Clutch problems???

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fz1atp

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Please advise,
got an 07 fz1 bought new, now has1500 miles, after the 1st oil change at 250ish miles, i noticed the clutch not working like it should. I pull in clutch coming up to stop light,...whatever, and the engine is still pulling the rear tire???, this only happened after 1st oil change, and it only occurs below 4k rpm's. the slower the rpm, the worse the condition...
i've changed oil 2x since, 1st was to RotellaT dino, 2nd- mobil delvac, 3rd yamaha brand(thinging it was a oil/motorcycle oil issue)....still persists...

Took it back to dealer, they test drove and said they could just barely feel something, advised me to shift at higher rpms(at or above4k).....
this pulling lasts for 1-5 sec after pulling clutch lever, when i have lever pulled i can rev engine and it'll pull for a sec then engage clutch...

Whats the deal.... anybody...?:wilynily:
thanks for input.
 
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oil viscosity will cause the rear tire to spin while the clutch is in... for that matter, sometimes in neutral... so.. put the bike on the center stand, and in neutral.... start the bike and give it a few revs... does the rear spin? If so... that's normal.
 
Silly question, but has anybody checked the free play at the clutch lever? If the clutch isn't disengaging completely then it would behave like that.
 
That's a lot of oil changes for only 1500 miles. I'd suggest you take the time to read your owner's manual. If the brand of oil would cause a severe clutch drag like you are talking about the manufacturer would steer you clear of it. As already mentioned, check your lever free play. You might have too much and it's not disengaging like it should. It does seem strange that it started after your first oil change. Are you sure you didn't make any adjustments when you changed your oil? Finally, 1500 miles is a long way from having a completely broken in motor. It's hard to tell exactly how much drag you are experiencing without riding it, but normally you'd have more drag at higher RPM, not lower, given the same set of misadjustments. First check the free play and if the problem persists, take it to a dealer again (not necessarily the same dealer).
 
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njfz1, the clutch lever freeplay was checked twice since new, adjusted once to spec....no difference in condition,...
njfz1......IT IS EXACTLY LIKE THE CLUTCH IS NOT DOING ITS JOB....AT OR BELOW 4K....
 
I would ask if you used any automotive oil that contained friction modifiers but those would cause exactly the opposite meaning, clutch slippage and you NOT going anywhere.

Here is a pretty good site all about clutches. Maybe this will give you some ideas to troubleshoot. Dan's Motorcycle Repair "Clutches"
 
updated 09.05.09.
did some research on clutch/viscosity issues,...
decided to try as a test for response, changed the oil once more to rotella-t 5w 40 synthetic.....after 5miles...different clutch.
problem solved.... was oil/viscosity issue... and the plates not getting"wet" enough.
thanks for suggestions.
Todd
 
Now that mine has over 11,000 miles and a little wear on the plates, I also get almost no wheel turning when I start it up on the center stand. I was reading an article in a bike mag on the same issue and the real problem turned out to be a clutch basket that wasn't set up correctly. The clutch bolts had been tightened incorrectly and didn't allow the plates to "free-wheel" in the compressed state "clutch in) and in another situation, the steel plates had a slight warp. It's one of those seemingly simple situations that just may have some hidden issues contributing to a nuisance situation. Now that it's working I'd leave it alone but if your problem comes back you might want to go a bit deeper into the problem
 
Lonerider, that is exactly what the mechanic at the dealership said.
1. clutch basket
2. warped plates
3. dry plates from where it sat and not run much before the purchase.
He said if it was no.3 , the lower viscosity oil would affect a change.
my 1st tip was that initial oil change,.. immediate difference. He thought the bikes are shipped with 10w-30, i went to 15w-40, then 20w-50...while on this oil had a cool night and the problem was much worse...to the point i had to almost stall it at a light with brakes. Last weekend, changed to 5w-40 rotella-t syn....ran down the road shifting thru the gears...at higher rpms..5min later....problem gone.
Weird....the mechanic said it happens to bikes that sit for extended periods and the plates dry out and stick.....
 
