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By ssepiol
#98161
Having some trouble with the Bullet 500 I just bought. Clutch problems I believe. Very hard to shift. Also there was no oil in the gearbox when I pulled the plug. There is no free play in the cable and no more adjustment. The adjustment at the gearbox makes no difference when adjusted. On the center stand in gear you can not turn the back wheel with the clutch in. Also I can see the side of the gearbox cover flex out slightly when you pull the clutch lever in. Wondering where to start.
#98162
Sounds like it is all well seized up, the cable and clutch rod can't be running freely, sounds like strip, clean and lube of the components will help. My cutch was horrible but a cable oil sorted it out.
#98164
I wonder if someone has lost one of the ball bearings. There is usually one under the adjuster screw at the gearbox end and one between the two halves of the clutch pushrod (some have a one-piece pushrod). Also worth checking the pushrod is straight by rolling it on a mirror. You can often get the whole thing out of the gearbox end with the assistance of a strong magnet.
#98174
The covers usually flex a bit; mine has done since 2000 when I bought it.
You can buy a kit from Hitchcocks if you don't want it to flex. I've put this kit on one of my Bullets but not the other. Personal choice.

Good luck with it,
Chris
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By ssepiol
#98180
Took off the primary and inspected the clutch assembly. When actuating the clutch the clutch rod moves freely but the clutch assemble does not disengage. It only disengages when the bolts that hold the spring plate on are loosened some. Also after removing the discs I noticed the clutch hub does not run true. It moves in and out around an 1/8" from one side of the plate to the other. Did not notice any binding in the discs. When the clutch is engaged it seems the whole clutch assembly moves instead of the pressure plate.
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By ssepiol
#98181
Noticed while rotating the clutch hub on the mainshaft the drive chain not move right away. Has about 90 degrees before it moves. Normal? While looking at parts diagrams it appears the sprocket and shaft are splined.
#98182
I had one clutch where I had to put a 2mm washer on top of each of the "posts" of the basket as a spacer to get the plates to disengage properly. I think it's because there have been many variations of the clutches over the years and all combinations of plates don't work with all variations of basket.

It's also possible that one of the nuts on the end of the mainshaft has come loose leaving lateral play. There's the one in the centre of the clutch and there is also one inside the gearbox that is reverse threaded. It can be tricky to get them both properly tight as tightening one tends to loosen the other.
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By ssepiol
#98189
After complete disassemble of the clutch I deburred the basket and hub. I also noticed there were heavy and light springs. Took out the heavy and put in all light. Put everything back together and the clutch disengages now, but one side disengages more than the other. May have to get new springs. Took it for a drive and it shifts better but not as good as it should and neutral is almost impossible while the motor is running. The washer idea Stinkwheel mentioned above I may try. I can tell this has been apart many times due to all the damage to bolt heads and missing washers. The shift linkage is pretty worn also. This my first RO/EN, do they all shift hard compared to other bikes?

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