undr_psi Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 i noticed a pretty loud "clunk" and a bit of a forward jump shifting from N to 1st. bike doesnt feel like it wants to pull or anything with the clutch still held in. its always made some noise but this seems louder then before and its never jolted like that before. i got the bike home and up on a rear stand, start it pull the clutch in and shift from n to 1st..same sound and the wheel moves for a sec, let off the clutch..wheel spins..pull the clutch back in and the wheel doesnt want to stop untill i shift back to N. i played with the cable adjustment a little and it got a little better. i did notice a burnt clutch smell a few days ago but it came and went so fast i couldnt tell if it was me or a car infront of me. doesnt feel like its slipping or anything. also theres a bit of a rattle in N with the clutch lever out..pull it in and it goes away. sounds like a throwout barring in a car. any ideas or advice..im really trying to learn how to do all this stuff but its hard when your a nooooob. thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Likwid Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Don't a lot of bikes make a distinctive clunk when shifted into 1st? Granted this sounds abnormal, isn't SOME clunk normal? Pauley? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Butters Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 every bike ive ridden has clunked slightly from N to first, dirt and street....even cars do this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undr_psi Posted April 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 like i said..its always made a clunk...just not this loud and never jolted before. the previous owner wasn't the best on upkeep so I've put a lot of time in trying to get it back to where it should be. but with 34k+(according to the clock, actual is unknown) it may just be time to put a clutch in it..since i doubt its ever had one put in or at least have someone that knows what there doing try to adjust it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 check to make sure your clutch cable is properly adjusted. when mine was going bad it was not disengaging 100%, causing hard shifting and creeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Butters Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 like i said..its always made a clunk...just not this loud and never jolted before. the previous owner wasn't the best on upkeep so I've put a lot of time in trying to get it back to where it should be. but with 34k+(according to the clock, actual is unknown) it may just be time to put a clutch in it..since i doubt its ever had one put in or at least have someone that knows what there doing try to adjust ityea if the clunking is getting harder then, it could possibly be clutch related...like IP said, an adjustment might need to be made or else it might be time for a clutch.... 34k is a good run on a stock clutch though anyways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSB67 Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 A clunk and even a bit of a forward jolt is normal. It is the inertia of your drivetrain that was spinning in neutral coming to a sudden halt. If it doesn't try to creep with the clutch in I wouldn't worry too much about it.A fully disengaged clutch will spin the rear wheel on the stand just due to the viscosity of the oil between the plates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad324 Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 check to make sure your clutch cable is properly adjusted. when mine was going bad it was not disengaging 100%, causing hard shifting and creeping.this happened on my 636 and it drove me nuts thinking the trans was going with only 3k on the clock....thankfully my buddy told me about this and adjusted it for me while I was out of town Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkow97 Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 I agree with what has already been said, and add that this is especially common when the bike is first started.Unless you're riding a Duc with a dry clutch, the clutch shares its oil with the engine. If the bike's been sitting, all the oil is sitting in the oil pan. It's not going to circulate until the clutch is actually rotating, and has been engaged for a few seconds.Kawsakis seem to "clunk" into 1st more than other bikes I've ridden, but that may just be because mine was 15 years old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaNick Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 All my kawis always clunck from N to 1 and lurch fwd/down....so it feels that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Likwid Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Kawasaki clunks more than normal because of the positive neutral finderThe transmission is equipped with a positive neutral finder. When the motorcycle is standing still, the transmission cannot be shifted past neutral from 1st gear. To use the positive neutral finder, shift down to 1st gear, then lift up on the shift pedal while standing still. The transmission will shift only into neutral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 how does that cause more clunking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
614busa Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Check your kush drives or maybe a bent shift shaft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaler Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 If your chain is getting worn out or is loose (past acceptable deflection), it will make this clunk appear worse because there is more drive lash to take up.Check Chain FirstVerify how much free play is at the clutch lever (no more than a penny between the stay and the lever before engagement).Kush Drive would be nextIn all likely hood, the bike has decent miles on it, and it is a combination of all of the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaNick Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Did you know BK's fish sandwich in the 80's was called the WHALER? -useless fact. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildit Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Yeah, a lot of possibilities for a clunky shift. But you can check the easy ones like Kush drive, chain tension/condition, clutch cable condition pretty easily. Another thought is oil type being used. On a wet clutch some oils can increase friction. I hear this mostly for oils not designed for bikes but have never experienced it myself.As for bikes that simply go clunk, ever try a BMW GS1200? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaler Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Did you know BK's fish sandwich in the 80's was called the WHALER? -useless fact.I did....and another useless factMy name was created by my 9th grade algebra teacher. She thought I was making fun of my best friend (still is) by calling him bacon (he had this nick name since like 1st grade because he always smelled like bacon in the morning)...anyway she said what if someone called you "whaler" (last name is Taylor) all the time, how would that make you feel? We laughed and the name stuck. Some 20 years later, and there are still old acquaintances that only know me by whaler.Useless 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildit Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 How could you resist sayin, "Call me Ishmael"? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaNick Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 I did....and another useless factMy name was created by my 9th grade algebra teacher. She thought I was making fun of my best friend (still is) by calling him bacon (he had this nick name since like 1st grade because he always smelled like bacon in the morning)...anyway she said what if someone called you "whaler" (last name is Taylor) all the time, how would that make you feel? We laughed and the name stuck. Some 20 years later, and there are still old acquaintances that only know me by whaler.Useless That was funny. +rep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSVDon Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 The 'priller will literally jump out from under you when engaging first if you aren't holding the brakes when it's cold. Damn Barnett race clutch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaNick Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 The 'priller will literally jump out from under you when engaging first if you aren't holding the brakes when it's cold. Damn Barnett race clutch...Yeah, all my bikes were worse when cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSVDon Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Yeah, all my bikes were worse when cold.Mine actually makes it hard to find neutral/engage gears. The things I put up with for my Italian mistress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSVDon Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 OP, adjust your clutch cable and see if that does anything for the clutch drag. If it's a hydraulic clutch...yeah, have fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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