clutch lever free play

[torpesco]

The friction zone on my clutch seems to be right at the outside -- essentially no free play on the lever.  I adjusted the cable using the adjuster on the lever and that basically resulted in the lever being sloppy at the outside until coming in far enough to actually start pulling the cable.

Before I waste time playing around with the adjuster at the clutch-end of the cable, can anyone tell from what I've described if it'll make a difference?  Or will it just result in sloppiness again?  Please tell me it will work and that I'm not seeing a sign of the clutch approaching its end of life...

[clarkdw]

Hold the arm on the top of the clutch cover and move the clutch lever. You should have a little movement of the arm before the clutch lever gets any pressure. My clutch lever moves about 3/4 in  19mm before it starts to get hard. The arm on the top of the clutch cover has about 1/8in  3 or 4mm of freeplay. If you don't have the freeplay in the arm then your cable is binding and that will wear the clutch as it will never fully engage. Won't hurt to lube it anyway. Other possibility is it is adjusted too tight and needs more freeplay. The clutch disengages very quickly ie: with little movement of the clutch lever once it is past the freeplay. That is normal.

Unless the bike has very high mileage or heavy abuse the clutch shouldn't be bad. The clutch is out of the much more powerfull 600 bikes so the little 400 in the CB-1 doesn't work it hard.

[torpesco]

(Can you tell this is my first bike? )

To make sure I'm understanding correctly... that 1/8" of freeplay at the clutch should translate into nearly 3/4" at the lever?  (Having 3/4" at the lever would be beautiful...)  Given the little I know of the bike's history and from what you describe, my first guess would be cable binding -- but I had the bike stored over the winter after buying it (couldn't take a riding course until late Feb.), and I would have hoped the dealer's search for repairs to charge me for would have turned that one up.

The bike is at around 24000 miles.

Thanks again.

[torpesco]

Heh.  Just noticed you're in Ontario -- make that 38500km.

[clarkdw]

(Can you tell this is my first bike? )

To make sure I'm understanding correctly... that 1/8" of freeplay at the clutch should translate into nearly 3/4" at the lever?  (Having 3/4" at the lever would be beautiful...)  Given the little I know of the bike's history and from what you describe, my first guess would be cable binding -- but I had the bike stored over the winter after buying it (couldn't take a riding course until late Feb.), and I would have hoped the dealer's search for repairs to charge me for would have turned that one up.

The bike is at around 24000 miles.

Thanks again.

If you can't get enough freeplay with the adjuster at the lever, you may have to shorten the cable at the clutch end of the cable adjuster. You are understanding correctly. The freeplay at the arm just insures that the clutch isn't being held partially disengaged and wearing the clutch and or linkages.

[torpesco]

Cable binding.  I adjusted the lever end all the way back in and was able to pull on the clutch arm and draw enough cable through that the lever no longer slopped around.  Went out and bought a cable care kit... so hopefully once the lube is applied that'll be the end of it.

Thanks again for the advice.