How much freeplay to you give your clutch handle? | GTAMotorcycle.com

How much freeplay to you give your clutch handle?

vvMINOvv

vvMINOvv

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I know it's a matter of preference really, but I just bought a bike, and its previous owner had it set with practically no freeplay. Just though it was kinda curious.

I like mine with tonnes of freeplay, it tightens it up and makes it almost trigger sensitive.

How do you guys like it?

sent from my wondrous contraption
 
personal preference. I like mine with almost no free play
 
I've always hated clutches that are at the beginning or end of travel -- Prefer mine in the middle or first 1/4th of the travel.
 
I have tons and tons of freeplay in mine, so that as soon as the bar comes off the grip it's engaging the clutch :) every time I have it in for service I hang a sign off my clutch that says "adjust me and I won't pay"
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How to set proper freeplay:

[video=youtube;eRBGiTrpp7I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRBGiTrpp7I[/video]

-Jamie M.
 
toysareforboys said:
I have tons and tons of freeplay in mine, so that as soon as the lever comes off the grip it's engaging the clutch :) every time I have it in for service I hang a sign off my clutch that says "adjust me and I won't pay"
throttle.gif




-Jamie M.
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So then your clutch doesn't completly disengage and you like replacing clutches? There's a spec that your clutch should be adjusted within so you get full engagement/disengagement. Too loose is just as bad as too tight and you either have or need an aftermarket adjustable lever to make your desired clutch action work properly.
 
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dricked said:
So then your clutch doesn't completly disengage and you like replacing clutches? There's a spec that your clutch should be adjusted within so you get full engagement/disengagement. Too loose is just as bad as too tight and you either have or need an aftermarket adjustable lever to make your desired clutch action work properly.
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It doesn't try and walk when I kick it from N to 1st so I doubt it's dragging very much if at all. I had 42k km's on my 08 R6 when I wrote it off, clutch was adjusted like that from day 1, lots of burn outs, clutch wheelies, etc. never an issue with the clutch.

I have to run aftermarket levers always, if you try and dial that much free play into a stock lever either it'll run out of adjustment before I get it where I want, and it'll be super sloppy and just flop around. Aftermarket levers work great even with tons of freeplay :)

-Jamie M.
 
toysareforboys said:
...every time I have it in for service I hang a sign off my clutch that says "adjust me and I won't pay"
throttle.gif
Click to expand...

I should make a sign too. Got my tires changed at Rosey Toe's last year and one of the guys adjusted my clutch as a "favour" way too loose.
I like mine tight. It has maybe 2mm or less of free play at the pivot end.
 
toysareforboys said:
I have to run aftermarket levers always, if you try and dial that much free play into a stock lever either it'll run out of adjustment before I get it where I want, and it'll be super sloppy and just flop around. Aftermarket levers work great even with tons of freeplay :)

-Jamie M.[/]

I wouldn't know, never tried the squidly clutch lever adjustment. I'd probably get my *** whopped off the line, or loop it out. Btw 10-15mm measured from the handlebar to the end of the lever is the amount of free play that is reccomended from most manufacturers.
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AF4iK said:
I should make a sign too. Got my tires changed at Rosey Toe's last year and one of the guys adjusted my clutch as a "favour" way too loose.
I like mine tight. It has maybe 2mm or less of free play at the pivot end.
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+1 same here.
 
I keep mine set up pretty much to "spec". Has enough slack that I can fit a dime in the gap between the lever and the perch when the slack in the line gets taken up. This makes it easier to have clutch control immediately if I need it, to feather it out of a deep sand corner, or when I need to brake tap to get the front of the bike down in the air.
The street bike, I keep it set up the same way. Don't have to pull the clutch in very far to get engagement, but keep enough slack in it so I know the clutch isn't slipping with the lever out.
 
I had a clutch replaced because it wasn't set right at the factory/dealership (they're out of business now).

Almost, had to do it again, because the place that fixed it was rushed, even though they had the bike for a month or two and a week or two's notice as to when I was picking it up.

There was an adjustment bolt under the clutch/sprocket cover, that needed two nuts tightened, that weren't.
 
Baggsy said:
I had a clutch replaced because it wasn't set right at the factory/dealership (they're out of business now).
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Just so people are clear, having no/negative freeplay will wreck your clutch quick, where as way too much freeplay, not so much ;)

-Jamie M.
 
toysareforboys said:
Just so people are clear, having no/negative freeplay will wreck your clutch quick, where as way too much freeplay, not so much ;)

-Jamie M.
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This is correct, you always need free play.
I personally have mine set with the smallest amount of free play possible. Like 1mm :D It doesn't matter if you have 1mm or 10mm, as long as the clutch cable is "relaxed" when the clutch lever is released.

I prefer to shift with 1 or 2 fingers and never want to pull it in all the way to the bars. This crushes my other fingers :)
I highly recommend investing in some adjustable levers such as pazzos :)
 
amp3d said:
This is correct, you always need free play.
I personally have mine set with the smallest amount of free play possible. Like 1mm :D It doesn't matter if you have 1mm or 10mm, as long as the clutch cable is "relaxed" when the clutch lever is released.

I prefer to shift with 1 or 2 fingers and never want to pull it in all the way to the bars. This crushes my other fingers :)
I highly recommend investing in some adjustable levers such as pazzos :)
Click to expand...
I kinda use it the opposite way. I have enough free play so that when I pull the lever tight to my fingers, the clutch is barely disengaged. Of course when released, the lever only goes out half way (which is fine with aftermarket levers). I find I can shift much quicker with it set like this, so I just do a quick hard pull and it's the minimum amount of distance it has to travel to disengage and engage, and I don't need to pay attention to how far I'm pulling it, it's perfect every time :D

-Jamie M.
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