oops...

[RooRoo]

when riding through the country tonight i took an unmarked corner a bit quick and ploughed into a field via a ditch which i seemed to jump into..its all fine but the clutch feels lose when i pull away, im guessing this is because the gearbox hit the floor, theres no crash damage thakfully and the bike runs fine, other than the clutch...how can i fix this?

[steveh]

not really sure but have you tried looking inside the bike, looking at the clutch cable etc.

STeve
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[mr.z]

depending... you might have stretched the clutch cable, you might have meerly knocked it out of adjustment, you could have knocked the clutch controll lever so it seems loose, you might have bent the clutch actuateing arm, or moved it...
the latter two could be semi serious, nothing a competant mechanic couldn't fix easy enough...

glad your ok though, scarey eh?

If you could take a picture of all the "contact" areas it might help diognose your problem...
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Nath]

Unlucky there - Good that nothing bad happened though. As for the clutch, does it seem fine where the cable connects to the lever on the engine casing?


The funny thing is, i almost did a similar thing today. Was enjoying plenty of country roads, and coming back from Southwell i decided to try a corner without slowing down so much. I know i can take them a fair bit faster than i do, but instinct always gets the better of me and i break. I decided to just go into one fast, and force myself to make it. A right hander came up, with a sharp-bend warning sign. It looked a reasonable corner, so slowed down a little bit, to about 50. I'd previously been doing similar kinds of corners at 40ish.

I went in on an adrenaline rush, daring myself not to break... Only i didn't have any choice in the matter - The bend came out onto another bloody road! I slammed on the breaks as soon as i saw the road, but still ended up shooting out onto the far side of it. I wasn't that close to going off into the grass, but if there'd been any cars about... There was one car a bit up the road, pulling in to his drive or something - I bet he had a good laugh, as i'm sure i'm not the first person to be caught out there.

The sign warning of a sharp bend wasn't wrong, it was just bloody stupid! Why would you put up a sign for the bend, but not for the junction which is straight after
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Hard livin', hard luck.

[stinkwheel]

Follow the cable that runs down from the clutch lever. Where it attaches at the engine end, you will see an adjuster nut running through a metal bracket and a short lever that pivots when you pull the clutch. You could have bent one of these or the nut may have loosened off. If it is bent, straighten it, if the nut is loose, adjust it so you have about 4-6mm of free play on the cable before it starts to move the clutch mechanism.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[stinkwheel]

Hmmm, Moral of the story, never rely on roadsigns! If you are not absolutley sure what a corner is doing, slow down to such a speed as you can confidently take evasive action should something unexpected come-up.

This lesson was forcibly reinforced to me at the weekend when i was up in the highlands. I was coming round a corner I had never been on before when what should I see on the apex but a CATTLE GRID!! . No sign, no warning, just a nice wet slippy cattlegrid mid-corner. This caused a moment of panic but riding as I was, at a bit less than flat-out, I had just enough space to pick the bike up straight, bump over the cattle grid then lay it back over again to safely negotiate the corner.

I ride fast but always with a little something left in my pocket on unknown roads, it will keep you alive more than any fancy leathers and expensive helmets.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[mrchips]

Country lanes are a bad job, I near binned it on one and I was only doing 50 tops - sun was blinding me and I didn't see a corner.

[RooRoo]

okay its sorted, tightened clutch cable and its fine! one thing that happens (and always has) is when i pull away in first unless i do it exactly right i get a spluttering sound if the revs are too low/i let the clutch out too quick...is this normal? how can i stop it?

[8316]

maybe you might be to enthusiatic with the clutch release. just whack the throttle to the red line, then dump the clutch, seems to work for me at the lights!
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Now own a Fireblade!! Speed Limits? Bah!

[aqualung1]

rr your problem with riding off from standstill sound smore like basic clutch/throttle controll... smoothness is the trick, come naturallyry soon enough, but all bikes a bit different...

if bike ticks over lumpily a small check, airfilter/plugs may help
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"still no idea where poohsticks bridge is"
www.bosunsbikes.com

[RooRoo]

thanks guys

[RooRoo]

by the way, is your name about aqualung, the band? if so, they're great! seen them live

[stinkwheel]