Forum

[Aethelric]

2004 Bullet sixty5. 5 speed ES.

Not had it long, no problems so far (apart from water in the points after a wash).

I find that if the clutch cable is properly adjusted I can find neutral while stationary without a problem. I adjust it with the engine cold so there is just a very little free play in the cable and its fine.

But when the engine warms up the free play increases and clutch drag stops me finding neutral when stopped. If I keep it adjusted (while travelling) using the adjustment on the lever it's fine.

When the engine cools down again it's too tight and I have to slacken it off to get free play.

I am guessing that the alloy gearbox is expanding more than the steel pushrod and causing this.

Is this common? Has anyone else noticed it?

[Sixty-5 Endevour]

Hi

I have a sixty 5 and have no trouble with the clutch, however I have it serviced by a great motorcycle garage (Motoworks in Cambridge) so don’t know what kind of magic they work

Best of luck

[Mick H]

Hi Aethelric
I had this exact problem with my 65 when I first got it in 2010. On checking the service record I found they had used a straight 40 oil in the primary. Bit odd so I changed it for ATF as recommended by our hosts. Immediate fix and no problems since. Hope this helps.
Mick.

[Aethelric]

Thanks Mick, there is already ATF in there.

It's not a big problem - I get the feeling another half inch of movement of the clutch lever would sort it!

[NEV]

Hi Athelric, my Sixty-5 has had a lot of problems but not that one. I did strip and set up the clutch & primary drive though when I changed the gearing.

[Rusky]

Hi Athelric,
My 2005 Electra is the same. Really awkward in traffic. Dragging clutch makes neutral impossible unless moving
Russ

[Aethelric]

Sussed it.
I took the primary drive cover of to check for any movement of the clutch housing - it was fine

I checked the clutch pushrod addjustment for zero play - it was fine

I had recently fitted a new british clutch cable from our hosts so that should be fine

Then I looked closely at the clutch lever. It looked fine, but I noticed that it was virtually straight from the dog leg to the ball end. The front brake lever was slightly curved over this section. A curve would give me that little bit of extra travel. I googled how to bend alloy (using a blow lamp) and I put in a curve.

Now with the clutch lever pulls in a wee bit further and I CAN reach neutral with a hot or cold engine without re-adjusting the cable - result.

I would guess the clutch lever may have been slightly distorted in an incident from a previous owner.


As for the water in the points - the cable entry for the points is in the SIDE of the cover. If water gets in here it can’t get out. Hence the day after I washed it, it would not start. Water actually ran out when I took the cover off. I will cut a new slot in the BOTTOM of the cover for the cable and seal up the old one. I have found that a section of an old inner tube will make a perfect seal to keep the water out.


Apart from that everything is fine. I starts easily, usually on first kick - hot or cold, and runs well but I think it’s running a bit lean on the needle jet. That’s the next job.

[Sixty-5 Endevour]

Great detective work there, I look forward to hearing how the points cover modification turns out

[Aethelric]

Looking at our host’s catalogue (paper copy, the website seems to be off line just now) there seems to be a profusion of different handlebar levers. I am sure that some will have more travel than others. I wonder if there is a correlation with the folk experiencing clutch drag and the levers fitted.