Clutch = Anger

[NorthernPete]

definately check your plugs.... I was going through my plugs about every 30-50 Kms before I got my carbs all fixed.

[buddhacide]

Yeah, I do go back down to first. As for the whole "about as much time as you would spend at a stop light", I'll have to pay closer attention to that. I'm enjoying a nice hangover today, so I'm going to leave it alone for now, but in the next few days I'll go back out there and try to pay a little more attention to what i'm doing. I'm hoping i just need practice still and I'm not getting too ahead of myself.

I was out with a friend last night who is in the middle of learning how to drive a manual car. She said her learning is going pretty much the same way. She said she had a few good days, felt cocky, and then seemed to forget what she already learned.

Edit: As for the pugs, this is sort of intimidating for me. What are the odds i can mess something up removing and replacing the plugs?

Anyway, i really appreciate the help of this forum. It gets so frustrating and god knows my girlfriend is tired of hearing about it

[dieziege]

There are two errors you can make taking out the plugs. The worst is to seriously overtighten when putting them back in...hard to do unless you are being a real klutz, but really nasty if it happens. The other is to mix up the spark plug wires... though I don't think you can even do that with your engine.

Might as well learn how to deal with it... there's a reason your bike's tool kit includes a spark plug wrench. (socket really).

[revxus]

I read the entire thread, because I was experiencing the same problem. I noticed though, that when the engine is reved up and I sloooooowly depressed the clutch it really worked!!! It actually launched forward... but I need a bit more practice, I also did not know the bike would move w/o any throttle movement and simply releasing the clutch.

I'll definately have to try that, but please continue to post, I'd love to see something positive come out of this thread.

[buddhacide]

Well, i'm convinced my friction zone is practically non-existant. I was practicing in the ally today behind my house, flat land, and i could only get it to go without stalling maybe one out of 3 times. I also rode up this dead end street where there was a slight incline, so i tried to practice there, i could hardly ever get it to catch. I understand what needs to be done, but it just seems no matter how delicate i am with the clutch I just cant get any sort of confidence with it. I barely feel the friction zone at all. I dont get any sort of powerful movement when releasing the clutch, it just lurches forward a tiny bit and if im lucky i can get a bit of gas in there before it stalls. I wish I new someone that could just come over and tell me definitively what the heck is wrong. I'm tired of driving around side streets stalling at every stop sign. I want to ride this sucker.

[NorthernPete]

if your bike is lurching forwards, you're still letting the clutch out too fast.

[buddhacide]

I dont mean lurch as in "jerk", I just mean "begins to move".

[dieziege]

Spin the motor up to 2000-3000 RPM and then feel out the clutch. You don't need to let out the clutch first then add throttle.

[revxus]

I'm sort of in the same situation, but a little more confused. Once in first gear, do you always press the clutch in before shifting to the next gear up? Do you always downshift when coming to a complete stop? What if you're just reducing speed to the flow of traffic? Must you downshift then?

I know this may go off topic, but I won't be able to to get into the MSF class until 7/28.

[NorthernPete]

when your bike starts boggin down, down shift. If you keep it in a higher gear and suddenly traffic starts rolling faster, you'll be in trouble...and the clutch, some will say you dont need to use it all the time...myself, I think its there for a reason..... and I use it all the time.