New to forum and need advice

[Tadow]

Hi, everyone. I am new to the forum and a new owner of an '86 ZL 600 which I love. I'm also a newer rider. This is my first bike and I'm not a mechanic. My bike runs well, has the typical 24,000 miles on it. My problem is the cutch lever is pretty stiff. It's workable but I do most of my riding in town where I have to shift gears a lot so it doesn't make things easy. Is there any way to make the clutch work better? Could there be a problem with the clutch springs? There's nothing wrong when I ride the motorcycle so I don't think there's clutch issues but I am by no means a mechanic.
Oh, I had all fluids replaced and a new brake line installed b/c the old one was bad. I also had the clutch line looked at and no problems there. Wondering if this is something I just have to live with or someone I can take this to who knows something. Thanks.

 

[furchin]

A few things come to mind. First, make sure that your clutch is properly adjusted for engagement and disengagement. Should be something in your owners manual to reference this I would think. If not, check the download section of the forum and get the shop manual. Second, I would check to see if the mounting bolt and nut on the clutch lever perch are not overly tightened. Back the nut off a half turn and see if that helps. Third, squirt some WD-40 into the pivot point at the bolt and nut that I mentioned and squeeze it several times to work the lubricant around. Lastly, maybe your clutch cable has some rust buildup inside the sheathing preventing smooth operation. Might have to replace the cable. Good Luck.

 

[DesktopDave]

+1 on the above advice. If the cable adjuster nuts are overtightened at either end, it'll bind up the cable. It can't be the clutch springs - if they're failing the clutch will slip. I'd be tempted to take the lever apart, re-adjust it, and lube it up a little. I like to use white lithium grease on controls like the clutch levers, brake pedal, etc. Although it's a bit messy, it's water-resistant and tends to stay where you put it.

Lihium grease won't work on the cable sheath, however. Squirt a thin penetrating oil into the cable ends and work it in ("3-in-1 Oil" is excellent for this, WD40 and Deep Creep will work too). It's hard to get anything to flow through there - bowden cables like these can be professionally lubed at any good bicycling shop.

I noted that your clutch cable is zip-tied to your frame. That's usually OK, but if the zip-ties have kinked the cable it'll be part of the trouble. Higher mileage bikes can also have troubles with wear on the clutch components (basket fingers, pushrod, etc.), but your mileage is likely too low for that.

One more thing - I don't mean to get pushy with advice, and I know you're not a mechanic, but I'd strongly recommend that you get familiar with basic maintenance on the bike. Owners manual sort of stuff; lubrication, adjusting the controls, replacing fuses, etc.. We're here for advice if you run into trouble. None of us knew what we were doing once upon a time! BTW, the tools you need to do this are in the bike's toolkit. If you don't have a set of mechanic's tools, go to a local auto parts store and pick up a cheap 70-ish piece set of metric tools. You can do almost every job on this bike with very basic tools, and they'll save you a lot of money. Even if you decide not to work on the bike yourself, download the service manual from this site for reference - it gives you more knowledge about this bike than you will ever need.

 

[Tadow]

Thanks Fur and Dave. I have the supplemental service manual. I'll have to check out the download section to see if I need others. I am a little hesitant to take things apart unless I break something but I do have a buddy who has an auto shop and he just got his first cruiser this past summer so maybe he can walk me through some things. I have two young kids and a hubby that take up a lot of my time too. I'd love to spend hours on my bike, learning the ropes, and I plan to get more familiar with it, time is of the essence as well. The advice on here really helps. Thanks!

 

[Tadow]

P.s. The zip ties came off yesterday. I do have some lube stuff I bought and I used that but didn't help much. I bought a new clutch cable and I may just install it to see if that helps. I did loosen the nut behind the clutch lever too and that helped a little. So I'll switch out the cable to see if that helps.

 

[furchin]

Another thing that I thought of after looking at your pics is that maybe somehow the clutch cable isn't operating smoothly because of the handlebars that are on your bike. They are not stock for the year. The stock bars should have more of an upswing to them and yours are more shaped like drag bars that are used on the 90's year models. I realize this may be far fetched but seeing how the difference in bars requires a different part number for the cable it may be plausible. I don't have a 90's cable in front of me to check the radius of the bend in the metal sheath at the handlebar side to see how it compares to the 80's model bend. The 80's cable has a fairly acute bend in it. What I'm getting at is the difference in the angle of the bend may be contributing to the problem of the hard pull while on the drag style bars. I know it's a shot in the dark but maybe worthwhile looking into.

 

[HilbillyRokstar]

Also..it is worth it to me to have a cable luber. I always keep one around. If your local shop doesn't have one, you can get one on Ebay or elsewhere for about $8. http://www.ebay.com/itm/221351209363

 

[DesktopDave]

Older cables also tend to cut into the inner lining of the sheath. Hopefully the new cable will solve your problems. Mine's pretty heavy too, it's a common complaint on these bikes.

Eliminators are excellent for shorter riders, aren't they? I'm a bit too tall for my 600, but I bought it specifically for a friend of mine. If he doesn't like it, I'll ride it around until I find the perfect rider for it.

 

[HilbillyRokstar]

600s are perfect for smaller riders. The 900 and 1000 fit my 5'11" frame perfectly.

 

[Tadow]

Yes, the handlebars on my 600 are not stock. The PO tried to do quite a few mods, although they're not too noticeable (see pics in album) he even lowered the rear of the bike so yes, it is perfect for a shorter rider like me at 5'6". My bike has 24,000 miles on it and other than the stiff clutch issue, she runs great. I was having a lot of gas vapor smell from my bike but now I've had the petcock on Res when parked and I don't smell it so much. Yesterday, I forgot to take it off Res when I went for a ride (not sure what that does) but it ran fine. It was a short ride and now it's finally raining a little here in Cali so I won't be riding for a few days.
Thanks for the cable lube tool link. Didn't know they made those. I'll have to try it out.

 

[kawboy]

Can you disconnect the cable at the clutch end? That would allow you work the cable only, taking the clutch itself out of the equation.

 

[HilbillyRokstar]

All reserve does is give go access to the last 3/4 gal or so of gas in your tank. You want to leave it in the run position normally so you will have a little bit of fuel in the tank before you run out! Prime is the other option. It is there to fill the carbs quicker in the case that they have been drained..or fuel is not pumping due to poor vacuum.

 

[Tadow]

Thanks, Billy. That's what I figured about the reserve tank. I'm surprised how small the tank is. I only get a little over 1.5 gallons each time I fill up.

 

[HilbillyRokstar]