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Clutch slips bad in 5th gear

10K views 56 replies 16 participants last post by  Scooter 007 
#1 ·
Hey Guys,

Does anyone else have this problem? When I am in 5th gear, if I attempt to accelerate hard at all, the clutch just slips and the engine quickly jumps to red. There is still some resistance there, it's not quite the same as if I let the clutch in and did it, but it's bad. This only started within the past 1000 miles or so. Please tell me there is an easy fix for this...

Thanks,
Adam :carryflag

Additional Info: 85' VN700, about 18,500 miles, running on Shell Syn. Rot. T. Bike is in excellent condition inside and out, including fresh engine oil, syn. gear oil, moly spline lube, coolant, plugs, filters, sealed battery, tires, etc. etc. etc. This bike has been under my care for the last 4,200 miles, since May of 2006.
 
#2 ·
It is possible that your clutch cable needs to be adjusted and that is why the clutch is slipping. There is a notch on the motor above where the cable attaches. The gap in the cable bracket should line up with this notch. You should be able to adjust it by the handle if needs to be aligned. Otherwise you will have to use the adjusting bolt in the middle of the cable.
 
#4 ·
I had the clutch cable adjusted by a trusted mechanic when I first got the bike, however, I will read my book and figure out how to adjust it myself to be sure it is adjusted property. It doesn't seem like that's the problem, however, it certainly could be. :BLAM:

As far as the oil goes, I have always used the Synthetic Shell Rotella T per suggestions on this site. Does anyone think it would slip less with Dyno Oil instead? It doesn't seem like that would magically solve the problem either. :confused:

-Adam :motorcycl
 
#7 ·
Agree on the adjustment my dealer always adjusts mine to where he is confortable with the release. I readjust the clutch each time i get it back. I like a longer pull on my clutch and adjust it appropriately--the shop gives me a little speech about proper adjustment each time they have it. Someday I'll point out I've been adjusting clutches longer than he has been on the planet.
 
#8 ·
Someday I'll point out I've been adjusting clutches longer than he has been on the planet.
LOL !! :beerchug:

As far as the slipping, Adam, with that few miles on the bike, I wouldn't think the clutch plates would be wore out, but with that year, it could be that the clutch plates are just too old to handle the power running at top gear.
Hopefully it's just an adjustment issue, but, like DMAG mentioned in his clutch post, it's easy to do if needed.
 
#9 ·
It seems to me that if it was an adjustment problems, the clutch should slip in all the gears. Does it slip when you romp on it in a lower gear such as fourth or third? How about if you try to go from a dead stop in second? If it slips in all of these conditions, I would go with the adjustment issue. If not, I would consider tearing the clutch apart and seeing what may be wrong.
 
#14 ·
When my cable was out of adjustment I only noticed it at the top end when I was on the interstate. It wasn't until it got more out of whack that I noticed it in all gears.

Glad to hear that was the problem. It is a much easier and cheaper fix than replacing the clutch plates.
 
#10 ·
Again, you guys came through for me. Thank you.

Initially, I adjusted the clutch cable a little bit and rode around for awhile and didn't notice any change. :BLAM: I decided to adjust it more and that time the problem went away completely. :p It was the clutch cable after all. Now the clutch does not slip in any gear no matter how much power I give the bike. :motorcycl I tested it out on a 150 mile ride, Sunday. Thanks again!

Adam :beerchug:
 
#16 ·
In my typical reviving of old posts style, I was wondering if you could explain this slipping in 5th gear? After I cleaned and rebuilt the carbs recently, I noticed that the bike just didn't have the power it did before I took everything apart and cleaned it. During a ride yesterday, my friend said that in 5th gear when he would be cruising and got on it, the bike would rev like it should (quickly), but the acceleration was very lack luster and the rpm jump didn't match the speed jump. I confirmed on the ride in that something doesn't seem to be engaging. I have changed the final drive oil, and lubed up the splines. The bike seems to drive fine in all other gears, but it just doesn't have the same amount of performance it did. It used to match/beat a 2019 RoadKing with the 107, and yesterday it was a couple of bike lengths behind it. Could this all be related to a slipping clutch?
 
#15 ·
It wasn't on purpose that I tested this theory (clutch slips in higher gear with badly adjusted cable) over the weekend. My KZP is at the end of the clutch cable stretching. For some reason I was adjusting on it while trying to see if the bran new clutch cable hanging in my garage was for the KZP or the older KZ I had before. Well I left the cable badly out of adjustment and a guy came to look at the bike and test drive it sunday. I could tell as he took off that he was having to release way too much clutch lever to get going and I should have run after him and stopped him. He came back from a short ride and said the clutch was slipping in 5th. I told him what I'd done and jumped on the clutch cable adjustment like ugly on an ape and talked him into another test ride and he came back and said it worked perfectly and was very impressed with the bikes power and bought it.

I kind of wish I hadn't done that screwing around with the cable but at least he took it for the second ride.
 
