Trials
Well-known member
Guessing you use 4 fingers to operate your clutch.
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Clutch adjustment woes....
- Thread starter sburns
- Start date
mbroyda
Well-known member
not really, just enjoy pointing out the obvious (to some)
once you figure out how to adjust a clutch we can work on more complicated things like how different forum sections work
sburns
Well-known member
Eh?
I have a 2012 HD Electra Glide. It is in my signature, but I forgot it doesn't show up in the mobile view.
Once you pop the cover and crack the bolt around the adjustment screw, you just back it off then back it on until it "touches".
Not sure what the slotted screw you are referring to though. And the cable is full slack when you do the adjustment in the clutch.
If the clutch is now dragging it can swell the plates and will make it feel all sorts of wrong.
Let it cool overnight. Tomorrow morning roll the bike out on the street (without starting it) and then when you start the bike pull in the clutch first before cranking, and then as soon as it starts while still holding the clutch in shift into 1st gear. If the bike jumps even the slightest the clutch is dragging, and if it's dragging, it will heat up fast..and once it heats up (or overheats) it'll be difficult or impossible to accurately adjust.
On the flipside a slipping clutch is not hard to feel as well - get going in about 4th or 5th gear at a slow cruise and then roll hard into the power - if the RPM's suddenly rev above the road speed, it's slipping. A badly slipping clutch can also heat it up super fast and again make it difficult or impossible to accurately adjust.
Let it cool overnight. Tomorrow morning roll the bike out on the street (without starting it) and then when you start the bike pull in the clutch first before cranking, and then as soon as it starts while still holding the clutch in shift into 1st gear. If the bike jumps even the slightest the clutch is dragging, and if it's dragging, it will heat up fast..and once it heats up (or overheats) it'll be difficult or impossible to accurately adjust.
On the flipside a slipping clutch is not hard to feel as well - get going in about 4th or 5th gear at a slow cruise and then roll hard into the power - if the RPM's suddenly rev above the road speed, it's slipping. A badly slipping clutch can also heat it up super fast and again make it difficult or impossible to accurately adjust.
sburns
Well-known member
Yup full hands on that one. It's kinda a heavy clutch (HD) so I am not sure 2 fingering it would work well. Plus the lever does go out far, even for me with larger hands. I could try the inner fingers to make the travel "shorter" closer to the pivot of the lever, I guess.
If that is what you are hinting at?
2 fingers?? maybe it's time to adjust my clutch too!
Trials
Well-known member
Typically people who clutch with 4 fingers need the clutch to hurry up and engage so they can grasp the grip, people who clutch with one or two fingers are using the friction zone later in the lever operating range, it pays to always have a good grip on the grips.
... still think you should custom bend a set of those cheap stock harley levers, also if you move the levers in on the bars you can get way better purchase on the lever, move it in on the bars far enough and you effectively have shorty levers that you can operate with 2 fingers and retain 2 on the bars
after extensive clutch finger exercises.
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Riceburner
Well-known member
Not to hijack the thread, but have used 2 fingers on all my bikes for decades. Even with aftermarket "race" springs in my sport bike, still 2 fingers. Same for brake. Only time I use more fingers is at the end of a long day of riding with lots of gear changes.
Never had to pull a HD clutch.
Never had to pull a HD clutch.
sburns
Well-known member
Ok I went and tried again and .....I got it! Finally!
I reviewed the videos, the info here, and once I got to the adjuster screw played around with the "touch" finding what I felt was correct, and backed off from there. I believe I had not backed off enough the previous times.
Thanks everyone for the assist, all good now the bike feels "alive" again, like it wants to go when it engages.
I reviewed the videos, the info here, and once I got to the adjuster screw played around with the "touch" finding what I felt was correct, and backed off from there. I believe I had not backed off enough the previous times.
Thanks everyone for the assist, all good now the bike feels "alive" again, like it wants to go when it engages.
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