Next to impossible to dis-engage clutch

GoldenMotor.com

rignig

New Member
Nov 23, 2010
2
0
0
florida
First build but I have a decent amount of mechanical ability. Also If I am posting this in the wrong section I am sorry.

I am having the hardest time squeezing the handle to my clutch. I heard it is harder then other bikes and it takes time to loosen up but this is bad. My hand hurts from squeezing it. It is not a cable problem as that is fine, and the clutch works, when I can squeeze it tight enough. Is there any other adjustments I can make to make it easier to squeeze. It is a RAW motor but they all seems to be set up the same. Thanks for any help
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Rignig,
Start of with routing your clutch cabel with no sharp bends or kinks. Lubricate the cabel inside the housing as well as the moving parts inside the clutch actuator cover and handlebar lever. There is a cam, pin and ball bearing that need lubrication. If you've done these things then there is a modification that will make clutch actuation easier. The pin which protrudes from the center of the drive sprocket comes from the factory very rough on the end which contacts the cam. It and the cam need to be smoothed as perfectly as you can make them. This is a load bearing surface and any reduction in friction there will decrease the amount of force required to disengage the clutch.
In addition leverage is an issue here. The longer your clutch lever (handlebar) the less force is required to move the clutch. If your kit supplied clutch lever is short then look for a longer lever at a bike or motorcycle shop to replace it. Hope these suggestions put you on the right track. Let us know.
Tom
 

rignig

New Member
Nov 23, 2010
2
0
0
florida
Thanks for the advice, I have tried all those thing except smoothing the cam, I read there is a larger spring that can be adjusted inside the clutch by (bad terms) taking out the cable guide and putting an allen wrench in the hole while turning the sprocket. Has any one have any success with that. And if so how many turns and in what directions?



Rignig,
Start of with routing your clutch cabel with no sharp bends or kinks. Lubricate the cabel inside the housing as well as the moving parts inside the clutch actuator cover and handlebar lever. There is a cam, pin and ball bearing that need lubrication. If you've done these things then there is a modification that will make clutch actuation easier. The pin which protrudes from the center of the drive sprocket comes from the factory very rough on the end which contacts the cam. It and the cam need to be smoothed as perfectly as you can make them. This is a load bearing surface and any reduction in friction there will decrease the amount of force required to disengage the clutch.
In addition leverage is an issue here. The longer your clutch lever (handlebar) the less force is required to move the clutch. If your kit supplied clutch lever is short then look for a longer lever at a bike or motorcycle shop to replace it. Hope these suggestions put you on the right track. Let us know.
Tom
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Thanks for the advice, I have tried all those thing except smoothing the cam, I read there is a larger spring that can be adjusted inside the clutch by (bad terms) taking out the cable guide and putting an allen wrench in the hole while turning the sprocket. Has any one have any success with that. And if so how many turns and in what directions?
I'm not a big fan of loosening the clutch spring. That usually results in premature clutch pad wear if loosened too much. The key to reducing clutch pull is to take all the friction and slack out of the cable and linkage. There are some good ideas that members have used to accomplish this. Start by eliminating the small kit supplied spring that the instructions show to install between the end of the cable and the clutch actuator arm. It serves no purpose except to increase resistance. Take some time and use the search feature and you'll find lots of reading about this subject. Also take a look in the Swap & Shop section at what a couple of members have offered in the way of clutch cable modifications that will help to decrease the force needed to disengage the clutch. One of those is a pully design intended to allow the cable to run around a wheel instead of encountering the friction normally seen where the cable leaves the guide on the engine case. Good luck.
Tom