Clutch Acting Weird

[SpunkyMonkey]

A couple of days ago I was stopped at a light.  When I let out the clutch and gave it some gas the rear end shuddered for a few seconds turn take off.  It also did it for the next couple of lights. I headed back home and it didn't do it again.  I was thinking splines or universal.

Yesterday I tried to see if I could duplicate it.  I couldn't at first.  I rode for about 40 minutes with no problems with stop and go.  Then in the last 2 miles on the way back to the garage it started doing it again.  It felt like it was shuddering and slipping a little on take-off.  I also noticed a distinct change in my clutch lever feel.  It no longer felt 'right' and I had difficulty switching to neutral.

Looking at other posts, people have had issues with the guts of the clutch lever, but they all seemed to be total loss of clutch or slipping.  I also saw some talk of rivets in the clutch failing.  I assume I should start with the clutch lever, but based on my symptoms does anyone think one is more likely than the other?

[MP]

Easiest things first.

1.  Is the oil fresh?  Change it , unless you just did it.  Try bleeding again if you did.

2.  Replace the bushing in the clutch lever.  As it wears, even a little, it will not pull as far.  might be a problem.  Also, there is a bushing on the other end too that can do that.

After these, I believe you go into the clutch.

MP

[SpunkyMonkey]

The oil is about 2500 miles fresh.  I'll start with the clutch lever and see what is going on there first.  Could the bushing(s) cause the shuddering/slipping symptoms? 

If it is the clutch I will just use my teleporter and switch it out with a new one....     I'm not looking forward to that job if it turns out to be bad.

[NITRO]

I had a clutch bushing that was nearly worn through on my Standard. The clutch lever had a lot of up-and-down slop in it, but I never experienced anything like you're describing.

I would think it had something to do with the clutch fluid as well since it happened as the bike warmed up, but I have no idea.

[Valker]

If you are stopped in first gear, is it really hard to find neutral? Does the bike creep or lurch forward when you go from neutral to first? If yes on these, probably the clutch rivets.

[SpunkyMonkey]

When the bike was warmed up the other day it was very difficult to find neutral.  I just tested again and I had very little problem.  Sometimes in the past I have had trouble finding neutral but just like on other bikes I've owned I let the clutch out just a tiny and can usually find it that way or by moving forward a fraction of an inch.

This valk has always had a slight lurch going from neutral to first.  Just a tiny little pull.  Nothing that really moves you forward more than 1/2 an inch, but noticible.

I bought the bike with 9000 miles on it.  I don't know how it was treated during that period.  There have been times that I have put a lot of torque on it during take off, and a few times that I've roasted the back wheel briefly during acceleration.  One time I did a fairly impressive wheelie considering it is a valk.  So maybe it is my fault.  But those times I could count on the fingers of one hand and have 1 or 2 left over.  I'm a little over 200 pounds, I rarely have a rider that isn't one of my kids, and have never pulled a trailer.

[Valker]

It is not usually an abuse issue. I have 117,000 on mine, weigh over 300#, usually haul a ton of gear and/or a 200+ lbs passenger. I have done a lot of drag strip runs and tons of slow races on my original clutch. Others have been easy on theirs and have replaced them at 30K.

[SpunkyMonkey]

I guess it is just luck of the draw then.  My clutch handle is a little loose, but based on the symptoms I'm thinking it is whatever is sitting in the clutch basket.  A year or so ago I had a brief time when taking off normally where the back end seemed to slip and shudder.  I attributed it to sand on the road.  I say this because I dropped the rear wheel and U-Joint and did an inspection and re-grease.  They looked great at the time.  Maybe that was the first rivet and it got spun out perhaps?

I'm glad my wife has a vehicle too.  My Valk is my primary transportation.  My secondary is a 2001 Ford Ranger.  While coming home tonight after picking up my son from a party my brakes got squishy on my Ford.  By the time I got home I was on the emergency brake.  The back brake lines blew due to rust and I have about a quart of brake fluid in the driveway now.  So that is two.  I wonder what #3 will be?  I'm thinking of stubbing my toe on purpose just to avert a worse #3.

[SpunkyMonkey]

Just wanted to update this topic.  I got my bike back from the mech and it is doing great!  I didn't feel I was qualified to do a clutch but after seeing the parts I might have been able to do it myself.  It looks like the clutch components have totally changed from the original 99 parts.  I'm still extremely happy though.  The mech did it for $349 in parts and $238 labor including driving 52 miles to trailer it and bring it back to his shop.  I suspected rivet plates but the mech said there were no rivet plates according to the parts list.  And that seems to be true now.  When he pulled the clutch out the rivets were sitting in the bottom of the case.  He put the new clutch in and wow what a difference!  Even compared to when I bought the bike originally.