Perhaps more to this

fz1atp said:
Lonerider, that is exactly what the mechanic at the dealership said.
1. clutch basket
2. warped plates
3. dry plates from where it sat and not run much before the purchase.
He said if it was no.3 , the lower viscosity oil would affect a change.
my 1st tip was that initial oil change,.. immediate difference. He thought the bikes are shipped with 10w-30, i went to 15w-40, then 20w-50...while on this oil had a cool night and the problem was much worse...to the point i had to almost stall it at a light with brakes. Last weekend, changed to 5w-40 rotella-t syn....ran down the road shifting thru the gears...at higher rpms..5min later....problem gone.
Weird....the mechanic said it happens to bikes that sit for extended periods and the plates dry out and stick.....
Click to expand...

This thread could link to another on the forum. Go to this link to get to the other thread where there is a link to a conversation about dry clutch plates.
 
I notice my rear wheel will turn slowly when i on the engine first time in the morning.I clutched in my clutch for about 30 sec for 2 to 3 times and the rear wheel stopped turning. Any idea what wrong with it ???
 
Don't worry be happy

superspeed123 said:
I notice my rear wheel will turn slowly when i on the engine first time in the morning.I clutched in my clutch for about 30 sec for 2 to 3 times and the rear wheel stopped turning. Any idea what wrong with it ???
Click to expand...

Nothing is "wrong" with it. This is normal when the engine/transmission/oil are cold. Cold oil is thicker causing increased drag on rotating parts (clutch transmission). :rmwl:
 
fz1atp said:
Lonerider, that is exactly what the mechanic at the dealership said.
1. clutch basket
2. warped plates
3. dry plates from where it sat and not run much before the purchase.
He said if it was no.3 , the lower viscosity oil would affect a change.
my 1st tip was that initial oil change,.. immediate difference. He thought the bikes are shipped with 10w-30, i went to 15w-40, then 20w-50...while on this oil had a cool night and the problem was much worse...to the point i had to almost stall it at a light with brakes. Last weekend, changed to 5w-40 rotella-t syn....ran down the road shifting thru the gears...at higher rpms..5min later....problem gone.
Weird....the mechanic said it happens to bikes that sit for extended periods and the plates dry out and stick.....
Click to expand...

It seems to me that 20/50 is mighty thick oil. Thats what my dealer suggests also. It's what I have been hearing for years. All of my bikes have run better with lighter base viscosity oil. I see that Mobile 1 has a 0/40 synthetic without friction modifiers out now. Imagine how much better lubrication would be at start up with 0 base viscosity and full synthetic. I would venture that the engine would run cooler with better oil flow, better fuel milage, much less wear on start up, easier starts.........better clutch operation. Even on a 100 deg day that 1st start is still a cold engine.
 
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fz1atp said:
updated 09.05.09.
did some research on clutch/viscosity issues,...
decided to try as a test for response, changed the oil once more to rotella-t 5w 40 synthetic.....after 5miles...different clutch.
problem solved.... was oil/viscosity issue... and the plates not getting"wet" enough.
thanks for suggestions.
Todd
Click to expand...


I just bought a still in crate '09 4 days ago and started having the EXACT same problem after the 1st oil change at 50 miles. So did a G**gle search and found this thread. I also used Delvac 1300 15W/40 dino oil.

Just changed oil again today to the Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5W/40 (exact same stuff as Delvac 1) at 565 miles. After working the new oil into the plates by slipping it a bit at take-off and at speed the problem is GONE. Clutch engages/disengages perfectly and it now downshifts like butter.

I don't think this issue is purely viscosity as the manual states that a 20W/50 may be used above 50F as it is here right now. It seems that the friction characteristics of the Diesel dino oils may no longer be compatible with the plate material used in the FZ clutch. I used the Delvac 1300 in my FJR at the 1st change as well and never had an issue. I think the diesel oils have been re-formulated to deal with the low sulfur fuels and those new additives may be causing the sticking.

IMO stick with pure moto-oils if using dino in the FZ.
 
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