Ok I bleed all the old fluid out and checked the hole and it was open. My clutch pull is still the same. Is there something to adjust to give me more free play at the clutch lever?Air in your hydraulic line, you need a bleed, do a reverse-bleed, much-quicker than anything else, for the price. It's possible it could be a worn master cyl or slave cyl, needing a rebuild, but try the reverse-bleed first.
Make sure the teeny-tiny hole in the master cyl closest-to the banjo bolt is clear of any obstruction.
If you don't have clear brake fluid, it's time to change it completely.
https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/clutch-slave-cylinder-replacement.45011/
Thanks, that’s what I thought. I just wanted to make sureThere’s nothing really to adjust on a hydraulic clutch. But if it’s not slipping, I would just ride it and not worry about it.
I think you have misunderstood the issue or I did not explain properly. The clutch does not release back close to the handlebar but almost as soon as you pull it. Thanks for trying to help as I did need to change the fluid anyway.sorry for the confusion and thanks for your good adviseThe hydraulic clutch, when things are within-spec, should not release almost-back to the handlebar! You may be able to ride it like that, I wouldn't. Mark my words, the next problem you'll discover is that the clutch won't disengage easily upon attempting to shift. Something, somewhere is worn. My $ is on a master cylinder leaking internally, or a clutch slave cyl leaking. That's assuming your clutch bleed/fluid change removed all the air. Do you park where you would find oil on the pavement, easily? The sign of a leaking clutch slave cyl is oil spotting (it's brake fluid) under the left rear of the engine, along with symptoms of difficulty in clutch operation/disengagement, as mentioned previously.
Worn clutch pack friction discs will cause a slipping clutch, which is very-apparent as the rpm's increase, you don't accelerate in higher gears as you should. If the clutch overheats, the 'steelies' can turn blue and warp, also affecting clutch disengagement, causing a 'dragging' clutch. Fortunately, that usually only happens due to severe abuse, typical of drag strip abuse, rolling burnouts and insufficient time to cool-down.
You should consider a plan of action, should you find yourself with a clutch suddenly unable to be disengaged. Imagine that you're coming to a six-lane divided highway, during rush hour, and maybe you carried a bit too-much speed as you approached the busy intersection. The #!**^% clutch won't disengage! What do you do? You have-to stop, the light turned red, there are cars in-front of you and behind you.
I would try to get to the curb lane, hopefully, there is no actual curb, and you can pull-off the roadway, and onto the shoulder. Brake evenly, because if you try to turn and brake using the front brake, the front end in dirt will probably wash-out on you. Down you go! Hopefully, at that point, it's at a low speed. Using the rear brake and a bit of front brake is what I would try to accomplish, while keeping the bike upright. Remember that there is a huge difference between a foot-'dab' with a 220 lb. motocrosser and trying the same thing with a 600 lb. cruiser. Get your leg in the wrong position and you are in plaster for the next 3 months. Have you ever-seen a compound fracture of a femur (thighbone)? If it's your's, besides hurting like nothing you've probably experienced before the sight of it will probably make you puke. We in the medical field refer to that as psychogenic shock with an episode of emesis.
If you cannot make it to the curb lane and the swale, safely, I think the last-resort is to use both brakes to come-to a stop before hitting the car/vehicle in-front of you, and to kill the engine, because you cannot get the clutch to disengage. Then do whatever is necessary to pop it into neutral, which should be easier with the engine off, and get to the swale. Hopefully, people aren't so engrossed in their facebook updates while illegally driving with their apple earbuds in, that they recognize the biker in-front of them is in distress.
Good luck.
BINGO That is what I’m talking about. It’s not comfortable for me to pull clutch at that distance.As stated above what you have is normal but can be an issue if you have small hands or short fingers; a span adjustable leaver would help.
Hi, my clutch lever has to be close to all the way out before it grabs. Clutch is not slipping but I wanted to ask if that is normal od do I have a problem. Bike has 8000 miles on it.
Thanks Steve
Thanks for that. I never had a Vmax and didn’t know if that was normal. Not going to think about it anymore and just ride it.My 2007 is similar. It doesn't start to engage until it's about 3/4 the way out. At half out or less there's no grip of any kind. Been that way since it came out of the crate.
Thanks for that. I never had a Vmax and didn’t know if that was normal. Not going to think about it any more and just ride it.
Ok this is my CHERRY as far as doing any more than just reading everybodys thoughts. I am a big boy now and should act like it.I bought a one owner 2004 vmax with only 1024 miles on it back in the spring and if it had fluid in it at any part it was supposed to be drained because it set for 12 years in storrage and i was told that all the proper precautions was taken to store the bike.Well not the case but working on the clutch it is the same way. Almost all the way out before it catches,but it makes getting on down the road much faster. Well i wrote my first anything on my first board.Was it really bad?Hi, my clutch lever has to be close to all the way out before it grabs. Clutch is not slipping but I wanted to ask if that is normal od do I have a problem. Bike has 8000 miles on it.
Thanks Steve
This is exactly the issue I am having with my 2002, the clutch releases at the last possible moment. My sons 92 max does not suffer from this problem, his clutch releases where it should as far as I am concerned.
I bought a 2006 a about a month ago to flip. I rode that bike for about a week before I sold it. I got so used to riding with a normal clutch its making it hard to accept how my daily rider releases so late, it's driving me crazy. I replaced the clutch with a complete Barnett system with heavy duty springs hoping it would help, it didn't effect the release point at all. I was hoping to come here and find the answer, but it seems that people are saying its not a fixable problem, that sucks.
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