Clutch - how hard or smooth should the gearshift be?

[Earl Svorks]

 
For the purpose of the exercise, you could just hold something between the nub on the lever and end of the m/c piston while you pull the lever in and select first.

Hey Noel,
I have converted to the coil spring pressure plate . As a result I no longer enjoy the over center effect. I miss that, but I don't miss the slippage.
I feel that the piston in the master could hit the bottom of the bore without without any harm. The lever would just refuse any more travel.
   The clutch lever on my 1200 is not the type that bears directly onto the piston.
The other type, (for those who haven't seen this) differs in that  there is a brass barrel
fitted into the lever. This barrel is counter bored to accept a shouldered rod whose rounded end registers into the pocket in the end of the mc piston. This barrel can rotate in the lever to allow the rod to keep proper alignment The shoulder halfway
along the rod has a groove around it which the boot fits onto. I would guess that this design is intended to eliminate the scuffing on the piston where the lever contacts it and the resulting side loading that must cause wear on the piston and the bore .There is no place to fit anything  that would take up any of the clearance there. 
  I would just heat and bend the lever out a bit if not for the fact that clearance between the lever and the hb switch is what limits the lever travel.
  . It's monsoon time just now and nothing will get done for a bit but I will post results. 
     Thanks for the ongoing input.
        Simon

[JCainFJ]

I've gone back into my notes (from 1996!) and found some ideas on how to minimise the neutral to first gear clunk. Getting all of the air out of the clutch hydraulics will allow the clutch plates to separate as fully as Yamaha designed them to.
1. If you try to bleed the air out of the slave cylinder with the bike on the side stand you might not get all of the air out of the system. Lean the bike over to the right so that the bleeder is at the highest point on the slave cylinder or remove the slave hold it with a C-clamp so that the bleeder is at the highest point and then bleed the system. I used a come-along that I hung from a steel beam in my garage to support my FJ and I leaned it way over to the right.
2. When assembling the piston/seal into the slave cylinder line up one of the 4 vent holes in the piston with the opening for the bleeder so that any air trapped between the back side of the seal and the piston has an easy path out at the top of the slave. The 4 holes are in the spring side of the piston.
3. Degass the new brake fluid. I have access to a bell jar and a vacuum pump and by pulling the fluid down to -27in. Hg. several times it is possable to remove most of the trace gasses trapped in the brake fluid. Degassing also helps when changing the fluid in the brake system too.
4. Never ever shake your bottle of brake fluid, it takes weeks for all of the tiny bubbles to dissipate.
I've had my FJ for 21 years and this thread sounded familiar when I first read it.  I'm glad I keep notes on my motorcycle projects!

[jscgdunn]

Great hints.....thanks!

[93fj1200]

I've gone back into my notes (from 1996!) and found some ideas on how to minimise the neutral to first gear clunk. Getting all of the air out of the clutch hydraulics will allow the clutch plates to separate as fully as Yamaha designed them to.
1. If you try to bleed the air out of the slave cylinder with the bike on the side stand you might not get all of the air out of the system. Lean the bike over to the right so that the bleeder is at the highest point on the slave cylinder or remove the slave hold it with a C-clamp so that the bleeder is at the highest point and then bleed the system. I used a come-along that I hung from a steel beam in my garage to support my FJ and I leaned it way over to the right.
2. When assembling the piston/seal into the slave cylinder line up one of the 4 vent holes in the piston with the opening for the bleeder so that any air trapped between the back side of the seal and the piston has an easy path out at the top of the slave. The 4 holes are in the spring side of the piston.
3. Degass the new brake fluid. I have access to a bell jar and a vacuum pump and by pulling the fluid down to -27in. Hg. several times it is possable to remove most of the trace gasses trapped in the brake fluid. Degassing also helps when changing the fluid in the brake system too.
4. Never ever shake your bottle of brake fluid, it takes weeks for all of the tiny bubbles to dissipate.
I've had my FJ for 21 years and this thread sounded familiar when I first read it.  I'm glad I keep notes on my motorcycle projects!

You should also check your idle speed.. if it is too high, it will engage harshly.  I also had a problem with my bike when using other engine oils rather than Yamalube.

[yambutt]

clunk into first comes with the bike for free...

What I have found however is that certain engine oils seem to make shifting a lot easier... like night and day difference.

Make and type seem to be machine specific - so you will need to experiment and find what works for you.

For me its synthetic 15w 50 as we live is a hotter climate... others like different weights and makes.

All I can say is that it is worth the effort trying different weights and types to see what works for you.

When you find the sweet spot.. you will know as apart from first - your gear box will be silky smooth.

good luck.

I find this true also, I use amsoil 20w40 and 20w50 motorcycle oil and mine shifts like butter, turned other friends on to it and they say the same thing.