Clutch Drag!

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3B43

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Any of you having issues w/clutch drag? I've got the clutch lever adjusted so I've only got 3-4 mm of play at the end and the clutch is STILL dragging slightly when cold. Oil is standard Yamalube, but I'm gonna swap it out for Mobil 1 immediately, even though this oil only got 500 miles on it. I bought the bike 'new' (its an '08) and its got 1100+ miles on it and hopefully the Mobil 1 will take care of this problem.
 
3B43 said:
Any of you having issues w/clutch drag? I've got the clutch lever adjusted so I've only got 3-4 mm of play at the end and the clutch is STILL dragging slightly when cold. Oil is standard Yamalube, but I'm gonna swap it out for Mobil 1 immediately, even though this oil only got 500 miles on it. I bought the bike 'new' (its an '08) and its got 1100+ miles on it and hopefully the Mobil 1 will take care of this problem.
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Hi 3B, first thing to do is look down on the engine side of the clutch cable. There is a small arrow pointing upwards on the top of the clutch cover. On the pivot arm hold-down screw, there is a "dot". These two marks should line up together. If they aren't, that could be your issue. On the clutch, there is an adjustment which can be made on both ends of the cable. Check that first. I highly doubt that your oil is the issue, especially since it's practically new. Let us know what happens.
 
My o7 did the same thing...very pronounced, esp. in cold engine or cold weather, after break in, I switched to 5w-40 sythetic....problem immedietly improved by about 95%....Now just a hint on cold engine.
 
I checked the 'marks' and they're spot on! but the clutch lever has a few mm's of play. Since its NOT raining today, I'm gonna change oil and put the Mobil 1 in it and see if that helps. More later.
 
I rode yesterday at about 46 degrees outside - and I noticed at a stop light, with the clutch lever pulled and in 1st gear, if I goosed it a bit, there was some grabbing in the clutch. I will check that clutch adjustment indicator too. My current oil is Royal Purple. Mine is an '01.
 
If I remember right there were some new R1s & FZ1s that had grease contamination on the clutch discs that dealers fixed under warranty. A dealer tech once told me the main reason for clutch sticking was bikes sitting in storage too long before sale. I haven't had a problem with my '08 that was in storage before sale and usually shift by pulling the clutch only half way except when stopped. I've also heard that synthetic oil with a high ester content like Motul will clean up old sticky varnish on the plates and discs.
 
I didn't get to change the oil, but with the clutch 'marks' lined up, the clutch has NO/VERY little play in it. I'll change oil this week and see if that helps, if not . . .
 
With only a bit over 1100 miles, your bike is barely broken in. If you set your free-play at the lever according to the owner's manual you shouldn't have any clutch drag. All FZ1's that I know of will have a "clunk" when engaging first gear from neutral, but other than that little annoyance, you shouldn't experience anything like a pull with the clutch lever pulled in at a stop. If you have the clutch lever adjusted properly and the problem persists, I'd take it to a dealer and see what the say.
 
Lonerider59 said:
... All FZ1's that I know of will have a "clunk" when engaging first gear from neutral, but other than that little annoyance, you shouldn't experience anything like a pull with the clutch lever pulled in at a stop. ...
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Just wanted to add my observations on an '08 clutch. If I start out with the engine cold it will go from neutral into first even at fast idle with very soft "clunk" or none at all. At normal temps after riding several miles it really "clunks" after waiting at a light in neutral with hand off clutch (not recommended by MSF, stay in gear and watch out for cagers). Now surprisingly if the bike is really hot on a summer day, 1st barely "cluncks" at all :wtf: This is with 10W40 mineral oil, clutch set to spec and has never draged or not fully released.
 
I suspect the problem is because the bike is new. Wouldn't worry about it.
 
I have an 08 I picked up new this winter. I have put only 500 miles on it. I have the exact symptoms, though I can detect a little grabbing even when warm (very much a threshold level effect). In addition, shifting down from 3rd to 2nd takes some effort; it just doesnt want to do it without effort and makes a noticable click as the dogs pop out of 3rd and into 2nd. So I swapped out the factory oil lastnight, and did a couple miles. There was a noticable difference in the feel of the engine with the lighter synthetic oil (Rotella 5-40). felt more vibration (or maybe Im just crazy). the shifting was smoother for every gear but 3 into 2 so I worked in and out of those gears for a couple miles.

Now, even though I am sick I am going to take one for the team :spank2: and go for a ride right now just to see if this resolved the issue of the clutch.
 
I have about 150 miles on my '08 and I've been noticing hard shifts and wondered if my clutch is dragging a little but attributed it to being new. 1st to second is the worst especially when doing a slow lazy shift with full clutch engagement such as when I'm cruising out of my neighborhood. Hard shifts when I'm banging through the gears coming up to speed on the highway seem pretty smooth though. All downshifts are a little stiff so far. I'm thinking it will get better with a little wear and when I switch to synthetic oil.

I hadn't thought about the sitting in the showroom for two years affecting the clutch but that certainly could be an issue.

Roy
 
I noticed on most bikes, if I load up the engine a bit before performing the shift, it usually comes out smoother. By loading, I mean getting slightly on the throttle then backing off for the shift. As opposed to just cruising along, closing the throttle and shifting. This applies to upshifts.
 
UPDATE:
The oil solved all the problems! Pumped out about 150 miles this afternoon and I started off cold. Clutch was flawless and the shifting was smooth as silk. I would still recomend leaving the factory oil for at least 500 miles; I have heard that it is formulated to assist in essentially polishing the moving parts, which are manufactured to very precise specs. But i dont know if thats true.
 
Kevin Daly said:
UPDATE:
The oil solved all the problems! Pumped out about 150 miles this afternoon and I started off cold. Clutch was flawless and the shifting was smooth as silk. I would still recomend leaving the factory oil for at least 500 miles; I have heard that it is formulated to assist in essentially polishing the moving parts, which are manufactured to very precise specs. But i dont know if thats true.
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Glad to hear that. I too noticed much better shifting with the synthetic Rotella (5W40), but unfortunately it didn't last very long. About 1500 miles later it was very hard to shift up from 2nd to 3rd gear. Just changed the oil again and went with Valvoline 10W40 conventional (motorcycle specific) oil. Haven't taken it out for a ride yet so let's see how long it lasts this time.
 
NJFZ1 said:
Glad to hear that. I too noticed much better shifting with the synthetic Rotella (5W40), but unfortunately it didn't last very long. About 1500 miles later it was very hard to shift up from 2nd to 3rd gear. Just changed the oil again and went with Valvoline 10W40 conventional (motorcycle specific) oil. Haven't taken it out for a ride yet so let's see how long it lasts this time.
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On new bikes you do need to change the oil a bit more frequent for the first 2-3 changes. Remember, any small imperfections should be getting smoothed off.
 
Thought I would add another update.

My clutch drag is back and with a vengence. i did a little commuting to work (only a couple urban miles with a few lights). there are two indicators that this problem exists. the first is that the when you take it out of gear the engine RPMs do not drop. Because it is most obvious when cold the high idle hides the symptom. if you are unsure blip the throttle (hang on) and you will hear a clunk and the lash is taken up and you might feel the bike lurch (just a little in my case). The clutch cable has only about an 1/8th inch of play and the lever on the housing is properly aligned.

At any rate if anyone has any recomendations to solve this I am all ears.
 
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My clutch hangs up a lot too, even with fresh oil. When i put it in 1st gear from n it bangs pretty good. When the bike is parked in 1st gear, and i pull in the clutch to roll it around, i have to push pretty hard to break it free, then it rolls ok.
 
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