clutch problem
 

Hi guys. Really like your forum, only joined today. I have a issue with my 2005 Fireblade (Australia). The clutch lever feels firm and good operation but the bike clunks into first gear and attempts to move/creep forward. If it was a dirt bike I would think it is a worn basket but I have been lead to believe it is my clutch plates warped. It isnt bad yet but is getting slowly worse. The bike hasnt been dimantled for anything in the last six months. Another person told me to go for a hard ride and flare the clutch to smooth and deglaze the plates??? Should I be using Dot 4 Brake Fluid and do you guys like Mobil 4T Racing Oil? Currently running a Castrol Product..... Please Help.

I would first try bleeding your clutch. I remember in the owners manual it says that if the bike creeps forward then to try and bleed it. Also there is a search buttton. It will be your best friend and it will also save you from being flamed by Tweety. We also have a downloadable service manual on the forum. I would highly suggest you download it and save it to a disc or somewhere safe on you comp. And I am running DOT4 Brake fluid. Welcome to the forums.

Philip

+1 ^

Mine had a very slight tendency to do this before I swapped out my Master Cyl (for looks reasons) and no I don't think the swap changed it, but rather the fact that I had to bleed the clutch did it.

The clutch felt fine, but the bike creeped forward. Bleeding the clutch fixed it. So that is an easy - cheap first thing to try.

Yes you should be using DOT 4 if you used DOT 3 flush and refill the system with DOT 4.

Also your problem sounds more like oil issues causing the the clutch plates to stick.

Either the oil might be due for changing or the bike doesn't like the oil you are running.

The oil question will open a whole can of worms..... but I will say I am now using Mobil 4T 10-40w and really like how it works in my bike. I was using either Mobil 1 or Rotella before and while they both work well, the gear box on my bike works smoother with the 4T but YMMV.

This would not cause the OP's issue, but is related. The drive cushions should be replaced when they get hard and dry. This eases the clunk.

Thankyou guys, I will try these things and let you know. Love the bike wouldnt swap it for the world! Thank again.

Older bikes (and ours are getting "older" now...) if not used for a period of time can have the clutch friction plates swell. I had the same thing happen on a CB650. After changing to a better (motorcycle specific) oil and riding it for a while I didn't have any more problems. Not saying that this is your problem, but keep it in mind if you can't find any other cause.

Thankyou for the Info. I bleed my clutch again but no different. I found changing the oil to Mobil 4T Full Synthetic and several hard rides seems to have fixed the problem. The bike had been sitting for seven weeks before I purchased it. Now very happy. Thanks again.

glad to see you got your bike up and running normally again