occasional clutch slip

[Guest]

ok before i start yes i do like posting a lot

anyway i was out on friday and i had the engine go out of drive and rev like mad 3 times. once was around town and another on full throttle acclerating to 50mph when it went nuts and redlined right up to the limiter and the third one about 5 minutes later whilst sat at 50mph.

i had a feeling i was going to need to do something to the clutch at some stage as when i first got the bike it would go out of drive and rev like mad when i had the engine running above 8000rpm

to stop it from doing this i adjusted the clutch on the lever and it stopped this but i then had loads of play in the clutch lever

now 3 months later its started this again and its getting annoying

what is this most likely to be i was thinking it could be the clutch plates worn ?

i should have taken the bike back as i had 3 months parts & labour warrenty. i think the previous owner had thrashed the bike evreywhere as the chain is on its way out aswell.

i was thinking of putting the bike away for the winter as on friday i lost the back wheel 3 times. the road i was on was wet and it happend when going around corners whilst down shifting. yesterday i nearly lost it completly when i went into first gear to quickly after braking suddenly and the back wheel flung out a lot

[Guest]

Tip: Don't shift gears on corners, the extra/lack of traction can throw you off

A rough down change can also lock up the rear tyre

Update: Sounds like your too rough with the down changes / clutch work, I dont think I've ever locked up the rear accidently. Blip the throttle when you down change to make it smoother.

Try re-adjusting the clutch too, and work on better clutch control!

Edited November 21, 2010 by Anonymous

[Guest]

thanks for the tip

any ideas on the clutch ?

[Ingah]

Check the cable isn't snagging anything, and try to adjust it out so that it engages in the right place and isn't dragging at all. Worth getting someone to help you if unsure, as if you can't fix it like this, it's probably a clutch out and new friction and plain plates job.

[Guest]

i have tried adjusting it before as when i first got the bike it was unusable it would just slip at 8k revs

[Ingah]

The consensus tends to be that once the bike has been ridden with the clutch slipping for an extended period, the clutch is buggered.

[Guest]

it hasent been slipping all the time when i first got it i noticed it slip a few times and then i had the clutch adjusted and it stopped doing it. its started doing it again occasionaly

i hope its not buggered i bet new clutches are not cheap

[Ingah]

Not as bad as cars. Friction plates and plain plates as a minimum (and usually that's all most people tend to do), although there of course is a good few clutch- related bits you can check too whilst you're in there, about £80 at worst for all the genuine plates for the CB500. Would take a few hours though.

[Guest]

right well il be going out on the bike this afternoon and it plays up again il have to think about getting it done sometime. i just looked at the friction plates prices and there not to bad

id rather not change it just yet maybe after xmas if i can help it. its still ridable and has only done it a few times the past 2 rides

i was told there are loads of gaskets inside the clutch casing so even checking the clutch would mean new gaskets ?

[oslin06]

Make sure you have play in the clutch cable when it is released about 1/8" is normal and make sure it is still there on both full locks of the bars,

it is odd that it happens sometimes and not others it might be a good idea to release the cable on both ends and check it is running free and not hanging up, if all is well you will have to look else where, are you using the correct oil? some oils will cause the clutch to slip and are not recomended for wet clutches on a bike, if all this is ok then it will be a look at the clutch and clutch basket.

Keith

[Guest]

Hi i will have a look at the clutch cable

iv just been out on the bike for 2 hours and it hasent slipped at all

im using the right oil. castrol 10w-30 part synthetic oil and has done about 2200 miles

also i noticed with it being cold now when the engine if first started you can see fumes coming out the exhaust. iv found a hole in the exhaust whilst revving the engine. there is fumes coming out a small hole at the bottom of the exhaust (nearest the weld) facing the ground.

[Ingah]

Are you referring to the drain hole?

BTW, you'd almost definitely need new plain plates too (and even if you could get away with it, it'd be unadvisable to skip them), not just friction plates.

[Guest]

yeah i will replace the plain plates & friction plates

here is a pic of the exhaust hole

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1936/p1050362g.jpg

[Guest]

That be a drain hole that be ...

[Guest]

thanks for the good news i was worrying it would need welding or something