Honda-SOHC

SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB500/550 => Topic started by: masonmart on October 01, 2016, 03:07:38 PM

Title: Heavy clutch
Post by: masonmart on October 01, 2016, 03:07:38 PM

As I mentioned I'm putting together a Dresda lightweight with a big bore kitted CB500 engine and had to fully disassemble the engine as the crankcase was cracked in several places. Anyway, it's together and I've now managed to get a Magura clutch lever on, fit a cable and get the cltch operating. The cable and actuation seem fine but the lever needs a lot of force to operate it. A question for you good folk, were the clutches heavy? If not what could cause the heaviness other than say heavy springs? Did people put heavy springs in?

I called a lad who advertised a late CB550/4 in Old Bike Mart this morning. £2100 and looked good but somebody'd agreed to take it. That's a lot of bike for the money.

Title: Re: Heavy clutch
Post by: Colonial-Clive (yindi) on October 01, 2016, 08:37:37 PM

I had 500 with 600 bore and Barnett clutch and Suzuki titan 500 springs cloths was heaven but not to bad, having said that it kept snapping the clutch push rod after replacing a few times I just went back to standard Honda set up, it coped well enough for the increases in cc's.

Title: Re: Heavy clutch
Post by: Bryanj on October 02, 2016, 01:44:13 AM

Bad pushrod, bad adjuster mechanism or kinked, badly routed or old cable are the normal faults. They are not as light as the modern clutches but should not be that heavy

Title: Re: Heavy clutch
Post by: paulbaker1954 on October 02, 2016, 08:24:55 AM

There is a known mod to fit heavier springs to prevent slop. I have these on my Four and yes it does make the feel of the lever quite a lot harder compared to the stock springs

It may be possible this mod has been done to your engine

What I don't have is the spec for each of the springs so you could try to check them

Title: Re: Heavy clutch
Post by: Noelia on October 02, 2016, 09:26:50 PM

It has been a nightmare for me, I had the same problem but I am running a stock 500 engine.

Also stock lever.

I changed the Cable for a new genuine Honda one,check cable route,  check push rod, changed the entire clutch mechanism for a new one and still my clutch is hard rock plus it doesn't clutch properly. I have also changed the springs for softer ones and the only thing I did was worsening my problem with the skipping gears... so please if you find the solution let me know. I'm about to push the bike down the cliffs


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Title: Re: Heavy clutch
Post by: florence on October 03, 2016, 08:55:45 AM

i Have the opposite problem.  The standard clutch is too light and slips under hard acceleration, very annoying when overtaking.  I have considered putting heavier springs into clutch basket.  What do people do when they race them?
 

Title: Re: Heavy clutch
Post by: Noelia on October 03, 2016, 07:55:27 PM

Quote from: Oddjob on October 02, 2016, 10:13:40 PM

Noelia it may be an idea to swap the entire clutch basket complete with plates. It's possible that the basket is binding with the clutch inner or even with the plates themselves.

I gave a complete clutch away a few months ago to Dave from Warrington, I've probably got another lying around if your interested. After that you've really changed everything that it could be.

Oddjob I have sent you a pm
Is weird because we emptied the oil and inspect the clutch basket and there is not even wear on it, no marks at all from the discs.

The only think we found is the springs to be heavier but changed them for soft ones.


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Title: Re: Heavy clutch
Post by: florence on October 04, 2016, 09:22:46 AM

Quote from: Oddjob on October 03, 2016, 09:54:49 AM

Have a look at this post Florence.

http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,10196.msg73051.html#msg73051

Thank you very much Oddjob, I had missed that thread.  I think it is worth a try, I'll wait for the weather to get bad then pull it apart.

Title: Re: Heavy clutch
Post by: Rumpelkrankshaft on October 05, 2016, 09:37:09 PM

If you're after a 550/4 drop me a PM.