Very stiff clutch ST1300

Hi,

My clutch is uncomfortably heavy and my hand is at full stretch to pull it. So much so that I am staying in the wrong gear rather than use it after around an hour of riding.

Is there anything that can be done to resolve this?

Thanks all...

Jackboy said:

Hi,

My clutch is uncomfortably heavy and my hand is at full stretch to pull it. So much so that I am staying in the wrong gear rather than use it after around an hour of riding.

Is there anything that can be done to resolve this?

Thanks all...

Click to expand...

I would start by bleeding the clutch fluid with new DOT 4 and lubing the lever.

Is this something that just started to be a problem? What year ST is it? Are you the original owner? If not, the previous owner may have replaced the OEM clutch springs with heavy duty springs, which would obviously make it more difficult to disengage. I don't know how the need for clutch fluid replacement would make the clutch pull stiffen up, but if it's due for servicing it can't hurt anything to try that to see if it makes any noticeable difference. I have no idea how long you've been riding, but if you have a few years of riding experience you should have learned that you don't usually need to use the clutch to change gears once you're underway. Personally, I use my clutch when I shift into neutral and 1st gear and usually for the 1-2 shift, but seldom use it for any other gear change under normal riding conditions. If I get stuck at a long red light, I have to shift into neutral and release the clutch as I can't squeeze the lever for an extended period of time.

Another thing that may be beneficial for you would be an adjustable clutch lever such as one that several forum members here have switched to.

Thanks both.

The bike is a 2003 which I have only owned since Xmas. Today was the first chance I've had to get out for a ride.

I've never been a fan of no clutch gear changes on other bikes I've owned, but will give it a try on this.

I've also ordered a pair of adjustable levers to try.

Thanks again.

Definitely give all of the mechanical parts around the master cylinder a good once over. There's a brass bushing in the lever just aft of the pivot where the plunger from the master cylinder attaches that's well-known to accumulate grit and make the lever action a little more difficult than it should be. I'd remove the lever and pull the bushing to see what kind of condition it's in and give it a good cleanup and lube (with silicone grease and nothing else). If the bushing is scored, replace it. Also check that the master cylinder plunger operates smoothly and lube it and the rubber boot, again with silicone grease only. The lever and bushing are different metals, and I would not at all be surprised if the UK's patented brand of salty road crud caused it to corrode and jam up. If the boot is missing from the master cylinder plunger, you may need to pull that and rebuild it if it got gummed up.

You also don't have to go no-clutch for shifts into higher gears; Hondas do well with a small amount of shifter preload and just pulling the clutch in until the gear change happens. I do this for upshifts and probably use less than a quarter of the lever's travel.

An adjustable lever may help if the clutch isn't a good fit for your hand, but definitely run down the mechanical end first. The clutch on the ST isn't light, but I wouldn't call it so stiff that it's uncomfortable for regular operation.

--Mark

sounds like the plunger is outside of the bushing or sitting on the edge. As Blrfl said, take it apart, clean, and inspect everything. You should be able to use your clutch lever with one or two fingers.
I prefer to stay away from adjustable levers, because folks put them too close to the grip for the "I have small hands" and don't get full operation of the clutch, causing wear.
.02

I agree with Igofar - it sounds like something has come adrift in the clutch lever.

I've just been inside the clutch slave cylinder down on the rear-side of the engine (and boy - was it fun....NOT) and there isn't too much that can go wrong down there - except of course the seal can spring a leak but that doesn't produce the symptoms you're reporting of a very stiff lever pull.

Also, I can report that last year I tried a set of nice looking adjustable levers with "ergonomically" shaped handles and found that they really didn't help at all. So I went back to stock on the brake side (which is adjustable) and I swapped in a lever from (I think), a Honda CBR1000R - which looks just like the ST1300 clutch lever and fits perfectly, but it has the adjustability mechanism same as our brake levers. That seems to work nicely for me.

I wonder why Honda didn't make both levers adjustable on the ST1300 while they did on some of their other bikes....? That decision was probably made by the same cheap-skate nitwit who decided to not put self-cancelling turn signals and a gear indicator on it.

Oh well, it still goes like heck and I like it.

Pete

If you notice the replacement OEM honda levers that have the adjustable wheel, are also about an inch shorter than the ST1300's standard lever. The longer lever gives you full clutch engagement and more leverage so that its easier to use.
.02

Igofar said:

If you notice the replacement OEM honda levers that have the adjustable wheel, are also about an inch shorter than the ST1300's standard lever. The longer lever gives you full clutch engagement and more leverage so that its easier to use.
.02

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Yes, Igofar - I should have mentioned that the adjustable lever is a little bit shorter than the stock ST1300 lever. However, it doesn't seem to cause any difficulties.

Thanks all. Hopefully we'll have a bit of dry weather next weekend so I can give it a good going over.

