fixing clutch drag when hot.

[whodat]

to be serious, I have a long kick start lever on the 250 and a short lever on the 300 and the 300 is easier to start when warm(note, I did not say easier to kick) some thing about shorter lever equals more speed on the starter shaft.

However I think it is more about the plates getting warm and expanding. As you know the gasgas hydro slave cylinder has very little excursion. so when the plates swell there is even less seperation of the plates with the lever pulled in.

The fix ? Magura makes different master cylinders with larger and smaller piston sizes that push different volumes of fluid. I am going to try a model with a larger piston. I'll let you know what I find.
BTW tried diff tranny oils with no real difference, how bout u guys?

[stainlesscycle]

Originally Posted by whodat

The fix ? Magura makes different master cylinders with larger and smaller piston sizes that push different volumes of fluid. I am going to try a model with a larger piston. I'll let you know what I find.

i have a spare magura clutch master from a 2004 te450 - i should check and see what size piston it is - that would make a nice fix...


the clutch doesn't drag when i pull lever in and in gear at a stop - no lurching or fighting the bike. i can put it in 4th, pull clutch, get off bike, and push it backwards while running.... just 'drags' when it stalls and i try to kick it over, and it lurches/doesn't get enough piston velocity to start...

Originally Posted by whodat

BTW tried diff tranny oils with no real difference, how bout u guys?

i've tried atf, maxima xtl, and amsoil 0w-40. the amsoil 0w-40 is the best for reducing drag, and i get nice even clutch feel...

[gasgasman]

There is an "adjustment" you can make on the clutch push rod.
I've never done it. But, supposedly you can use a valve adjusting shim from a four stroke motor to add length to the push rod.

[GMP]

That will not change the travel though, only the offset that the slave piston operates in. A common mod for some TE450 Huskys that break the slave cyl but not needed on the GG. Adjust the pin on the lever a couple turns in, just leave some free play. That will add just a little master cyl (and slave) travel.

[bitoman]

I have the same thing going on.You said it right,a real pain in the ass.I noticed that when I pull the clutch in at a stop,the idle will climb up after a few seconds and stabilize.If let some clutch out and hunker the engine down a bit,then pull clutch in again,the idle will slowly climb up again after a few seconds.Happens every time.Makes me think that its slow to fully release.Running rottella,basket not very notched.filed them down some anyway.Also noticed pushrod tip not so round anymore kind of flat/worn looking so I decided to make a very thin shim out of valve shim to compensate.It made no difference.Dont know what else to do.Its the only thing about this GasGas that disgusts me.

[GMP]

The hydro clutch will always move the slave/pushrod/pressureplate the same distance based on the master/slave cyl volume ratio. Any wear or pack thickness changes will be accomodated by fluid transfer back to the master in the released position. If its a real issue to you, experiment with the master cyl and find the point where the lever pin gives the most travel without bottomming the piston. Other than that the only way to get more travel is to increase the master cyl volume, which will also increase effort and alter engagement, making it more narrow relative to lever travel and farther out. JMO but I think its pretty good the way it is. I'd go through the clutch and check for a warped or burred plate. I found one in my '03. You could also play with pack thickness by fine tuning the spacer under the basket, like stainless did for using the Honda plates.

[stainlesscycle]

Originally Posted by GMP

That will not change the travel though, only the offset that the slave piston operates in. A common mod for some TE450 Huskys that break the slave cyl but not needed on the GG. Adjust the pin on the lever a couple turns in, just leave some free play. That will add just a little master cyl (and slave) travel.

so to get maximum possible clutch travel:

adjust return pin (on back of perch) out all the way.
adjust pin on lever in as far as i can without binding against mc pin.
adjust return pin (on perch) back in so there is a tiny bit of slack between the lever adjuster pin and the mc cylinder.

this should give maximum clutch travel right? - need to have a bit of slack to accomodate for fluid swell when hot.

all this at the expense of lever/bar distance. puts lever further away from bar at rest.

[elemetal]

Seems as if GMP is on the right track, it's not about the disengagement but the plates sticking together when not loaded. Look for something that makes them not want to separate(burrs, ridges, maybe too smooth a finish on the steels) rather than more clutch action. I'd suggest a different oil but I see you've tried that. Seeing that many have this issue I wonder if it's how the plates move/shed oil that's causing the 'stiction' that's hard to overcome with the starter.

[stainlesscycle]

yeah, i was thinking of drilling the clutch hub for more oil flow, might help with plate stiction...

[BrentMartell]

My KTM 300, my buddies KTM 300, and my 2011 GG 300 all do the exact same thing. I have tried different oils but but found nothing worked as well or better than what I have always used. My KTM 125 does not seem to have this issue though. On another note my friends CR 250 and anothers RM 250 also drag as we have all experienced in this posting.

For dead engine starts I put the bike in gear, rev it up and ensure the clutch plates have fully disengaged. Shut it off, and then I use the e start and kick together. So far it has worked well.