I have a problem with my clutch and am hoping for some insight. The bike is in neutral while in idle. I pull in the clutch, try to put it in first, the bike then jumps forward and stalls. It acts like the clutch is non-existant. What can I check for and how can I test what is the problem?

Has the bike been sitting for a while? Try putting it in 2nd or 3rd gear with the engine off, pull in the clutch and see if you can push the bike and break the clutch free. If not you could have a bad master or slave cylinder, and the clutch is not being fully disengaged when you pull the lever. They can be rebuilt.

Mark

Check to see if there's brake fluid on the frame below where the clutch hose enters the engine case. My '85 had those symptoms, as well as a small fluid leak. I honed the clutch slave cylinder with fine emery paper and installed new rubber parts there. After doing that fix, then bleeding the line, the clutch worked great! I believe moisture had settled in that lowest part of the system during extended periods of sitting and caused enough corrosion for the leak to develop.

joe

itgoes wrote:
I should be able to move the bike in 2nt or 3rd gear with the clutch compressed, correct? I did that and it does not move. Its been sitting just under 2 months i believe. Engine purrs like a kitten...or should I say like a lion.


My response to BikerJOe...it is not leaking fluid. In that area all I see is normal grease and grime from a 14 year old bike.

Check your clutch fluid level at the master cylinder on the handle bar. Bleed the hydraulic clutch system. This was necessary on the 1st gen vmax every year or so to keep it disengaging properly. Also check the brass bushing in the clutch handle for wear.

My fluid is below the see through glass and looks dark. I'll have to figure out how to bleed the system. Never did it before.

The bleed valve is located on the left side of the engine just behind the stator cover. It should have a small rubber cover over it. 1'

1. Run a hose frome the bleed valve into a jar with some brake fluid.
2.Fill your resivoir with clean fluid,

3. Crack the bleed valve open and start pumping clean fluid through the system.

Make sure you don't let the reivoir go dry and introduce more air into the system!

Continue this process until you are getting only clean fluid out of the bleed valvce.

4. After getting clean fluid in the system than you may need to do a series of pumping up pressure and then open bleed valve. Close bleed valve before releasing clutch lever. Do this until there are no air bubbles comming out the hose in your jar and or you have a good clutch feel at the handle.

It can take a little time so be patient.

I lost clutch pressure. How do I build it back up so I can continue bleeding it?

monk wrote:
IMO your waisting you time trying to bleed the system. If you lost pressure..and you had no clutch..and were low on fluid, then you have a leak. Most likely culprit is the slave cylinder...it needs to be rebuilt. Do you have a service manual? If not you need to get one, it will show you how to get to the slave. It's not a big job. You can order a rebuild kit on-line or from the dealer.

Mark

Here is a link for the Service Manual. vmaxoutlaw.com/main.html