Clutch Anxiety
tabngillysmom
Posts: 24 Member
OK Ladies.....i need some advice, opinions, whatever you want to call it. I learned to ride on dirt bikes and a 125 cc yamaha. My new bike is 800 cc's and scares me just a little. I'm not afraid of riding, once I actually get going. My problem is I can't seem to get a good grasp on the clutch on this bike. It lurched on me the other day on take off and I was on a bit of uneven ground and I honestly thought I was going down! It scared the CRAP out of me!! Unlike the 125, that I can basically balance between my knees, this bike weighs substantially more! I know about the "friction zone" and all of that but the application of it is what is daunting me a bit. Any advice on this would be helpful. I don't have any issues with the clutch once I get moving, but I don't want to let this one hang up keep me from enjoying my bike!!
Melissa
Melissa
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Replies
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That is my next bike the 800. I have a 250 and I love it as it's easy to ride, but want somethign bigger. Curious on the answer to your question. I do know I still have an occasional problem with stopping. Meaning I am at a stop light. THINK I am in first and BAM! :noway: I kill the clutch. *Hangs head down* lol0
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Ok
The clutch should only be opened millimetres at a time.
I use the '5 point' analogy. Imagine the clutch has 5 positions. Position 1 is at the bar, position 5 is fully engaged.
Step 1 clutch fully into position 1
2 - select 1st gear
3 - make the engine 'busy' by squeezing the throttle dont drop your wrist and take big handfuls just let the engine buzz... (I assume you have a V twin engine so this may take practice in neutral)
4 - start to SLOWLY release the clutch to position 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2 until you feel the bike want to start to move then HOLD THE LEFT HAND STILL AT THIS POINT!!!
5 - the engine note should drop, this is normal as the clutch starts to link the engine and rear wheel together.
6 - 'Busy' the engine a little more while not moving the left hand. Technically you can redline it at this point as the clutch is hardly engaged.
7 - release the clutch another millimeter while keeping the engine 'busy' the bike should move forward very slowly. Hold the left hand still. Repeat until the bike is moving forward freely.... Never fully disengage the clutch in first gear. Ever. Ever....
Try to do all this with feel and using your ears. You aint going to ride around looking at your hands, it wont help. Get the feel. Your partnership is new...
The real temptation is to dump the clutch as soon as the bike moves ... Thats a no no alawys keep hold of it. If the bike feels like its running away from you pull the left hand into position 1 again. It'll stop. Keep yourself on a quiet road or car park and practice pulling away clutch in stop. Pull away, clutch in stop. Use finesse with the controls, nicely delicate and keep your eyes up and dont forget to breathe!!!!!
I know I'm from good old Blighty, but a clutch is a clutch is a clutch.... Good luck xxx :flowerforyou:0 -
That is my next bike the 800. I have a 250 and I love it as it's easy to ride, but want somethign bigger. Curious on the answer to your question. I do know I still have an occasional problem with stopping. Meaning I am at a stop light. THINK I am in first and BAM! :noway: I kill the clutch. *Hangs head down* lol
That I think is my greatest fear Tina! That I will be sitting in traffic, kill the engine on a start and then some idiot behind me will run over me!!0 -
Ok
The clutch should only be opened millimetres at a time.
I use the '5 point' analogy. Imagine the clutch has 5 positions. Position 1 is at the bar, position 5 is fully engaged.
Step 1 clutch fully into position 1
2 - select 1st gear
3 - make the engine 'busy' by squeezing the throttle dont drop your wrist and take big handfuls just let the engine buzz... (I assume you have a V twin engine so this may take practice in neutral)
4 - start to SLOWLY release the clutch to position 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2 until you feel the bike want to start to move then HOLD THE LEFT HAND STILL AT THIS POINT!!!
5 - the engine note should drop, this is normal as the clutch starts to link the engine and rear wheel together.
6 - 'Busy' the engine a little more while not moving the left hand. Technically you can redline it at this point as the clutch is hardly engaged.
7 - release the clutch another millimeter while keeping the engine 'busy' the bike should move forward very slowly. Hold the left hand still. Repeat until the bike is moving forward freely.... Never fully disengage the clutch in first gear. Ever. Ever....
Try to do all this with feel and using your ears. You aint going to ride around looking at your hands, it wont help. Get the feel. Your partnership is new...
The real temptation is to dump the clutch as soon as the bike moves ... Thats a no no alawys keep hold of it. If the bike feels like its running away from you pull the left hand into position 1 again. It'll stop. Keep yourself on a quiet road or car park and practice pulling away clutch in stop. Pull away, clutch in stop. Use finesse with the controls, nicely delicate and keep your eyes up and dont forget to breathe!!!!!
I know I'm from good old Blighty, but a clutch is a clutch is a clutch.... Good luck xxx :flowerforyou:
My bike is a water-cooled 798cc parallel twin-cylinder.....does that make any difference?0 -
Unfortunately, I did that 4 times on our ride! How embarrasing and yes.. I kept thinking someone is going to hit me. I got a few beeps and well deserved. I hate that. I have/had an issue giving it enough gas to GOOOO.. so I kill it or I left it in another gear. What a newbie!! lol In time, the more practice the better. I am not giving up, I will piss off more people til I am a pro! :laugh:0
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Well, that makes me feel better. At least I am not alone! :happy: I am DEFINITELY a newbie and my hubby (who has been riding since he could pick up his sister's dirt bike at the age of 7!!) does not understand some of my fears and hesitations. But, I am determined not to let him push me faster than I am ready to go. I will just ride alone!! :grumble: But, I know that I will be a happier rider if I can just get the timing on this thing!! Come to think about it, that was the thing that frustrated me about learning to drive a manual transmission car when I was 16. Well, I am not 16 anymore, but it is still frustrating none the less. Guess it will teach me not to be such an anal perfectionist!! :blushing:0
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Go to a parking lot and practice using your friction zone! My new bike has been retoothed and so it is giving me fits starting in first! I have killed it numerous times at a stop light but just breathe and restart it.......the last couple of days I have finally rode it without killing it as I am now learning how she works, def dont let this put a damper on it for you, you will master it just practice!0
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you are talking to the stall queen, geeze took me forever to figure the friction zone , then i rode my daughters bike and stalled her bike at every traffic light and stop sign, she has a yamaha and I have a fatboy, I learned every bikes friction zone is a little bit different, mine is so much easier then hers, I did exactly what the other poster said I took my bike to a mall parking lot went to the back side and picked start and stop points and just kept practicing, I also ride thru subdivisions near my home that dont have alot of traffic, now if someone could tell me the secret of not being afraid of right hand turns , that would be the bomb for me.0
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Very true! Looks like parking lots are in my near future!!
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I think we are in competition as I thought I was the biggest staller queen!! Lol :happy:0
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See step 4 above.... This is your biting point (or friction zone as you call it)
When you feel this hold the left hand still (cannot emphasise enough) this will allow the bike to puul away smoothly...
The 800 twin should pull away just on a busy tick over rather than throttle input like I have to use on my inline 4 cylinder...0 -
Thanks for all your input ladies! My ortho doc just released me to resume normal activity after a nasty hamstring pull while running 3 weeks ago so I am going to get the bike out this afternoon and practice on a flat spot on our 2.7 acres and once I get the hang of pulling away I will move to the parking ot down the road from my house. Luckily, my bike is a dual sport and goes well off road!
Thanks again and here's to lots of riding this summer!0
