clutch slippage when bike is off

xs650_ram · New Member Joined: Apr 13, 2006 Posts: 2

recently bought a 79 xs650;
2 problems

1) the clutch seems to slip even bike is off...getting it into neutral is tuf enuf...but it immediately slips into some other gear...kick starting also seems to do the trick..resulting in nasty kickbacks. it also slips when pushing the bike when in neutral.

2) smoke coming out from somewhere near the muffler joint/ or near the clutch assembly.

any thoughts?

grizld1

I'm having a hard time following you on this. How do you detect clutch slippage pushing the bike in neutral--or do you mean that it pops into gear? I'm also confused by the connection between kickback on the starter and clutch slippage. Do you mean that the bike pops into gear? As to slippage when the bike is off--do you mean you can put the bike in gear and the clutch is so weak you can push it anyway?

I assume you've tried adjusting the clutch at the wormgear and have a manual. If not, get one and try that.

There are two points in the clutch assembly where oil can leak and drip onto the pipe, burning and smoking. One is the clutch pushrod seal on the left side of the scoot. The other is the clutch cover gasket on the right.

xs650_ram · New Member Joined: Apr 13, 2006 Posts: 2

yes, i do mean that it pops into gear. I just called it clutch slippage. during kicking, or during pushing for about 5 yards, the bike automatically slips out of neutral and pops into some gear.

thanks

grizld1

The problem's not in your clutch, it's in your transmission. Clutch slippage is failure of the clutch plates to hold under power; rpm goes up, road speed does not, plates glaze and burn. The most likely cause of your problem is the neutral detente mechanism.

First, get a manual so you know what you're looking at. Locate the large hex fitting between your dipstick and the cam chain adjustor housing; that's the neutral detente screw. Remove it and you'll find a spring and a bullet-shaped piece under it--that's the shift cam stopper that holds the shift cam in neutral. You may need a magnetic probe to lift them out. If the spring's slack or the stopper's either missing or chewed up, you've probably found the source of the grief. If the stopper looks good you can check the spring tension issue by lightly shimming the spring under the screw to add a bit of tension (don't force!), and increasing tension by running the screw down slowly while you check to see if neutral's holding. I wouldn't leave a shim in as a permanent fix--replace the spring.

If the stopper's chewed up, try replacing it; but bear in mind that its seat in the shift cam may also be wallowed out. Replacing the shift cam will involve splitting the cases.

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