#17 ·
engine revving without speed increase.. only a couple things can cause that.. slipping clutch or rear driveshaft splines (this would occur in all gears and likely be more like 'noise and not moving')

if the clutch is slipping, a couple of cheaper things to try are:
new oil (make sure its motorcycle compatible, NOT 'energy conserving'. energy conserving additives f-up the clutch disks
adjustment of the cable (free, no cost)
check the 5 (or is it 6) clutch springs. under round cover on right side (along with the clutch) and pretty easy to remove/replace
also, the metal clutch plates may be glazed.. you can break the glaze with some fine (800+) grit wet/dry sandpaper used with oil on a nice flat plate like a piece of glass

if the above dont work, the disks or plates are shot.
 
#18 ·
Mine did this. Was a new bike with less than 5,000 miles on it. Only seemed to happen going up a steep grade or passing a car at higher speeds in 5th gear.

At first I thought it might be insufficient fuel delivery, however I installed a new clutch with heavy duty springs and it went away.
 
#19 ·
Thanks guys, I will have to try this, as this is a recent thing. I have not adjusted the clutch cable since I had to redo the pawl spring (for the umpteenth time), so I will try that first. As Teddy said, I don't think it would be the splines, as I have just taken that apart and lubed everything. I've never replaced a clutch, is there anything else I should look at while I am in there?
 
#21 ·
I missed the clutch part of your Pm (if I'm not mixed up this morning).

Agreed, clutch.

Before you open the clutch case, make sure you have the correct oil. Know what type of oil is in there. The wrong oil slips the clutch every time.

With the right oil in it and still slipping after some warmups, check the "clutch arm" at the bevel gear, make sure the gap aligns with the mark on the case as close as possible.

Next, check the fine cable adjustment at the hand lever. Free play should be about the width of a nickel - 5 cents - between the lever and the perch (see manual).

Make fine adjustments slowly, test, retest. It's a fine line between slipping and harsh shifting into 1st gear. If the fine adjustment seems wrong, thread the fine adjustment all the way in, then take up some slack at the coarse adjustment at the midpoint of the cable run. Then go back to the fine adjustment.

Mine slipped because of the oil, some Valvoline "energy saving" crap. No bueno in fun machines,. Rotella T 15W40 conventional has been in my bike since, most all oils suggested in the forum are good., syntheteic, etc. There's oil code on the bottle, what is it guys? Im birdbrained.

I did the fine adjustment before the oil, so I had to go back and adjust. A few blocks and three stops, she was fine after a good warmup with the right oil. If it slipped I adjusted the cable looser/more play, if it gnashed into 1st gear or pulled at a stop, I made the cable pull tighter/farther. 1/4 turn, then cut down to 1/8 turns or even 1/16 turn, a fine adjustment.

Do the adjusting warm, fully warm. But don't burn the clutch to warm it up.
 
#20 ·
Same thing started happening to me yesterday. Noticed RPMs way to high coming through a turn with no umph. When we stopped I noticed the arm on the crankcase is out of alignment which I adjusted 8 months ago. How often does this need to be done?
 
#22 ·
Yeah, that was in the PM this morning. I will have to check what type of oil it was, but it was the oil that I posted that I got for $1 a qt. It is Castrol synthetic. To share with everyone else what I sent in the pm to you... When shifting from 1st to 2nd, it sometimes gets stuck in neutral (embarrassing and potentially unsafe). There seems to be some performance loss throughout all gears as well. Regarding the free play, I adjust all of my freeplay out. There is tension the whole way through the lever travel.
 
#23 ·
. When shifting from 1st to 2nd, it sometimes gets stuck in neutral (embarrassing and potentially unsafe). There seems to be some performance loss throughout all gears as well.

Regarding the free play, I adjust all of my freeplay out. There is tension the whole way through the lever travel.
That's 90% why the clutch slips. The neutral could be from the free play too, or it could have sludge in the neutral finder, or gas in the oil.

Hopefully, it's not a shift rod/clip problem, never be rough on the shifter. Dirt bikes and older streeters can take it, VN cannot, will not. Laying it down on the shifter side will kill the shift link rod or the clip inside the case.
 
#24 ·
I will adjust it for the ride home tonight at the lever. See if that helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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#26 ·
Can you post a link to that page? The photo is too small to read
 
#28 ·
Just finished adjusting everything. Torque is restored!
Make sure this this is aligned at the bottom or no amount of adjusting at the mid span or lever will work. I loosened the cable all the way at both adjusters, pulled this off and reset it a little to left, lined up the rib by adjusting the mid span, than took the slack out at the lever. Recheck in a few months.
 

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#30 ·
I’m assuming you were responding to my post, if not I apologize,
I don’t think my clutch lever on the engine is “slipping” it takes a fair amount of force to get it off once the bolt is removed. I don’t feel any play I’m it with the bolt out either. I think my issue is me just being a knucklehead. The lock nut for the mid span is right behind my crash bar and I don’t think I snugged it too well last time and normal vibration just loosened it up. It’s a learning experience lol. Test ride today felt real good.
 
#35 ·
So I went to adjust mine last night, and still wasn't happy with it. I lined up the arm on the spline first. It seemed that separating the nut made the cables shorter when undone, and then I had to back out the upper bolt until only a couple of threads were in. I took it out around the block, and it still seemed off. I will try it again today, if the rain stops. BTW, I have the kz500 cables, since I have the aftermarket bars. I did get the gap to be the width of a nickle when you pull on the lever, before the arm starts to move. Otherwise, there isn't much a gap as the lever sits there. Oh yeah, I have an aftermarket clutch and brake housing too.
 
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