Any motorcycle mechanics around?

[Tiffany]

Looking to find someone who knows bikes pretty well. Well enough to be able to clean and adjust carbs annd possibly replace a clutch on a Kawasaki.

Anyone? Know of anyone?

[JeepWheelin02]

Cleaning and adjusting carbs is actually rather easy to do. Take your gas tank off, pul the carbs, clean them. You wont be able to adjust them properly without them being in the bike and the bike running though. But it is usually just a phillips screw to adjust them. Never done a clutch on a crotch rocket though. They have to many body panels to get in the way for my liking. But it isnt that hard to do one on a cruiser. Best bet would be to take it to a shop I think.

[Tiffany]

Hoping the guys I ride with can help me out, but figured I would ask here

I think I could do the carbs myself with some guidance from someone who has done it before. Clutch, not so much.

[JeepWheelin02]

Carbs are not hard at all. I have taken the carbs off of 6 different bikes and cleaned and adjusted them. Just watch what hoses go where so you can put it back together the same way. Personally I dont think I would attempt a clutch on a sport bike. Just because I have heard horror stories of getting the panels to line back up properly when they are taken off.

[Tiffany]

What panels are you talking about? Fairings and such? Or something else?

Cause I have pulled the fairings off of 3 bikes now and they go back on pretty easily :shrug:

[JeepWheelin02]

Yeah the fairings. Ive never attempted one just was told its a pain in the butt. But if you have done it then a clutch swap shouldnt be that hard either.

[Tiffany]

As far as I can tell, there are only about 6 bolts holding most fairings on... maybe Kawi's are just easier to pull the fairings...I don't know.

[JeepWheelin02]

I think you should give it a shot then. Like I said Carbs are easy, the clutch was fairly simple on my old 78 yamaha as well. But the engine and trans were out of the bike when I did it

[Tiffany]

Hey if you might be interested in helping me with the carbs, one of the bikes I am looking at is in the Springs.

[JeepWheelin02]

When you looking at doing this? I have the rest of this week off til Sat night, then Fri-Sun the next week. Then I start my new job, and will only have weekends off.

[Tiffany]

It will be a bit. Will keep you posted though. If you can help cool, if not, still appreciate the guidance

[JeepWheelin02]

Just let me know when. I use to have a lot of free time but just started a new job so Im down to weekends now........

[Tiffany]

Yeah, I hear ya...baseball season started for my son...doing good to get a free weekend between regular season and tourneys

[Tiffany]

OK, anyone available to help me with this? I have read and re-read the Clymers...still confused.

[salsashark]

Never done it myself, but I'd recommend Supertune Motorsports (http://supertunemotorsports.com/).

The owner's a great guy and knows his stuff. He's setting up the suspension on my zx14 this weekend.

[JeepWheelin02]

Im not doing anything Sunday if you wanna bring it down here. Still just doing the carbs or the clutch as well?

[Camp]

I hate to say it but, Scott, your wrong on the carbs unless you are lucky. Many bikes have multiple carbs and in order to get them to run right, at a minimum you need a multiport vaccum gauge that you can balance them all at the same time. I used to work on bikes in college in a number of shops,doing tune ups and such. I have worked on most stuff out there that was built before about 1996. If you think carbs are easy, try tuning something with a set of flat slide mikuni carbs on it. They will fight you every time.

Tiff, I haven't tuned a bike in years or I would offer to help. I don't think I'm good enough anymore to play with anyones bike but my own :D

[JeepWheelin02]

Yeah I know Camp, every bike I have worked on had at least three carbs except my first one

[Tiffany]

No guys, I got it running...$12 in plugs and she runs.

I need to do the clutch...and I am clueless on it. Well kinda clueless. I took the other one I have apart and see how it works. so I **THINK** I may be able to do it, but would love someone looking over my shoulder to make sure I don't screw things up.

Would love to bring it down to the Springs, but with only 1st gear...kinda hard ;)

[JeepWheelin02]

No guys, I got it running...$12 in plugs and she runs.

