Newbie with clutch question

GoldenMotor.com

HogDeluxe

New Member
Jul 21, 2010
2
0
0
Murrieta, CA
Hi all,

Well I just finished my first build. An 80cc 2 stroke from Zoom Bicycles. It started and ran right away, runs great. I'm very impressed. The only problem I have is that it takes almost two hands to disengage the clutch. As you know the lever has a lock on it so you can pedal the bike then pull on it and it engages and starts the engine. I have searched all the posts on here but not comfortable with understanding what is actually wrong. How do I fix this so that it's easy to pull from the hand lever? Obviously you want to be able to pull on it and hold it if you're stopped at a light..shft.
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
11
38
San Diego, Kaliforgnia
The clutches sometimes are very hard to operate when new. They get easier to squeeze in as the engine breaks in. Untill then you can lube the clutch cable with a quality lube such as White lightning, Tri-Flow, Bike Aid, or any quality oil. Do NOT use WD40.
Even if you have to use automotive 5w30, it is better than WD40.
Lubing the cable is part of routine maintenance anyways, so the practice won't hurt either.
Also be sure that there are no sharp bends or kinks in the cable as you have it routed along and attached to the bicycle.
 

MotorNut123

New Member
Aug 31, 2010
220
0
0
New York
yea the cables will loosen up nice when its breaking in. i had to readjust my cable a few times but just tighten that bronze cable there that holds the clutch arm really good. i didnt use any lube to loosen up the cable, i just gave it time to loosen up. now its perfect.
 

MotorNut123

New Member
Aug 31, 2010
220
0
0
New York
So I don't need to tear into it to adjust something?

nope you should be good. just let the cable loosen up and break in. i think this is one of the problems for a lot of people. this was also a problem with me when i did my build, but its cause of the poorly written problem.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Only issue I've had with a hard clutch was with one of the kits I have and it was the clutch lever itself, it was a piece of junk and I replaced it with just a standard brake lever and the clutch worked smooth and easy after that, I have 4 engines and none of them have a hard clutch pull they are all very nice, maybe I just got lucky or maybe the engines that BGF sellers just have less trouble in that department, hope you get it figured out and working just right, good luck HogDeluxe