Topic: Bike dies when put into gear

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

A guy brought me a 72 CB500 that has been sitting since 1978. After several weeks of work getting it cleaned up (worst carbs I've ever seen) it fired right up and runs strong.

I went through the full tune up procedure, which included a clutch adjustment. The bike still jerks and dies shifting out of neutral. Can the plates fuze together over time or go bad with age? The bike has 17k miles, but like I said has been sitting for over 30 years. I have tried working the lever and used a rubber band to hold the lever in overnight with no success.

[GammaFlat]

The way I always freed my K6 up was to start the bike.. roll it (down hill is best) to a speed where idling in first gear will match if engaged and then pop it into 1st.  Once in 1st (rolling and running), hold the clutch in and accelerate and decelerate abruptly. 

[TwoTired]

You are describing a clutch issue.  You are not getting proper disengagement.  Fix it or you'll be getting into the cases to address dogs or bent/worn shift forks.
Check the actuator rod for breaks or shattered end balls.  I think these have a finicky adjustment mechanism.  Certainly compared to the 550.

When the clutch is working properly, a quick blip of the throttle from idle should break the lock between steels and frictions in the clutch, allowing the shafts/gears to quit spinning (wait for it) and then engagement without the big clunk.

Cheers,

[dave500]

since 78?ide pull the clutch apart,not hard to do,might be rust issues by now,,forcing it to work might be a bad idea.

[Frostyboy]

I've now had my 550 for twenty years. I had this problem when I got it & it was still doing it 5 years ago when I last ran it. When I say I had this problem, I mean the clutch would never disengage when cold.
The start up ritual every day was as follows:
Make sure the bike's in neutral.
Pull the clutch lever in.
Kick the kick starter 3 or 4 times until the clutch breaks free & the motor stops spinning.
Let the clutch out.
Turn the key on & fire her up with the starter. (Kickin' wears me out. )
Pull the clutch in, engage 1st & off she'd go, all day without a problem.
Like I said, it's been like that since I got it, but clutch still fine all these years later. I've lost count of the number of oil changes since then of course. I figure it's just the nature of my old girl.

[dave500]

i live on a hill frosty and get into top then break it loose,my ritual,im thinking a more stuck clutch might be happening for boxnife,30 years?some of my dirt bikes had this aswell,,id break the clutch once moving in a higher gear.

[Frostyboy]

im thinking a more stuck clutch might be happening for boxnife,30 years?

Certainly, I'm not disagreeing with that at all. I just hope he's able to 'unstick it' rather than pull it down is all.
Cheers.

[florence]

I've had this with lots of bikes and tried to free them by rocking etc.  The only way is to take off the clutch cover, undo the clutch bolts then gently prise the friction clutch plates from the plane ones.  The old oil just gums them up over time and this is the quickest way to sort it out.

[dave500]

opening up and closing these clutches is easy frosty.de sludge a little aswell.30 years ??man take a look inside.