Hitchcocks Forum

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?

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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.