  It must have been the plates a bit gunked up and had too much friction.

Anyway, that Dali picture on the Art Musuem steps looked really cool at night.  Or mabye I was just really enjoying the first ride of the spring!