Elusive Neutral

[John Stenhouse]

My Honda CRM used to do that exact thing, turned out to be the clutch basket, the "teeth" on the basket had become notched on the edges and were causing the problem. took the clutch plates out and a bit of judicious filing cured it. Warning don't get the filings in the engine!

[motoOzarks]

If you shut the engine off when trying to find neutral does it help or change?

If you rock the bike backwards a bit does it help or change?

[nik_the_brief]

If you shut the engine off when trying to find neutral does it help or change?

If you rock the bike backwards a bit does it help or change?

Shutting the engine off definitely does the ttrick, in fact at one stage I was having to turn off the ignition, find neutral and then fire her up again, that's fine until you do it so often in heavy traffic that you kill the battery from overuse.

I've not tried rocking it backwards before trying to select neutral but wil try it when (if) the symptoms return once I've given her an oil change and checked the cable adjustment.

Cheers everybody.

[nik_the_brief]

Grrr - new (bloody expensive) fully synth oil added and filter change.  No discernable difference, clutch still dragging, still scratching my head. 

Now I don't want to take it apart as there's £50's worth of oil plus a brand new filter fitted but it's just not right!  Might even have to take it to the local Triumph dealer so they can give it a quick once over.

[JayDub]

Grrr - new (bloody expensive) fully synth oil added and filter change.  No discernable difference, clutch still dragging, still scratching my head. 

Now I don't want to take it apart as there's £50's worth of oil plus a brand new filter fitted but it's just not right!  Might even have to take it to the local Triumph dealer so they can give it a quick once over.

did you check the clutch basket where the plates slide in/out? Mr Stenhouse has a point, thats happened to me before and a gentle tickle with a warding file did the trick... you probably won't have to drop the oil if its on the side stand, just stuff a rag around the bottom to keep out any filings/swarf, and clean up well afterwards.
Two other ideas are 1. a stretched cable (didn't notice if you'd changed it) and 2. the lever end adjuster worn or the thread stripped

[pineygroveshop]

Frayed clutch cable at the lever (handlebar end).