I've combed through the many threads on clutches but I'm looking for some advice. I moved in the last year up to Colorado from Arizona, so for the first time in several years, my bike has been in the garage for most of the winter because of ice and snow. I tried to take it out today for the first time in about three months and the clutch will not disengage completely.
With the clutch lever in, and the bike running I can pop it into gear and it will still try to drive away. I did let the bike warm up for about 15 minutes this morning (outside temp about 40 deg) but the problem caused me to not ride it to work. I came home and tried to ride it around the block to see if the engine would break the friction on the clutch with the lever in. It was ridable, but the clutch is still grabbing with the level in. I plan on replacing the clutch reservoir seal and doing a flush on the fluid this weekend.
Will this fix the problem? The level of fluid in the reservoir seemed high, and I haven't changed it or added to it before (I bought the bike used, but still haven't done it in the few years I've owned it). Should I be looking further into the clutch itself? I don't want it to start slipping and cause more problems. Could it be a problem with the clutch piston? Maybe the high level of fluid in the reservoir is because not enough fluid is in the piston?
I will follow the great guides that are already here on how to flush/fill the clutch, but if I go to all that trouble, and the problem persists then what?
Is it a good idea to do the brakes as well while I am at it?
Any additional thoughts would be appreciated.
I added a picture of what the fluid looks like in the reservoir and how high it is.
With the clutch lever in, and the bike running I can pop it into gear and it will still try to drive away. I did let the bike warm up for about 15 minutes this morning (outside temp about 40 deg) but the problem caused me to not ride it to work. I came home and tried to ride it around the block to see if the engine would break the friction on the clutch with the lever in. It was ridable, but the clutch is still grabbing with the level in. I plan on replacing the clutch reservoir seal and doing a flush on the fluid this weekend.
Will this fix the problem? The level of fluid in the reservoir seemed high, and I haven't changed it or added to it before (I bought the bike used, but still haven't done it in the few years I've owned it). Should I be looking further into the clutch itself? I don't want it to start slipping and cause more problems. Could it be a problem with the clutch piston? Maybe the high level of fluid in the reservoir is because not enough fluid is in the piston?
I will follow the great guides that are already here on how to flush/fill the clutch, but if I go to all that trouble, and the problem persists then what?
Is it a good idea to do the brakes as well while I am at it?
Any additional thoughts would be appreciated.
I added a picture of what the fluid looks like in the reservoir and how high it is.