Clutch question

[mike62858]

Hello,
I read this on Motorcycle.com:
"The original FZ6 was a stylish, half-naked, do-it-all middleweight that was let down by a dearth of midrange power and a clutch with a very narrow engagement point. "

I always sensed there was something about the clutch that was giving me problems.
Even though I'm a reletivly new rider, I have put on a few thousand miles on my bike, but still get a little nervous pulling away from a light.
Is there anything that could be done to give the clutch a bigger engagement zone?
Thanks
Mike

 

[reiobard]

i just got used to the bikes clutch the way that it was.

 

[DefyInertia]

Extend the slave lever length. Killernoodle fab'd some up in the past so there might still be some floating around.

Or just get used to it.

 

[Smittyboy]

That exact reason is why I'm nervous about getting the bike back out in spring. It is really narrow, but once you get used to it you should be fine.

 

[mike62858]

Would a shorter lever help/hurt?

 

[NakedJ]

I'd say you get used to it. Dare i admit i have several cages and drive as many as i can. All clutches are different you just get used to the different characteristics of each one. There is, however, one option to make the clutch more friendly but it means dropping $'s. Two words..."shorty Pazzo's". they completly change the feel of the clutch and take up all the slack in the stock lever.

 

[Oscar54]

Would a shorter lever help/hurt?

It would seem to me that the shorter the lever the smaller the engagement zone!

 

[dako81]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the clutch at all. It works great and is precise. I have been riding for a while, however, on bikes with similar clutch feel.

If you take the MSF course, one of the major things they teach is clutch control. This is very fitting, since it's one of the most important functions of your bike. I'd suggest reading up on clutch control, and taking the MSF course and learning ways to practice.

Before you know it, it will become like a part of you.

 

[mike62858]

I did take the course and I understand what your saying.
I will get used to it, but if I can make it more "Me friendly" even for a few $$ ,I will. Thats why I asked about shorter levers.

 

[dako81]

I did take the course and I understand what your saying.
I will get used to it, but if I can make it more \"Me friendly\" even for a few $$ ,I will. Thats why I asked about shorter levers.

I think shorter levers will not help your situation, unless the lever/perch assembly has a more favorable lever ratio in comparison to stock. That would mean that the effective cable pull distance would need to be shorter with a new set, since our engagement zone is small.

I do not know if the available shorty style levers out there have a different ratio.

 

[The Toecutter]

Trust the force Luke! as Yoda would say.you get enough time in the saddle you wont even have to think about clutch engagment it will become second nature,and soon youll be able to jump on any bike and after the first few clutch releases youll be riding them too like youve had em for years.:thumbup:

 

[DefyInertia]

Maybe you can convince luckyirishboy to fab up some slave lever extenders...killer was selling them for somewhere around $20 and everyone raved about them.

 

[racerws]

You could adjust the clutch lever to engage the clutch a littler sooner.
In other words, have it start engaging about one inch on take off. Maybe
an inch and a half. That way you don't have to wait sooooo long for
it to start engaging. I did that on mine and now no problem.
It's free too!

 

[SovietRobot]

I got used to it after a couple months of riding. Maybe it's because it's the bike I learned on.

 

[IceCarver]

I dont understand the fuss about the clutch I love mine, nice tight shifts never had any problems I've got cleaner shifts than r6s off the line which allows our beloved middleweight to dust r6s and even a few 750s I love my trans just get used to it and it will get used to you

 

[robertdroberts]

Practice Practice Practice. Just like learning to use a manual car. Go to a parking lot and move from space to space (clutch and brake). After a while its automatic.:thumbup:

 

[sideshow_downs]

Like others have said just practice. The more you do it the less you have to think and the easier it gets. The first few pulls on mine when i got it were strange because it was diffrent than the other bikes iver ridden but once you get used to it its simple and smooth.

 

[Nelly]

Simple things that helped me.

Check that your idle speed is correct 1250 RPM, this made the biggest difference to me when taking off.

If you have used all of your leaver free play adjustment, there is a secondary adjustment under the tank. I adjusted this to give me more bar end adjustment.

Once the clutch is biting let it all the way out, FZ6 clutch doesn't like to be slipped for long periods at high RMP's.

Look where your going not what your doing.

As has been said practice (which you are doing), enjoy the things your good at and work on the things you want to improve.
Good Luck

Nelly:thumbup:

 

[tjaroz]

I'm idling around 4-5K when I drop the clutch

I just replaced my cable, a bad or poorly lubed cable won't help . Proper lubrication is always a must!

 

[FZ1inNH]

I have my lever adjusted so the friction zone is out at the end, thus I don't have to move the lever much to shift. Just quick short movements is all it takes. Once you develop the muscle memory, it really is a better clutch than one with a long runout (IMHO). If I'm going to do a fast take off, I only use the clutch for 1st anyway... the rest is preload, blip the throttle and it slips into the next higher gear instantly.