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Clutch adjustment questions

4K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  Bimbim18 
#1 ·
I finally got my new levers in yesterday. I have small hands so I ordered some adjustable levers. I love them so far, I can finally reach my front brake without stretching for it and I finally feel like I am getting in control of my bike.

I like my friction zone to start pretty much as soon as I let go of the clutch from fully pressed (I left about a 1/2" 'buffer' zone for safety).

Even on it's lowest setting the clutch lever still has a few inches of free play to swing forward (slack from the clutch cable) so I still have to pretty much ride the clutch lever so I don't have to stretch to find it if it decides to swing forward out of finger reach to regain possession of it. Is there a way to get rid of the slack so the lever stays stationary and doesn't swing forward on me anymore? I was thinking maybe wedge something in between my lever and the housing or something ?
 
#2 ·
Maybe just a simple rubber band to hold the clutch lever back with just a little force, but not too much pressure to wear on the clutch release parts. At least a temporary fix till something permanent comes along. ???
 
#3 · (Edited)
My 1996 VT1100C2 ACE is rated the same HP as my 1982 GL500I, about 50- 55 HP but the difference is where in RPM and torque .The GL runs 4500 RPM at 55 MPH and goes up to 97000 RPM and comes alive at about 3500 RPM then will scream, the factory says to keep the GL above 3000 RPM to keep the oil pressure up. The VT red lines at about 5000 rpm but way more torque. Neither one likes to lug at low RPM I have noticed.
 
#4 ·
@ Steve C

not trying to be rude but I don't understand what you're getting at in reguards to my question.
 
#6 ·
Steve C's message seems to be a mirror of the response he gave to my "Torque vs Horsepower" thread. Somehow it was copied here.
 
#5 ·
Hey BimBim18 ....
Glad to hear you have figured out how to deal with this, (it seems Honda has missed the boat).
I'm desperate for a clutch lever that fits my small hands!! I seem to have hit a wall trying to find something... can you post what make and model of adjustable levers you got that are working. (where did you order them from?)
I have '13 Aero, hoping they might work.
Much appreciated. ;)
 
#7 ·
I ordered these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CQJQ1GU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

if you notice they are actually for a VTX1300, but I have an '03 VT750DC. I couldnt find anything for my bike so I looked up the part number and cross referenced for other bikes that use the same levers.

I noticed they did not have one listed for your bike but I cross referenced it and your bike uses the same levers as mine so they should work. The clutch lever doesn't go as far down as I wish and it's a tad wobbly, but much better than it was. The brake side is perfect. It took 2 weeks for them to come in the mail (it was estimated a month) so maybe you'll get lucky and get them fast as well. and there are different colors available if you're into that. The bike drives very different now that I don't have to stretch.
 
#11 ·
Hey guys, what do you think about this? what if I find a piece a metal, cut a slot in it for the cable to pass freely and sand it down to a wedge to "fill in" the gap between the lever and the perch to hold it steady and epoxy it into place? Do you think its a good/bad idea?

I think this would be a good way to tighten my clutch cable (and make it more steady) while still allowing me to have the lever closer to the grip. I can't think of any safety and/or mechanical issues. What do you guys think?
 
#12 ·
I may not be picturing this right, but maybe I am.
I hope this makes sense.

Are the new levers the ones with the adjustable joint in them?
If so I would take out the slack to the amount required in the manual at the clutch end of the cable at that adjuster and then readjust the position of the lever to suit.
 
#13 ·
they are adjustable but even at the lowest setting they are still at a point where I have to stretch to reach them if the cable is tightened more. I still have a lot of slack.
 
#14 ·
Ok I think I have the picture now, some days I'm a little slow.
The dog legged adjustable levers still don't move the clutch lever close enough so you are compensating by adding more free play and now considering filling the gap with a wedge to keep the lever within reach.

Ok the problems I see are:
There will still be a need to keep some slack in there for proper clutch engagement as shown in the manual, so you will still have a somewhat wiggly lever although it will stay closer.

Depending on the amount of travel left you may not be able to fully disengage the clutch, this might not seen to be a problem cold, but as things warm up and expand the clutch, it may well drag even with the lever pulled tight against the grip. The above can really suck in traffic, especially since with the clutch dragging finding neutral can be difficult.

Another thing that might have its function impaired by this is the clutch switch to permit starting in gear, you may be able to start in gear even with the lever not pulled and the clutch not disengaged.
 
#15 ·
Ok I think I have the picture now, some days I'm a little slow.
The dog legged adjustable levers still don't move the clutch lever close enough so you are compensating by adding more free play and now considering filling the gap with a wedge to keep the lever within reach.
exacly

Ok the problems I see are:
Depending on the amount of travel left you may not be able to fully disengage the clutch, this might not seen to be a problem cold, but as things warm up and expand the clutch, it may well drag even with the lever pulled tight against the grip. The above can really suck in traffic, especially since with the clutch dragging finding neutral can be difficult.
would this account for my tranny seeming to grind at times,many times it seems when passing neutral while riding?


Another thing that might have its function impaired by this is the clutch switch to permit starting in gear, you may be able to start in gear even with the lever not pulled and the clutch not disengaged.
I'll take up more slack just to make sure this doesn't happen (would not be a good day for me or the bike)

So once I make further adjustments to address all these mechanical/safety issues adding a small wedge should be OK then right?
btw thanks for your answers so far. A few important details I was unaware of.
 
#16 · (Edited)
#17 · (Edited)
Nope, those don't fit. I did buy and return those.

edit: to elaborate more those you suggested were for mid-80s shadows, the 1300 uses the same levers as my bike, so it was a direct swap. and yes there is still a lot of slack but much less than with the original levers, plus it brings my brake lever exactly where I need it, so I kept them.
 
#18 ·
I've never tried this, I always seem to snap levers rather than bend them in my unplanned incidents.

As a last resort it would seem to be worth a try to get the bend you want.
Maybe pick up some spare levers from the salvage yard to try it out on.
Be careful not to overheat, aluminum melts suddenly all at once.

On a brake lever, I think it would worry me 'til I had thoroughly tested it, but on a clutch not so much.

https://biketech7.blogspot.ca/2013/08/straightening-bent-levers.html
 
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