2009 AE Clunk

[carpevita]

Not sure if this is a problem or normal. Have put 500 miles on a new AE and have a question. Sometimes, when I begin moving there is a distinct clunk before the bike starts to move. Other times no clunk and the bike takes off smoothly. Normal for an AE? Dan

 

[BwanaDik]

Mine does that sometimes too. I'm pretty sure it has to do with my throttle control (or lack thereof). If I do a "step change" from idle, it will clunk when the engine spins up and the clutch first starts to engage. If I'm smooth with the throttle, no clunk.

A non-issue. I've got 55,000 on mine with zero problems.

Just ride!

 

[yamatour]

I have an 08AE 30K (8K mine) and it has always had the occasional clunk on departure. Have toyed with various throttle application rates..no effect that I can discern.

Enjoy the ride

jim

 

[bthomas]

My 07AE clunks hard until it warms up then quits after that.

 

[bucky]

I always get a clunk noise when going from neutral to first gear on my AE. Cold, warm, it doesn't matter, always a clunk. My other bikes with regular fully manual shifting clunk when going into first gear too. I presume this is just normal.

 

[mcatrophy]

Not sure if this is a problem or normal. Have put 500 miles on a new AE and have a question. Sometimes, when I begin moving there is a distinct clunk before the bike starts to move. Other times no clunk and the bike takes off smoothly. Normal for an AE? Dan

If you mean as you start to open the throttle and the clutch starts to engage (as opposed to changing into 1st from neutral), this is not "normal" but is not uncommon.

My '06 didn't do this, but I did have symptoms associated with a dry clutch. My '10 does sometimes do one or two attempts to engage which result in a clunk as the transmission slack is "exercised". I believe this is due to the clutch hydraulic fluid needing a bleed.

Although my '10 is still under warranty (in the UK we get 2 years, but no YES) I could probably get this done on Yamaha's penny. BUT it is a POS to do, it needs the rear of the bike pulling apart to get to everything if it's done according to The Book. I don't really want my bike pulled down that far if it isn't really necessary.

(Click on image for larger view)



My technique is, for my first move from rest, to hold the back brake on, wind the throttle up a bit so the transmission starts to engage, then throttle off. This way any engagement clunk is dissipated without drama.

Subsequent starts never seem to give the problem until the bike has stood for a while.

 

[allrider]

The clunk i think you're talking about feels to me like the slack in the clutch being taken up, not very elegantly, when you roll on the throttle from idle, and it starts to engage and grab. The best way for me to describe it is, it kinda slaps the slack out of it as it engages. It seems like it needs to be bled and adjusted.

I have been waiting to see someone post a report on their experience bleeding and adjusting the clutch on an AE. I've been putting it off cause based on the manual it isn't going to be much fun taking off the rear wheel, swingarm, airbox, just bleed it. never mind the adjustment.

Anyone done one yet? :clapping:

 

[carpevita]

Thanks Guys. Your clunk desciptions match mine. Sounds normal. My plan: ENJOY THE RIDE! This bike sure does out maneuver and out accel the ST! Dan

 

[wfooshee]

The clunk i think you're talking about feels to me like the slack in the clutch being taken up, not very elegantly, when you roll on the throttle from idle, and it starts to engage and grab. The best way for me to describe it is, it kinda slaps the slack out of it as it engages. It seems like it needs to be bled and adjusted.

I have been waiting to see someone post a report on their experience bleeding and adjusting the clutch on an AE. I've been putting it off cause based on the manual it isn't going to be much fun taking off the rear wheel, swingarm, airbox, just bleed it. never mind the adjustment.

Anyone done one yet? :clapping:

If the clutch releases fully, then bleeding will change nothing. If the clutch engages roughly then the discs may need to be removed and oil-soaked. Dry clutch plates will have uneven engagement symptoms.

Also, we need to be sure we're talking about clutches here, and not just driveline lash. If you've rolled the bike forward any amount while it's stopped, then there will be slack in the gear drive all the way from first gear, the middle gear, and the final drive, that has to be taken up as it starts to move.

If you're stopped in neutral and shift to first as you start out, the into-first clunk is normal and well-known.

 

[mcatrophy]

...

If the clutch releases fully, then bleeding will change nothing. If the clutch engages roughly then the discs may need to be removed and oil-soaked. Dry clutch plates will have uneven engagement symptoms.

Also, we need to be sure we're talking about clutches here, and not just driveline lash. If you've rolled the bike forward any amount while it's stopped, then there will be slack in the gear drive all the way from first gear, the middle gear, and the final drive, that has to be taken up as it starts to move.

If you're stopped in neutral and shift to first as you start out, the into-first clunk is normal and well-known.

Not wanting to argue (well, not much

), but with the AE, a normal move from rest is very smooth, absolutely no snatching that might lead to backlash in the drivetrain.

I don't think the OP is talking about the neutral to 1st clunk, but a one or two cycle judder that occurs just as the clutch begins to bite. Nor do I think he's talking about the "sticky/dry" clutch issue. This judder can be a fairly violent effect, it can easily momentarily unstick the rear tyre on a slippery road.

My take is that the very subtle clutch movement as it tentatively "feels" engagement is affected by air in the system, hydraulic pressure not behaving as expected so upsetting the clutch control servo system, though why it only does it on the first engagement of the day I don't know.

At least one AE rider here has had this effect, and had it cured by having his clutch bled (haven't got time at the moment to find the reference, but I do seem to remember him saying his dealer under-quoted because he didn't realise how extensive the job was).

If you've never ridden an AE, I suggest you try one. It's amazing how well controlled the clutch engagement normally is, my bike's smooth take-offs have been complemented more than once by following riders. You might even be converted to a YCC-S Gen II

.

 

[cgknight]

My bike has the clunk (I call it more like a slap) when the bike has been sitting for a while and I only warm it up for a couple of minutes. I normally feel the cluck when I back out of my garage and let it the bike roll 90 degrees into the yard. Then as I procede slowly forward again 90 degrees to complete turning the bike and heading down the driveway the dreaded clunk clunk cluck occurs. After that it won't do it again til it sits long enough to cool. I found that if I let it warm up for an extended period say 6 or 7 minutes the the clunk is minimal or doesn't happen at all.