Clutch help

[garyboy]

most stuff been covered already

check free play gap, clutch hand lever / to hand lever body .. this Must be right , usually about 5mm at the cable-showing bit, but is sometimes quoted as end of hand lever, by Honda. .. try to adjust it to max gap, see how it works (or not) and then reduce the gap by adjusting. ... sounds simple but clutch wont be right otherwise.

if no difference, try to adjust the free play gap using the main adjuster near the cable end lever on top of the casing. .. if it has an adjuster nut. ... both ends of the cable will then need adjusting again.

if this dont work, or it has no adjusters .. you then need to go inside the casing (I wont mention oil)
there is usually a lever outside the casing, on top, and this needs to be in the correct position .. the shaft it drives can rotate and needs to be set in the correct position (usually) to push the pressure plate fully in (or out on some bikes?)
On my crf250L i followed the honda instructions and it didnt work, as the top lever was now set in the wrong place .. so i just f***kd around with it and hoped for the best (my usual standard of mechanical endeavour) and managed to get it so it worked (sods law in reverse) .. I also checked that little ball thing with a spring, on the push shaft, and put it in the correct position (long side v short side of spring) ..... when it looked like it would work i put it all back together and it Did Work lol
It was in the correct position.
I dont know if this is relevant but it could be ....

((I had altered the starting position of the top lever on the casing))

the rest ... make sure it is all to spec ... like blueprinting .. check all the plates and friction plates, all other plates or judder plates or wotever, re assemble carefully, and make sure the springs are to spec, maybe buy some HD strong springs? .. and adjust the 4 bolts to torque ... wot i do is use hand torque estimate, as it is steel bolts into ali aloy, and going to spec may strip the threads ... i push in the pressure plate a bit to make sure you get full thread length/torque, with being free of pressure from the springs???

i not sure if i is right, just going from memory, but some part of this may help .. good luck

[Godspeed]

Hey Bren, I’m really sorry I haven’t said anything before or rather didn’t realise this was to do with the XR125L.
Unfortunately the bite is as you said at the beginning. I changed plates, cables, springs etc and it didn’t change anything at all.
According to a few other owners, that just seems to be where it is
Cheers

[daveuprite]

Another thing you can try. Remove the clutch and friction plates, and soak them in coca-cola for half an hour. It has to be a brand new bottle, with all its fizz. This is by far the best use of cola. For goodness sake do not ingest the coca-cola, regardless of anything Donald Trump might say. It's dangerous stuff and will rot your teeth and your guts. Apparently some people drink the stuff, but just say no. You will need thick rubber gloves, an oxygen-fed mask and take a shower straight afterwards.

Then take each steel plate and gently use a high grade number sandpaper (wet) to sand them - on something flat. Clean the toxic coke off the plates, soak the plates in whatever oil you are using and reassemble the clutch. This can remove some of the grabby-ness and judder, helps you find neutral when the bike's running and prevents forward creep in gear when the clutch is pulled in. I know it's obvious, but make sure you put the plates back in the right order.

[Brenhden]

Hey Bren, I’m really sorry I haven’t said anything before or rather didn’t realise this was to do with the XR125L.
Unfortunately the bite is as you said at the beginning. I changed plates, cables, springs etc and it didn’t change anything at all.
According to a few other owners, that just seems to be where it is
Cheers

That sucks! There must be a way to improve it!

[Tramp]

Would changing to a longer actuator arm help as it would give more travel... A trick used on bikes with heavy clutches to make it lighter at bar end... Lots of xr250 etc do it... Simple swap... Surely the clutch can be feathered in... And not brutal as you have now..

Best of luck..

[Snaf MKII]

I'm a little confused is the clutch biting early or late in the lever stroke? The first post and Godspeeds posts seem to contradict.

[garyboy]

Early if you pulling the lever in
Late if you letting the lever out

[Brenhden]

I'm a little confused is the clutch biting early or late in the lever stroke? The first post and Godspeeds posts seem to contradict.

Very late, like the plates are worn.

[Brenhden]

Ok, so new update.

Whilst my little girl sat on a deck chair listening to Harry Potter audiobook I drained the damn oil and dismantled the frikken foot brake and cracked it open forgetting to sort the bolts onto their cardboard template. Grrr!

I got the new springs out and found one of them was a bit kinked. So put the old ones back in. While I was at it I put the old cable back on. Put it back together (testing the bolts for fit) and found the clutch was now jammed. Swearing furiously under my breath, (while Harry battled the Hungarian Horntail) I opened it up again, remembering the template, and poked the actuator until it worked. I also backed the spring bolts off half a turn. Back together again and re oiled and the judder is gone and I think there is more feel.
Maybe Cornwall is possible after all

[Asgard]

I also backed the spring bolts off half a turn

P.S. Sorry, I should explain the shock smilie.....

The spring bolts need to be nipped right up till they bottom out on the four pegs on the basket, they are not an adjustable component ........................were they done right up on your first investigation of the clutch?