I need to do the clutch...and I am clueless on it. Well kinda clueless. I took the other one I have apart and see how it works. so I **THINK** I may be able to do it, but would love someone looking over my shoulder to make sure I don't screw things up.

Would love to bring it down to the Springs, but with only 1st gear...kinda hard ;)

LOL!!!! Trailer it

[Tiffany]

LOL!!!! Trailer it
I would, 'cept my buddy with the trailer and truck is leaving for the holiday weekend tomorrow morning :(

[Camp]

Yeah I know Camp, every bike I have worked on had at least three carbs except my first one


You da man then :flipoff2: I've never had any luck turning multiple carbs by hand. I guess I stink as a mechanic though so, no surprise :D

You guys going to get on that clutch this weekend?

[Tiffany]

I am going to attempt it tonight.

Have to do an oil change to do it so kill two birds with one stone or something.

I opened up the cover and it just smells like burnt up oil...hopefully my tear down of the the other clutch makes this an easy job.

[JeepWheelin02]

You da man then :flipoff2: I've never had any luck turning multiple carbs by hand. I guess I stink as a mechanic though so, no surprise :D

You guys going to get on that clutch this weekend?

Not the man, but it helps that my dad use to build them. Learned from him

[Camp]

Not the man, but it helps that my dad use to build them. Learned from him

Nice, wanna track down the sticking throttle I have on the Duc :D It's not the cable, it is probably the TPS.

[Tiffany]

You all should be so proud of your Canyon Carvers moderator...I replaced the plates and springs and only got two tiny cuts (note to all...when using brake parts cleaner on a clutch cover...try not to get that shit in your tiny cuts).

So anyway, replaced the plates, got the bike to shift in to all gears...now the new problem is this...clutch lever is rock hard and, well, I can't even move it.

Tried to bleed the line, but it didn't work.

Help?

[JeepWheelin02]

Nice, wanna track down the sticking throttle I have on the Duc :D It's not the cable, it is probably the TPS.


Bring it on down to the house we will take a look.

You all should be so proud of your Canyon Carvers moderator...I replaced the plates and springs and only got two tiny cuts (note to all...when using brake parts cleaner on a clutch cover...try not to get that shit in your tiny cuts).

So anyway, replaced the plates, got the bike to shift in to all gears...now the new problem is this...clutch lever is rock hard and, well, I can't even move it.

Tried to bleed the line, but it didn't work.

Help?

Sounds like you need to adjust the cable if the line is fully bled.

[Tiffany]

OK, dumb question of the night/day....what cable?

[JeepWheelin02]

Sorry I was having a dumb moment. There is no cable to track down as it is hydraulic. Im way to tired to think straight right now. Ill give ya something to go on in the morning.

[Tiffany]

:D I'm out there looking at cables going "Huh?"

:lmao:

Going to bleed it again ad see what happens.

[JeepWheelin02]

OK, now that Im awake. Do you have any play in the clutch at all or will it just not move at all? Also sent you a PM.

[Tiffany]

a little play, maybe about half the travel...if that.

[JeepWheelin02]

So little travel in the clutch lever, clutch doesnt engage at all though right?

Could be air in the lines, could be a bad master or slave cylinder, or could be the clutch froze up. Thats all thats crossing my mind at the moment.

Bleed it good, and if that doesnt work, the next easiest thing to try is to see if the clutch froze. This will probably sound crazy but it works. Place your front tire against something that doesnt move, like the side of the house, start the bike up and while its warming up work the clutch as much as you can. when it is warmed up rev it up to about 2500RPM and pull the clutch in as much as possible and step down hard on the shifter into first. Its gotta be quick though. That will usually unstick a frozen clutch. Its a common problem for Honda's, I know yours is a Kaw, but still, if it doesnt then it will probably have to be torn apart again.

[Tiffany]

I can pull the clutch in enough to engage the clutch and shift, but its a gorilla grip to do it.

