Shifting Clunks (1st and 2nd)

My clutch seems to clunk into first and second gear really loud and I do no think that it should, but I need help diagnosis the problem(s). Anyone else with this situation or problem, and if so what did you do to solve it?

Regards,

W. D.

Bleed your clutch. Mine was much better after flushing out the old fluid.

+1 on bleeding the clutch, you should also do the brakes at the same time.

wonderdawg said:

My clutch seems to clunk into first and second gear really loud and I do no think that it should, but I need help diagnosis the problem(s). Anyone else with this situation or problem, and if so what did you do to solve it?
Regards,

W. D.

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Can you describe what you are talking about further?

Are you saying that when you are standing still, pull in the clutch and shift from neutral into first or second that the gearbox clunks? Because that is perfectly normal for an FJR. Search on the word "kerchunk" for more accounts of that.

Or, are you saying that when you are already in gear and pull in the clutch the gear box clunks when going from second gear to first or going from 1st to 2nd? In that case it does suggest the clutch is dragging too much.

Every bike I've ever owned did the kerchunk.

The general consensus is - bleed the clutch or adjust the cable properly. My new 2013 has a bit of a kerchunk. I'm sure as things wear it may get more pronounced.

One bike I had kerchunked quite loudly when cold. Once warmed up, it quieted down considerably.

Is the bike new to you and this is how it always is, or did something suddenly get worse of get progressively worse over time? Search the forum for clutch soak for as Fred mentioned, excessive clutch drag lends to make this worse and the clutch soak remedy helps a lot from what I've read. The FJR will never be an ultra slick "snick, snick" shifter though compared to some bikes because of design.

Kerchunk would be a very accurate description of what it does. I have just finished changing the clutch fluid so hopefully this helps. I will search the forum for the "Clutch Soak". So again thank for all of the help.

Regards,

W. D.

wonderdawg said:

Kerchunk would be a very accurate description of what it does. I have just finished changing the clutch fluid so hopefully this helps. I will search the forum for the "Clutch Soak". So again thank for all of the help.
Regards,

W. D.

Click to expand...

My "clutch soak" contribution here (first posted here).

wonderdawg said:

Kerchunk would be a very accurate description of what it does. I have just finished changing the clutch fluid so hopefully this helps. I will search the forum for the "Clutch Soak". So again thank for all of the help.
Regards,

W. D.

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'dawg, you might be chasing rabbits on "clutch soaking" your '05.

Since the "clutch soak' became semi-mandatory on '06 and newer FJRs, I don't believe I've EVER read of someone having ever done, or needing to do, a clutch soak on a Gen I.

But what-the-hey....it's a few quarts of oil and your time...pretty cheap...and the warm-fuzzies you'll get knowing you've done a job that probably won't make a damn bit of difference.

With a warmed up engine, an assistant and due care: Put bike on center stand, start, put in 1st gear with clutch pulled in, keep the clutch pulled in. Is the rear tire turning? If the rear tire is turning have the assistant carefully touch a shoe toe to the rear wheel. Does the wheel stop with very light pressure? Does the wheel spin strongly against more firm pressure? If the rear tire doesn't turn or turns with very weak force your entire clutch system is good. If it turns with force then you are looking at a partly engaged clutch.

mcatrophy said:

wonderdawg said:

Kerchunk would be a very accurate description of what it does. I have just finished changing the clutch fluid so hopefully this helps. I will search the forum for the "Clutch Soak". So again thank for all of the help.
Regards,

W. D.

Click to expand...

My "clutch soak" contribution here (first posted here).

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Bookmarking page and article into my Evernote. Thanks!

Every FJR I've heard has a noticeable kerchunk into first from neutral. I don't like it, but it's the way it is. At least it's better than my 1960 /2 BMW...

dcarver said:

Every FJR I've heard has a noticeable kerchunk into first from neutral. I don't like it, but it's the way it is. At least it's better than my 1960 /2 BMW...

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and waaaay better than any Harley, which clunks in every gear!

Actually... no quarts of oil need be harmed to remove a clutch. That clutch cover will come off with no oil draining on an FJR. Just leave it on the side-stand and go to town.

Yeah, I was concerned that maybe my kerchunk was excessive at one time. Took it all apart cleaned and oiled, then put it all back together. No change.

I think that what happens in the case of the normal kerchunk is that the drive side of the transmission is very free to turn on these bikes. So even after you pull in the clutch in neutral they will continue to freewheel for a long time once they are spinning. Then, when you shift it into gear the still spinning side of the tranny engages the stationary driven side's gear dogs. Kerchunk!

To prove that this is what's actually happening try starting the bike with the gears in neutral but with the clutch pulled so that the gear never get spun up to engine speed. Then without ever releasing the clutch (which would spin up those gears) shifted it into gear with no kerchunk.

My 07 also clunks if I just pull the clutch in and pop it into gear. But it is greatly reduced if I add a step to the process. After pulling the cluch lever in, try giving the engine a quick rev to free the sticky oil bind between the drive and driven clutch plates before popping the bike into gear. Works wonders for me. :yahoo:

+1 on the clutch bleed. Made a big improvement to my 06 12K miles. I also pump the clutch lever a few time when engaging 1st gear when cold.

Assuming your clutch is, indeed, declutcing, the neutral-to-first ker-chunk occurs when the clutch is spinning but the rear wheel and the rest of the train isn't rotating. Try this: put it in neutral, motor running, at the top of a hill, and roll down (forward of course) a few feet before you shift into first. You might notice little or no ker-chunk. Other gear ker-chunks occur on my bike if I shift prematurely, that is, before the engine revs to three or four kRPM's. I haven't soaked anything on my '05, but I have bled the clutch hydraulics. WBill

Fred W said:

Actually... no quarts of oil need be harmed to remove a clutch. That clutch cover will come off with no oil draining on an FJR. Just leave it on the side-stand and go to town.

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Fred is 100% right that no oil will be used/lost removing the clutch, but you will need some oil into which you can submerge all the friction plates to accomplish a "clutch soak."

RadioHowie said:

Fred W said:

Actually... no quarts of oil need be harmed to remove a clutch. That clutch cover will come off with no oil draining on an FJR. Just leave it on the side-stand and go to town.

Click to expand...

Fred is 100% right that no oil will be used/lost removing the clutch, but you will need some oil into which you can submerge all the friction plates to accomplish a "clutch soak."

Click to expand...

Yes, about half a pint if you use a plastic bag:

(Click on image for larger view)



(Images from my soak pictorial)