Clutch adjustment?

I bought my 1300 in March with only 1309 miles on the clock from a dealer here in Central NY. The hydraulic clutch has almost no free play, and doesn't engage until the very end of the stroke. In the cars that I work on daily, that is usually the sign of imminent clutch failure. But a few of the cars have an adjuster on the clutch master, to allow proper adjustment after the clutch has been replaced. I see no adjustment at the master on my ST. Is there an adjustment at the slave, or is this just one of the quirks of these bikes? The clutch never slips, it just doesn't feel "normal". Thanks in advance.

It appears that the motorcycle has been almost unused in 6 years! Congratulations on being in the enviable position of breaking in an ST. I would not be surprised if the hydraulic fluids in clutch (and brakes) would benefit from replacement. Lots of advice on the procedures in the tech articles. A good clue is the colour of the fluid in the inspection windows on the reservoirs. Enjoy the ride!

Capt'n your clutch engagement point sounds like it is normal, your's is common observation for people new to the Honda ST clutch.

You might want to find another ST rider and compare before you do anything other than changing fluids...

There is no adjustment and yes it's normal. If there were air in the system the clutch take up would be close to the grip instead of almost all the way out. If it's an older bike just from the years the fluid needs to be changed if it has not been in the last two years. The ST traps a lot of heat under the fairing and the clutch fluid in particular quickly turns amber then brown during use.

Not asked but noted.....ST linked brake system problems can be avoided by keeping the fluid clean and fresh. Honda calls for 24 month 12,000 mile replacement and it's important on this bike. The appearance of the fluid in the reservoir windows tells a lot but it's the fluid in the lines, PCV, SMC and calipers that breaks down and causes problems. The same heat under the fairing affects fluid in the metal lines along the frame and in the proportional control valve bolted directly to the frame above the engine. With so many rubber lines in the system moisture can and will get into the system just sitting there.

Check the lever to verify if the rod has slipped out of the brass bushing, or is binding and not working smoothly.

For some years of the ST1300, prior to MY 2008 I believe, Kuriakyn sells a set of adjustable levers that fit the ST with some minor modification. Their levers have adjustments for both the brake and the clutch instead of just the brake.

You can use the replacement Honda clutch lever, adjustable and looks factory stock. I think it's a half inch shorter the ST original, but you won't really notice.
53180-MEJ-006/305

wjbertrand said:

For some years of the ST1300, prior to MY 2008 I believe, Kuriakyn sells a set of adjustable levers that fit the ST with some minor modification. Their levers have adjustments for both the brake and the clutch instead of just the brake.

Click to expand...

I have the Kuriakyn levers on my 2007 and they fit fine and work well - BUT - as soon as I put the clutch lever on, the bike will NOT start unless it is in neutral. There must be some fiddly adjustment on the clutch lever switch that I haven't figured out yet.

I didn't like the non-adjustable OEM clutch lever (seemed odd that only the brake lever was adjustable) so the adjustable Honda lever sounds great! I think I'll order one and see if the proper starting function returns.

P

Sounds like you broke the switch on the front of the perch installing the aftermarket levers.
Yes honda makes adjustable levers off different sport bikes that will fit, the downside is they don't offer as much leverage as the longer one, and some folks adjust the lever close to the grip thinking it is more comfortable, only to find they don't compress the clutch plates completely.
Use your search mode for more info.

MaxPete said:

I have the Kuriakyn levers on my 2007 and they fit fine and work well - BUT - as soon as I put the clutch lever on, the bike will NOT start unless it is in neutral. There must be some fiddly adjustment on the clutch lever switch that I haven't figured out yet.

I didn't like the non-adjustable OEM clutch lever (seemed odd that only the brake lever was adjustable) so the adjustable Honda lever sounds great! I think I'll order one and see if the proper starting function returns.

P

Click to expand...

Agree, something's broken or disengaged regarding the clutch switch. I had no such issue installing the Kuriakyn levers on my bike.

The switch is held on by a single jis screw underneath the lever, as you remove the lever and pull it away you will be able to see the small little tab that the lever flat pushes in and out.
It is very easy to break this tab off if you don't know its there.
The switch is about $17 dollars and easy to replace.
As far as the aftermarket levers, I have seen two instances where the rider grabbed the front brake so hard in an emergency attempt to stop, and snapped the lever off with hand pressure!
I installed the oem adjustable lever on my bike for a week or so, but found It didn't offer the same amount of leverage, being shorter than the stock one, so I switched back.

Thanks for the tips and advice, particularly after a phone call with Igofar. Lots of good info, just little time to check this out yet. Cursory check shows that linkage at master seems to be intact and correctly positioned. Will play with it more as time allows.

If everything is good up top, the next thing I would do is to flush the clutch system out. Remove lower left cowl (black) and you will see the bleed nipple behind and underneath the coolant overflow bottle.
It has a 10mm ahead on it. Simply place 3/16-5/16 clear tubing on it and flush using lever. You can reach the lever and the fitting while sitting on stool or crate. This will probably get your normal feeling back.
Keep us posted.