Give me a few, gotta cook for the impromtu BBQ and then I wil go ride it...see what happens.

[JeepWheelin02]

Was it a brand new clutch that you put into it? If so then take it out and ride it for a while shift as much as possible for a few days and I bet it smooths out.

[Tiffany]

Well had I not left the key in the on position and run the battery down I would be out doing a test ride :mad:

It's charging now and hopefully I can test it out.

Thanks for all the advice so far...

[JeepWheelin02]

No prob. Hope it all works out. Then you can bring it down here and I can take it for a spin, or maybe when I come up to Denver this weekend.............

[Tiffany]

Well me thinks its going to a shop on Thursday :(

I can pop it into gear, release the lever and it just sits there.

Trying to find someone down here who wants some side cash before Thursday or it goes to GrandPrix :(

[JeepWheelin02]

Did you maybe get a bad clutch?

[Camp]

Bring it on down to the house we will take a look.


It will be a couple of weeks but, I will more than likely take you up on that. It is driving me crazy because it happens completely random and is a long time between occurances.

[JeepWheelin02]

Bring me a special somethin when you bring it down......... The last one is almost gone. :D

[Tiffany]

Did you maybe get a bad clutch?
The plates looked good. I think I just don't know WTF I am doing :shrug:

Hoping this kid from NY can hook it up for me for a steak dinner :D

Otherwise Grand Prix gets to bend me over :(

[JeepWheelin02]

The plates looked good. I think I just don't know WTF I am doing :shrug:

Hoping this kid from NY can hook it up for me for a steak dinner :D

Otherwise Grand Prix gets to bend me over :(

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully it all comes out goof for that Steak Dinner.

[Tiffany]

Some guy on a UK site gave me some advice....tear the clutch down again and double check that tha last plate is not still stuck in the basket.

Going to go home and count the plates I took out before I do this, but if that's it...DAMN IT!!!!

[JeepWheelin02]

You can always try taking it out and making sure that is everything is setup correctly. But if you were able to take it out for a ride already since replacing the cluth then Im thinking its something else.

[Tiffany]

No, I couldn't ride it. I can release the clutch, with the bike in gear and running and nothing happens. Doesn't even act like it's gonna die.

I am going to go home and count the plates. It was a pain in the ass to get the old ones out, so it is quite feasible that a plate may have been left in from the old set.

[JeepWheelin02]

Very possible

[Tiffany]

No luck, I counted 15 plates/spacers. 8 plates, 7 spacers.

Have a guy coming over Friday to check it out for me...

[Tiffany]

IT IS ALIVE!!!!

Scott came by last night, had it figured out in about 15 minutes. With the help of jjeepcherokee (Zach) we got the clutch pressure plate on correctly and bleed it.

About to go out for the test ride :D

[JeepWheelin02]

How far was the pressure plate off by?

[Tiffany]

Here is what happened:

I actually did it right...everything was in place as it should be, but for some reason the pressure plate wasnt moving enough to engage the gears.

Scott took the pressure plate off and found that the rod thing was really far out...so we bleed the clutch and it moved in a bit, did it again and it moved in more, one last time and a big squirt of fluid and air finally came out...rod went back in to place and clutch worked as it should.

My thoughts are that when the PO did his low side and reassembled the clutch shifter he somehow got air in the line past the bleeder nipple. So no amount of bleeding at the lever was going to get the air out.

Now it works fine. I just need some new tires now and I am good to go.

Thanks for all the help on this!

[Tiffany]

Just back from the first ride :D Damn thing ain't no 250....that's for damn sure!!!

I just headed over to a BBQ about 10 minutes from the house...bike goes from dead stop to 50 from one side of intersection to the other...will take some getting use to.

Needs a new front tire badly, so no real long rides on gettign on it too hard until I get that done, but...initial thoughts...I LOVE IT!!!!

[JeepWheelin02]

Good, glad you are finally enjoying it.

Now I just need to get me another one.