Topic: 1975 CB550 clutch problems

[Lnent]

I’m sure this has been covered in bits and pieces here and there but I’m really too much of a noob to put it all together to make sense so I hope I’m not upsetting the moderators here, but...

I’m having issues with the clutch, would love to get an idea of what I’m looking at befor I just start tearing things apart, here are the symptoms...

When I pull he clutch lever, it doesn’t return on its own.
With the clutch pulled or not pulled I can only shift in to first and  neutral.
 With the clutch pulled or not pulled ( no perceptible difference ), and while manipulating the back wheel I can shift into all five gears.

Any ideas on what could be wrong, what I need to order, and any advise on how to get started would be appreciated.

Thanks sofc4ers!

[scottly]

I’m sure this has been covered in bits and pieces here and there but I’m really too much of a noob to put it all together to make sense so I hope I’m not upsetting the moderators here, but...

I’m having issues with the clutch, would love to get an idea of what I’m looking at befor I just start tearing things apart, here are the symptoms...

When I pull he clutch lever, it doesn’t return on its own.
Check for a binding clutch cable
With the clutch pulled or not pulled I can only shift in to first and  neutral.
 With the clutch pulled or not pulled ( no perceptible difference ), and while manipulating the back wheel I can shift into all five gears.
It's normal to have to rock the rear wheel back and forth to shift with the motor not running; if the dogs aren't aligned with their recesses, the trans won't shift.

Any ideas on what could be wrong, what I need to order, and any advise on how to get started would be appreciated.

Thanks sofc4ers!

[Lnent]

Im fairly certain it’s not binding. I fussed around with it quite a bit trying to get it to re engage, to no avail. Is it normal that I can shift it as easily with the clutch engaged as disengaged while the motor isn’t running?

[dave500]

yeah if you rock the bike back and forth to help it should select all gears with clutch released or engaged.

[kerryb]

In your initial description you are a little vague about the clutch lever returning.  Is your clutch cable adjusted properly to begin with?  There should be just a little play in the lever before the actuator starts to compress the mechanism.  I suggest you remove the clutch cable to inspect its condition.  You can look for frayed ends as suggested earlier, and slide the cable back and forth to test for drag and/or lube the cable.  Do you have the manual for your bike?  Removing and reinstalling the cable itself isn't difficult, just make sure you understand the mechanism before trying to adjust the actuator at the clutch cover.  Doing this will help you get more comfortable with working on your bike with low risk of causing any harm.

[Lnent]

Thanks for the info so far everyone. Sorry if the initial post was a little vague; the cable is a new cable and has been lubricated, I believe it’s adjusted properly, it’s a little hard to tell because there’s really no tension on the lever. I manipulated the clutch lever on the case and there is spring tension but it is light enough that a had to stop and think about for a moment, wondering if it was tension or gravity, not sure if that is normal or not.

I did notice that the clutch was adjusted extremely tight when I first got it, very difficult to pull the clutch lever on the handle bars.

I haven’t tried working the clutch with the engine running since installing the new cable. The tank is off and to my limited knowledge I figured at least one issue, the lever not returning , wouldn’t be affected by the engine running.

I installed clubmans but also  shorter cables. They are still maybe a little long but, again, with my limited knowledge I don’t see how it could affect the operation this much. There is just no help returning the lever at all. I can slowly return it by hand and at no point does the tension on the clutch lever pull the clutch back to engaged.
I did unhook the cable from the clutch and work it by hand and it seems to move with no resistance.