Topic: cb550 clutch cable adjustment problem?

[xsmooth69x]

so ive been riding around the bike and if i come to a kinda quick stop hold the clutch down firm my bike stalls out.....

the clutch is nice and tight like it hurts my hand.... and i dont think its slipping....

i only have to depress the clutch maybe 1/2-3/4 of an inch to make it engage and disengage

also the bike does not roll forward if its in first gear and my clutch lever depressed so its deff disengaging but maybe its not re engaging as much? maybe its slipping?

this is my first bike i have ever been on so i dont know what it is supposed to feel like..

[xsmooth69x]

[xsmooth69x]

 

[phil71]

you need to get in the manual and go thru the clutch adjustment procedure. You're not getting a full disengagement of the clutch, and you've outlined the classic signs. Also, it shouldn't need a kung-fu grip to pull it. Cable real old?

[xsmooth69x]

you need to get in the manual and go thru the clutch adjustment procedure. You're not getting a full disengagement of the clutch, and you've outlined the classic signs. Also, it shouldn't need a kung-fu grip to pull it. Cable real old?

cable is pro motion and its fresh but ya its really tight.... hmm might just have to go completely through it....

[DJ_AX]

Routing of the cable is very important. Any sharp bends will add drag. And you MUST make sure there are no pinch points and the cable holds a smooth curve through the full range of turning.

And +1 to checking the adjustment procedure in the manual. It's straight forward and systematic. If after all that it still doesn't work right then you know it's another problem.. and can more easily find it!

[xsmooth69x]

ya cables are routed right but i notice going from 5th gear lever fully depressed slowing down kinda quick the rpms drop below 800-500ish and stalls out unless a give it a pinch of gas then slowing down quickly then it dosnt happen....

just kinda shiatty is that i dont have a starter sooooooo i have to quickly put down my kick stand pop it into neutral kick it put the kicker up and kick stand then into gear and go again.

havent truly takin it out on the roads just back roads with no traffic but its still inconvenient lol

[xsmooth69x]

maybe this is a better question....

what does clutch slippage feel like?

[Fritz]

what does clutch slippage feel like?

Right needle turning clockwise into the red sector, left needle staying or going down

[xsmooth69x]

could it slip like a little or if it slips its all or nothing?

[phil71]

slipping is a problem in the other direction. Your problem is that it never fully pulls away from the engine, and that's almost always in the clutch lifter.
When clutches need replacement , they usually don't grab under load, which is not what's happening here.
First bike?

[Fritz]

Route your clutch cable like depicted in the manual. The springs are not that strong and you shouldn't need a gorilla grip to pull the clutch.

Your description shows that your clutch might not fully disengage. It's not the oposite of clutch slippage but seems to be a different problem.

The 550's clutch has three levers: The hand control, the outer lever on the clutch cover and an internal one.

First, put a lot of slack into the cable by screwing in the adjustment screws at the handle bar and the lower end of the cable.
Next, feel if the lever on the clutch cover has some free play. If not, this might be your problem.
Anyway, use the screw on the lower part of the clutch cover (lock nut!) to adjust this 'outer' lever, so that the dot mark on it aligns with the corresponding mark on the clutch cover. (see pic)

Then back out the adjustment screw at the handle bar about half of its length and use the adjustment screw at the other end of the cable to remove all of the slack and tighten its lock nut. Now again use the adjuster at the handle bar to adjust the hand control lever until it has about 1/2" to 3/4" of free play at its tip. Without this free play, you'll experience the "left needle, right needle" game

That should do the trick. If you can't align the marks on the clutch cover, your clutch might be worn beyond service limit.

Please excuse my poor English skills, but i hope that my description is a little bit more comprehensive than the workshop manual

Cheers
Carsten

[Teatimetim]

I recently went through a stiff clitch, found the cables were routed incorrectly.  it is actually amazing how little it takes to drag it down.  Yes follow the manual.

[xsmooth69x]

i have clip on handle bars so what i do is i run the cable up over my headlight then down through the right side between the forks then the stock way the rest of the way.

also right now at the clutch lever the screw is about half ways out. the on the lower end by the lever that bolt thing is backed practically all the way out......

i followed the manual giving the clutch cable some slack and then on the clutch cover loosening up the nut and adjusting the screw thing until the lines matched up on the bottom clutch lever thing with the mark on the case. then re adjusted the cable up by the clutch lever.

i dont know any other way to run the clutch cable..... the grip got better but its still a little stiff.

also in regards to the clutch not fully dis engaging i thought u could check that by pulling in the lever all the way putting it in gear holding the lever the whole time and seeing if the bike starts to creep forward on a level surface which it dosnt....

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i noticed too that if i let my bike idle around 1200-1400 rpm i do not get this stalling issue.

but if i let the bike idle around 800-1000rpm the bike does stall coming to a very quick stop

maybe i was just letting the bike idle to low?