Thanks again

A small word of caution Jack - the lever contains several fairly small parts so, I would suggest laying an old towel or something soft on the floor underneath when you take it apart so that none of those little pieces go too far astray.

.....please don't ask me how I know this....:

Pete

MaxPete said:

A small word of caution Jack - the lever contains several fairly small parts so, I would suggest laying an old towel or something soft on the floor underneath when you take it apart so that none of those little pieces go too far astray.

.....please don't ask me how I know this....:

Pete

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Ha! Thanks for the tip Pete, your secret is safe for another day...

So Jack - any progress?

Hi, yeah, I stripped the lever down this weekend and gave everything a good clean and it is much better, thank you.

I have new levers coming this week so will change the fluid when I fit them.

Next job handlebar risers!

Thanks again for your help.

Be sure NOT to adjust the new lever improperly. You MUST be able to start the bike IN GEAR, kickstand up, when you stall it at a busy intersection. Do not find out, at the worst possible time that your new lever is not depressing the micro switch needed for this to work. That 18 wheeler bearing down on you..well you get the point.
I am thinking that this is why the standard clutch lever is not adjustable.

JimGregory said:

Be sure NOT to adjust the new lever improperly. You MUST be able to start the bike IN GEAR, kickstand up, when you stall it at a busy intersection. Do not find out, at the worst possible time that your new lever is not depressing the micro switch needed for this to work. That 18 wheeler bearing down on you..well you get the point.
I am thinking that this is why the standard clutch lever is not adjustable.

Click to expand...

somebody was paying attention in class!

Some riders here have 0 problems with starting their bikes with adjustable levers and others have found that of the range of adjustment offered some settings don't allow the bike to start if the clutch microswitch isn't activated. With the engine off you can easily hear it when/where it clicks and adjust accordingly.

My specific observation is that the thickness of various aftermarket hand grips keeps the clutch lever from being fully depressed making the initial first few settings unusable without shifting to Neutral. With OEM grips or something very similar there will very likely be 0 problems.

It's easy to compare the switch activation with factory and aftermarket levers of choice. One modification I've been considering is surgically relieving some of the grip under the lever's contact area.

Do current Honda GoldWings no longer have adjustable clutch levers? I think speculation that safety is the reason for non-adjustable clutch levers may be giving Honda too much credit. I think cost is a more likely factor. Or ageism.

Interesting point about the clutch lever Jim & Igofar but to me, that points out a case of crummy detail design. Something like a clutch lever on a large expensive bike that is not adjustable when the brake lever IS adjustable is simply dumb / cheap or lazy.

Clearly it CAN be done - the adjustable lever that I bought and installed on my bike is an OEM Honda clutch lever for (I think) a CBR1000 and it fits the ST1300 like a glove.

Anyhow - regardless of of the reason, I'm glad you've got your bike fixed Jack.

Pete

MaxPete said:

Interesting point about e clutch lever Jim & Igofar but to me, that points out a case of crummy detail design. Something like a clutch lever on a large expensive bike that is not adjustable when the brake lever IS adjustable is simply dumb / cheap or lazy.

Clearly it CAN be done - the adjustable lever that I bought and installed on my bike is an OEM Honda clutch lever for (I think) a CBR1000 and it fits the ST1300 like a glove.

Anyhow - regardless of of the reason, I'm glad you've got your bike fixed Jack.

Pete

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Dumb, cheap, or lazy, perhaps...but maybe Honda does not want to put a part on the bike that could damage other parts if the rider adjusted it wrong Maybe Honda is protecting us from ourselves
An adjustable brake lever would not prevent the brake system from working correctly, while an incorrectly adjusted clutch lever would cause the clutch to not work correctly.
.02

MaxPete said:

Interesting point about e clutch lever Jim & Igofar but to me, that points out a case of crummy detail design. Something like a clutch lever on a large expensive bike that is not adjustable when the brake lever IS adjustable is simply dumb / cheap or lazy.

Clearly it CAN be done - the adjustable lever that I bought and installed on my bike is an OEM Honda clutch lever for (I think) a CBR1000 and it fits the ST1300 like a glove.

Anyhow - regardless of of the reason, I'm glad you've got your bike fixed Jack.

Pete

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Pete I don't know the why's and wherefores of it all. All I do know, is that I installed aftermarket levers on my bike and when I got the clutch where I like it I found I could not restart in gear. It can be very dangerous.
I have a friend that only like old bikes. I was riding his old Guzzi..just like the old Guzzi I had. It stalled and I had to go into neutral to get it to start. I told him his clutch is mal adjusted and he said it's supposed to be like that.
And his bike won't stop either. He said you need to plan your stops. I said you need to fix your brakes! Told him to leave it with me and I would see to these things. He said no, it's fine. It's not fine Mr.!
Sorry..off on a tangent.

FWIW, I used to be the IGO of the neighborhood. Back in the day.