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Lgaumond
| | Posted on Monday, June 26, 2006 - 04:29 pm: | 
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Please help. I started riding my husband's 2000 M2 just a couple of months ago and I love it. We got back from Americade and now it's all gone down hill.
I had a bit of a bobble up in NY, stalled in a u-turn and laid it down on the left side. I was on a hill so the bars and the side cover got the brunt of the fall. I broke the tip off the clutch lever and busted the neutral safety switch, but everything else was fine. I bought the new clutch lever and the neutral safety switch when we got home and this weekend Hubby went to install them.
He started up after install and the bike lunged forward. It had done this to me after "the drop" but only mildly. Now it seems to do it harder. Seems that the clutch is dragging.
He followed the instructions in the manual to adjust the cable and lever but it only seemed to make it worse. He adjusted it again, followed the steps exactly, it was even worse. Now when the bike is off and in gear, and the clutch lever is pulled in, it won't roll at all. No matter how he adjusts it, it doesn't fix the problem. We're both at a loss.
He thinks I wore out the clutch in the less then 1,000 miles I've ridden it this year, I'm determined there's something else wrong. I rode it home from Americade without a problem and parked it because Hubby wanted to check it out and maybe tighten the floppy-looking drive belt before I rode it again. If the clutch wore out, it did it in the two weeks it's been sitting untouched in the garage!
Please help: any advice on adjusting the clutch and/or do you think there's a bigger problem, like a worn-out clutch? |
Mikej
| | Posted on Monday, June 26, 2006 - 04:58 pm: |
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First, the "floppy-looking drive belt" is probably okay being floppy, so have hubby look in the service manual for the proper tightening procedure before he over tightens it which will lead to other problems.
Second, a worn out clutch will slip, not drag.
It is possible the fitting going into the primary cover got bent, it is also possible the ball in the coupler behind the clutch inspection cover got somehow tweaked in the spill, it is also possible the adjuster halfway up the cable also got tweaked.
Borrow hubby's tools, sit down with the service manual, open up the inspection cover by the following steps:
inspection cover removal:
1. loosen one of the four screws, then snug it back down. then repeat this step for the rest of the screws.
2. gently loosen one of the screws slightly, then gently loosen the other three.
3. remove two of the screws opposite each other.
4. holding the cover slightly with one hand remove the third screw.
5. still holding the inspection cover remove the fourth screw.
6. then gently remove the inspection cover ensuring you don't loose the small spring that is barely held onto the inside of the inspection cover.
Once open you can now see where the other end of the clutch cable engages the clutch arm and other bits. Take your time, check each end and ensure it is installed correctly per the service manual, then check the center adjuster and ensure it is not bent nor broken and is also okay. Then loosen and then readjust the clutch cable.
Sometimes when a bike is cold or has been sitting awhile the clutch can get a little sticky. What I do which works for me but may or may not work for you or hubby is to put the bike in gear, put my foot on the rear brake pedal, firmly hold the front brake as well, then pull in the clutch. Now with your thumb hovering over the kill switch try starting the bike in-gear. If it starts to run amok then hit the kill switch while the brakes are hopefully holding it still. You may want to have the inspection cover reinstalled at this point just in case the bike falls over again on the left side.
Hope this helps. And tell hubby to get off your case and help you instead to learn at your own pace. You and him take your time, check things one step at a time, peek in behind the inspection cover. Check the mid-cable adjuster. Double check the clutch lever on the handlebars to ensure no dirt is jammed up around there. The clutches on these are pretty basic and simple. Depending upon how many total miles are on the bike I doubt the clutch is worn out. The clutch on my M2 is still fine at nearly 29,000 miles. |
Bomber
| | Posted on Monday, June 26, 2006 - 05:06 pm: |
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it's easy to adjuts the cable and think you've adjusted the clutch (specially on these engines)
center adjustment is key -- either following the SM procedure, or Mike's -- loosen the cable adjuster first, then the center adjuster (screw the screw in til it just seats, back off a 1/4 turn, adjust the cable, then snap the clutch lever a couple or three times to settle everyone down in there -- repeat, than adjust the lever for about 1/8 freeplay)
slow is almost always faster when it comes to spinnin wrenches |
Lgaumond
| | Posted on Monday, June 26, 2006 - 07:29 pm: |
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You guys are awesome! Thanks so much - we will follow your suggestions and report back. |
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Lunging M2 - clutch adjustment made it worse