Urgent help needed please!

[Supermotoman9...]

Im going to go see a bike that im looking to buy today, it's a cpi SM50 (2007). It needs a bit of work doing on it, mostly which I can do myself(Gear selector lever, Indicator relay, high beam bulb) but it also has a clutch problem. The person selling it said his mechanical minded friend said it is most likely the clutch plates, he told me when the clutch is released in gear nothing happens but the clutch cable assembly seams to be working. Im looking for any ideas of what else this could be and also an idea of costs. These bikes usually go for 800-850 in full working order from what I can see and this one is going for around 470(hopefully lower with a bit of haggling) hence the work it needs doing. The engine on these bikes is called a minerelli AM6. Some quick replys would be good as i've arranged a viewing later on today. Thanks in advance

[gavcarter]

usually a nackered set of plates only makes the drive slip. ( imagine riding round with the clutch slightly pulled in and you will be on the right track) TO have no drive at all would indicate either a gearbox problem ( not actually in gear ) or they have mullered the clutch....

Id be wary of this one in all honesty

[Supermotoman9...]

Thanks for the advice, could you give me some troubleshooting steps to figure out which problem of the two it is when I go see it?
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Ride or die

[P.addy]

Ever split an engine to replace the gear box itself?

Looks like you might want to learn.

[Supermotoman9...]

Nope have fixed a lot of problems on bikes but never gone that deep in, more simple problems
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Ride or die

[P.addy]

It sounds very similar to Iains CR125, so I'd avoid like the plague.

[gavcarter]

take a long spanner or a small pry bar, and push the clutch lever ( at the engine end ) all the way forward and un-hook the cable from it.

If you now get a small amount of drive then its a clutch problem ( nackered plates and wrong adjustment).

Also check you get it into a few gears ( canny hard to be certain unless you actually get some drive - but the gear lever should click down and have a positive click - if it just pushes up and down and you cant hear anything happen then i would go with gearbox problems.

Its gunna be really hard to diagnose without actually seeing the clutch or getting some drive so you can see if it goes into different gears.

[Supermotoman9...]

If i do that with the clutch does it have the same effect of the clutch lever being pulled in or let out? Also by drive you mean it going forward right? So when I've followed your instructions with the clutch should I try putting it into gear?
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Ride or die

[gavcarter]

If they have been pratting about with it and got the cable adjustment all to pot the clutch wont engage properly or sometimes at all.

disconnecting the cable should allow the clutch to fully engage ( same as when lever is let out).

Obviously it should do this anyway but it eliminates the possibly of "two young lads adjusting the clutch until its useless" ( happens frequently for some reason they think tension the cable will help.....)

once cable is off the clutch should be fully engaged so you can tilt the bike over on its stand to raise the back wheel OFF THE FLOOR and start engine.

If wheel doesnt move attempt to get it into gear - just dont drop the wheel back down as you will have no clutch to pull......

If you still get no drive or difficult to get into gear rotate wheel by hand and try again ( once fingers out of way ).

Its a damn site quicker then slackening the cable right off - and if they've bodged on a cable that's too short it would never adjust properly anyway - it would always hold the clutch open.

TO be fair id put my money on a trashed gearbox though....

[Supermotoman9...]

Thanks for the in depth explanation, back wheel shouldnt move in neutral with when the clutch is disconnected should it? and is it fine to put it into gear while the clutch is disconnected or should i push the little lever (engine side) in when changing gear?
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Ride or die

[gavcarter]

providing back wheel is off floor and engine is only idling it should just drop into gear ok with no clutch

[Hugh Farking Cant]

I read the title of the thread and expected another thrilling instalment of Piaggio Zip tuning problems or R6 queries.

Slopes off,,,; highly disappointed !