Manky Monkey Motors

Set off with the trike and trailer to go to the End of the Road rally in Cornwall. Back home again after having clutch and/or gear selection problems, bo*****s!

Can't really work out what the problem is, she didn't want to pull away from a standing start, kept stalling.  Called recovery from Yeovil where I broke down, he adjusted the clutch and it seemed ok, till it got hot again. Got home ok but didn't dare stop!

Clutch felt a bit odd when I pulled it in, but she was changing gear fine once on the move.  Just had to slip the clutch a lot when trying to pull away.  I'd put a new clutch in but I don't know if that's the problem.  I'm getting really disheartened now, I just feel too old to keep dealing with these problems and have lost confidence that she'll ever get me where I want to go.

Don't give up Bobbi! Yours is still one of the nicest bike/trikes I've seen.

Yes but I don't have it as an ornament!

was the biting point of the clutch significantly different from normal,bearing in mind the aa recovery bloke altered it slightly??

It was better, that's all I can say.  It's always a bit iffy as there's no real adjustment, you can only adjust the cable.  It's a heavy pull too, always has been, I think it's typical of the GT.

Your right   ..........   "Bugger"

hopefully a cheap fix ...... good luck with it

  ..  Hagar  ..

Forgive my ignorance new kid in town and all that, but what bike are we talking here?
        It as to have some fault to be playing up like this. I can only presume its a JAP a GT Suzuki or GT 550 Kawasaki Jap stuff will be curable easy enough i would think.

Yep, Kwak GT550.  Oh yes I'm sure it'll be easy enough to cure - just like the last problem, and the one before..........

Well they are quite reliable, You need to look at things methodically right from the clutch leaver down, if you have replaced the clutch recently presume that's ok for a start and look at clutch actuation cable /adjusters even the cable route, then if it all checks out ok, you got to look at cover lose or cracked pawl binding whatever, sorry for stating the obvious but you have to look at things logically some times we can all get a bit reved up wound up  and metaphorically cant see the wood for the trees,  Step back take your time its a machine you can sort it.

if its changin gear ok, i shouldnt think its gear related,
slipping clutch more when pulling away but not slipping anywhere else on its own?
sounds like the brakes, handbrakes on or something like, does everything spin freely?

if the clutch feels "odd" id go with norths idea,s especially as you have just fitted it, EBC (ep)by any chance?

Hi Bobbi, I am no bike expert but i`ll give it a go...
I think it could be 1 of 2 things, firstly, it could be an issue with under fueling, try over revving and see if she will pull away.
My second suggestion is the clutch plates could be sticking open, then closing again quickly causing a snatch and stall. Not very likely but possible. An oil change may help this or check the tension on the clutch springs?

It sounds like the clutch Bobbi, do you know when/if the clutch plates/springs have ever been replaced? I know I never really had a problem with bike clutches but had a mate that did motocross and grass tracking and he was always changing plates/springs. It may just be normal wear and tear.

You can normally slip through the gears once moving anyway on a bike if you get revs right even if the clutch is dodgey so if cable is okay i would get plates/springs checked out.

You may already do this but getting things checked to manufacturers service intervals usually reduces problems. I know I always think I have done things when I should have but then it turns out it was a lot longer ago than I thought. Its always balancing what should be done against what needs to be done and available funds though. I end up doing what I can do myself then not doing what I have to pay for until it either breaks or I have the funds.

the lands on the clutch basket (where the plates drive on )could have worn into grooves, although unlikely as you got this prob quickly, not over a period of time

This sounds like clutch drag,Have not worked on the kawasaki motor,  jap motors  have an actuator arm that
the cable attaches to that may have an adjuster,Centre stud with locking nut,This may have worked loose,
Or worse case scenario is the clutch basket centre nut is loose and clutch basket is being pushed off.

very likely if the old nuts been used, a new un is squashed slightly so it grips the threads, at least locktite the nut if you have to use the old un

Yup, had that happen several times on beat up ol' Japanese engines in the past.
I was going to suggest knackered clutch springs too.

Did the clutch pushrod get changed when you did the clutch Bobbi? If not it may be shortened and no good for a new clutch coz it`s not opening the plates enough so they`re slipping all the time.

Isn't there a ball bearing at the far end of the push rod? Lost when the new clutch was fitted?

I`ll have to check in the manual we`ve got here but Ithink there is a ball bearing in the middle of the pushrod and the pushrod is in two halves. Thanks for reminding me Andy. This is a good possibility I think.

grease it to fit it , saves it falling out

it hasn`t had a new clutch yet

Not at all sure why you all think I recently changed the clutch!  This is my dilemma - it could be the clutch itself but doesn't feel like that, at least doesn't feel like it has before when needing a new clutch.

In the light of a new day I think the first thing I'm going to check is the routing of the cable cos that's what has most recently been altered (when the mods were done) - although I have done over 500 miles since then!  But I spose it could have worked its way into an awkward position.   And just adding that up that mileage I'm surprised.......   Wonder when I did change the clutch last?

My first thought was maybe an oil change was needed but that was done just a few weeks ago when it was in for the shaft drive to be fixed.  Although usually it lets me know by finding false neutrals.

BUT - it usually loses a bit of oil, and it hasn't - could the filter be blocked and not enough oil circulating?  Just an odd thought that poppeed into my head.........

I also wondered - am I just asking too much of it, pulling away uphill with the trailer?  Although I'm not actually carrying any more stuff there's the weight of the trailer to consider.  But no - if that was the case I'd have noticed it before.

i think most of us mistook the "id put a new clutch in"  in your 1st post   ;D

most things still apply though, eg loose nut, worn basket ,
cable? didnt the AA man check it?it should be the 1st thing to check,fraying, lubed etc, has it been crushed in the headstock area?, trikes use the steering more than bikes, its common things wearing around here
i take it you have ridden with the trailer before? if not, try it without?
oil not circulating as it should? no, your engine would be dead now,
stop thinking too much, , and check one thing at a time, until you find a problem, will be far easier

BG,did they not strip the gearbox out when you had the drive problem,
Before your Scotland trip.

No that wasn't gearbox, it was a sleeve on the bike driveshaft.

- ah that was meant to say I would put....

  Oh yes, at least 400 miles!

Will def start by checking the run of the cable.  When I can bring myself to look the thing in the eye............