Clutch Soak????

[ttooee]

Ok....after step by step examination it was determined that the pressure plate wasn't seated fully......now it's back together and there is a significant difference in how the transmission shifts.
For those of you who are happy with your shifting the way it is I wouldn't touch it. Mine definitely didn't feel "right" (very clunky downshifting)and there is a significant improvement now over the way it shifted at delivery.

FWIW.....I always run Amsoil in my bikes and without turning this into a "my oil is better than yours" thread you'd be hard pressed to argue that Amsoil isn't a quality oil.

phobostx,

Fantastic, your back up running again.

for those that have shifting problem, try lowering the idle speed to 1000 rpm. It is a simple proceedure, less than a minutes. You don't take anything apart, all you need is a philliph screwdriver to turn the idle adjustment screw. In fact, use the screwdrive that comes with the bike. you can even go lower if you dare. I eyeball mine at 850 to 900 rpm and the shifting is smooth as butter.

 

[petey]

Boy, some people seem to have all the answers.... Nothing can be wrong with a new bike, eh ??. I used Yamalube in my '08 and had the sticky clutch wth the clunky first gear. The problem completly disappeared after a clutch soaking...and still use the Yamalube.

 

[n1acguy]

This may sound like a dumb question, but what kind of oil are you using? Curious minds want to know as I have communicated with some local Yamaha service mechanics and some oil related issues are popping up with wet clutch problems vs the types of oil used. PM. <><

Thanks for bringing this up, painman. With no intention of turning this into another NEPRT oil thread, I've had 2 similar discussions as well; 1 with a Yamaha factory rep, and the other with a Yamaha-certified mechanic. In their opinions, using the right oil does indeed play a significant role in proper clutch performance (and life). I might add that neither recommended soaking the clutch plates (though they didn't recommend against it either). The Yamaha mechanic went so far as to recommend a specific oil which he claims rectifies 9 out of 10 clutch complaints: Castrol Power RS GPS 4T (10W-40). I've been using it for almost 2 years now on my '07 and am quite happy with the results.

So, the moral of the story is before you go tearing your bike apart to soak the clutch plates, try something simple like switching to a good oil for 800 - 1000 miles.

My bike had a problem right out of the box. Who knows what the dealer used since Yamaha doesn't seem to make the 20-40 anymore. I used Rotella when I changed it, no difference. I've used 15-40 fleet oils in my bikes for at least 15 years without any clutch problems. It could be that the bike sat around at the dealer for a while before first use.

 

[RadioHowie]

Ok....after step by step examination it was determined that the pressure plate wasn't seated fully......now it's back together and there is a significant difference in how the transmission shifts.
For those of you who are happy with your shifting the way it is I wouldn't touch it. Mine definitely didn't feel "right" (very clunky downshifting)and there is a significant improvement now over the way it shifted at delivery.

FWIW.....I always run Amsoil in my bikes and without turning this into a "my oil is better than yours" thread you'd be hard pressed to argue that Amsoil isn't a quality oil.

phobostx,

Fantastic, your back up running again.

for those that have shifting problem, try lowering the idle speed to 1000 rpm. It is a simple proceedure, less than a minutes. You don't take anything apart, all you need is a philliph screwdriver to turn the idle adjustment screw. In fact, use the screwdrive that comes with the bike. you can even go lower if you dare. I eyeball mine at 850 to 900 rpm and the shifting is smooth as butter.

I haven't seen a side-step like that since Jerry Rice retired. :glare:

So, was phobostx's clutch soak a waste of time too? Or was it the disassembly, improper reassembly, ensuing disassembly, and finally, a correct reassembly that fixed his problem with marginal clutch action?

 

[dsmack]

Fantastic, your back up running again.

for those that have shifting problem, try lowering the idle speed to 1000 rpm. It is a simple proceedure, less than a minutes. You don't take anything apart, all you need is a philliph screwdriver to turn the idle adjustment screw. In fact, use the screwdrive that comes with the bike. you can even go lower if you dare. I eyeball mine at 850 to 900 rpm and the shifting is smooth as butter.

I haven't seen a side-step like that since Jerry Rice retired. :glare:

So, was phobostx's clutch soak a waste of time too? Or was it the disassembly, improper reassembly, ensuing disassembly, and finally, a correct reassembly that fixed his problem with marginal clutch action?

Nah, it was just blind luck! :blink:

Don

 

[backat55]

my new [ 10 days old] fjr is starting to act up with 900 miles on it, doesn't want to go into first gear, clucking at every shift. Going to call the dealer monday. Very concerned

 

[backat55]

with my bike less then 2 weeks old and w/ 900 miles, thing got worst instead of better, diesn't want to go into 1st, clunking badly in lower gears, very upsetting with new bike

 

[Big Shasta]

Ok....after step by step examination it was determined that the pressure plate wasn't seated fully......now it's back together and there is a significant difference in how the transmission shifts.
For those of you who are happy with your shifting the way it is I wouldn't touch it. Mine definitely didn't feel "right" (very clunky downshifting)and there is a significant improvement now over the way it shifted at delivery.

FWIW.....I always run Amsoil in my bikes and without turning this into a "my oil is better than yours" thread you'd be hard pressed to argue that Amsoil isn't a quality oil.

phobostx,

Fantastic, your back up running again.

for those that have shifting problem, try lowering the idle speed to 1000 rpm. It is a simple proceedure, less than a minutes. You don't take anything apart, all you need is a philliph screwdriver to turn the idle adjustment screw. In fact, use the screwdrive that comes with the bike. you can even go lower if you dare. I eyeball mine at 850 to 900 rpm and the shifting is smooth as butter.

Don't try running an AE with an idle that low, unless you're looking for a shift error light. (I think it's Shift_26 that you'll get) .

 

[Fred W]

with my bike less then 2 weeks old and w/ 900 miles, thing got worst instead of better, diesn't want to go into 1st, clunking badly in lower gears, very upsetting with new bike

Don't sweat it. The fix is very simple and well documented. Just have the shop that you bought it from disassemble the clutch, clean and lube up the plates and reassemble. No actual "soaking" required. For the cost of a gasket they will have it working as it should have outta the box.

If they have never heard of this phenomenon (and if they don't work on many FJR's they very well may not have) just ask them to talk to their regional support techs about warranty clutch fixes. It has been done many times before under warranty with successful results.

BTW - The forum member ttooee, although he still comes around to read messages, has not posted anything since being bitch slapped for being completely wrong earlier in this thread. Hey, we all make mistakes sometimes.