First let me say that I am sorry if this question is addressed in another thread. I searched all 20 pages related to “clutch” and did not find a good answer to my problem.

Let me give a brief history. This is my first motorcycle and I have been riding for about a month. I bought the bike, a 1992 Vulcan 750, off craigslist. The guy told me there were three issues with the bike.

1. The front brake signal switch was broke. It was an easy fix!

2. The choke cable was broke. Hasn’t really been an issue because the bike starts fine. I plan on replacing it soon anyway.

3. The clutch sticks sometime and may need a new cable.

Problem number three is my new major issue! The “sticking” occurs when the bike is first started up. It is a little difficult for the lever to work in and out. After I go a couple of miles everything seems to work smoothly. I figured I needed to lube the cable soon.

However, Tonight I ran into a problem. The bike cranked in neutral and I got on. I pulled in the clutch, dropped it into first gear, but the lever would not go back out. I pulled a few more times to no avail. After several frustrating attempts I shut her down and did some investigating. I believe it is not the cable but the arm the cable attaches to down at the actual clutch. After working this arm with my hand for a few moments I got the tension to return to the cable and the lever to function again. It got me home, but I never fully engaged the clutch.

My question is what is my actual issue here. Could it just be the cable? Is it the entire clutch going bad? Can I just adjust or lube the arm at the end of the cable somehow?

Any and all help is appreciated!

I think the first thing to do is isolate the problem to either the cable or the clutch release lever.
Put all the slack into the cable that you can, and disconnect the cable from the bottom lever.

Test the cable by pulling in the hand lever, then pulling back on the lower end. If there is excessive resistance either way, the cable is either dirty or frayed inside the sheath. If it is unlined you can try cleaning it by spraying wd-40 in the top and working the cable back and forth until it frees up and the solvent running out the bottom is clean. Then spray in some kind of dry lube with teflon (PTFE), until it runs out the bottom.

However if it is NYLON LINED, DO NOT TRY TO CLEAN OR LUBRICATE IT, as it will swell and bind the cable.

It`s probably best though, if you have any trouble with it, to just replace the cable.

Test the release lever by working it back and forth. Look at the end where it clamps onto the release shaft. When you turn the lever in the normal direction of rotation and it starts to become harder to turn, that is the point where the clutch is starting to release. At that point the gap in the end of the lever should be directly below a rib on the bevel gearcase boss. If it is not, it needs to be repositioned.

Try these tests and let us know what you discover.

If the arm or lever is sticking try spraying w-d forty on the shaft and work the lever. That may free it.

If the arm or lever is sticking try spraying w-d forty on the shaft and work the lever. That may free it.

Is wd40 the best thing or is there a better product?

I think I have narrowed the problem down a little bit. I do not think it is in the cable. The problem seems to be in the lower clutch lever arm. When the clutch is fully engaged it sticks in this position. I can free it by manually pushing the arm towards the rear of the bike with my hand and after I move it slightly it will snap back into place. Is there an adjustment for the arm or is this a symptom of a deeper problem?

Now I have a new problem. After working on it tonight the neutral light will not switch off. I drove the bike around the block and I would shift and not stick as long as I did not fully engage the clutch. But the light still did not go out. What could I have done tinkering around with it?

Thanks for all your help and input.

WD-40 is a penetrating oil or solvent for freeing up rusted or corroded nuts, bolts and other metal parts. It has very little actual lubricating ability as most of it evaporates soon after being applied. I mention it because everybody knows the name.

A product called PB Blaster seems very popular in the USA, but I have not seen it in Canada. I like a product called "Nutcracker" that was developed here in southern Alberta, but it is not that widely distributed, I don`t think. Ask your favorite mechanic what he uses, or try a few different penetrating oils until you find one you like.

If niteriders idea of spraying lube on the shaft, and working it back and forth, fails to help, here is the only cheap, easy and quick idea I have for the sticky release lever. Check that the bolt that retains the pivot shaft is fitting into the groove in the shaft without binding or rubbing on something, or trapping a piece of trash in there.

There is a clutch shaft that reaches across the width of the engine to the clutch basket on the right side. Perhaps that shaft is bent or hanging up on something inside.

I have no ideas about the neutral light staying on.