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2006 Monday, March 6 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Anon, Or did you make that inquiry over the phone? If so, go to the dealer, preferably during a less busy time, as it's going to take some looking to find what you need. If necessary, take a close-up picture of the current lever/handlebar area so that you can compare with greater confidence. Mama Wednesday, May 17 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Linda, Sunday, May 28 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Linda, Friday, December 22 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
VTwin Mama Wanabeeeeee, Otherwise your question depends on whether you bought a brand new Sporty 1200 or something older. The newest H-D models already incorporate their latest reduced clutch lever technology while older ones (I believe from 2005 and older) do not. For these you can find products that will ease the pull-effort action. You'll find more about these possibilities on my Bike Fix: Clutch Lever pages . . . or talk with your local dealer's parts department to discover options. Mama Friday, April 20 Dear
VTwin Mama, So, people have been telling me I wouldn't be able to find a clutch for a smaller hand, so I decided to search . . . low and behold I found your site! Thanks so much for the information you gave re: AMP! Carol Dear
Carol, Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Cathy, Friday, May 11 Dear
VTwin Mama, When I pull the clutch in and put it in gear my Star (V-Star 650 Classic) clunks and bucks forward slightly. Which tells me it's not disengaging. She only has 3,800 miles put on by the previous owner. Also, the clutch engages right away after the free play. Do you know how and where to adjust these problems? A mechanic (and bike shop owner) friend of mine said the free play adjustment is correct. I'm a newbie to bikes but I do have mechanical knowledge of sorts and something isn't right. My Clymers book doesn't cover both of these happening all at once. I would like the clutch to engage about half pull. I've discovered this while trying to stay in my friction zone. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Terry in Thonotosassa Dear
Terry, Yes, you've only got 3,800 miles on the motorcycle, but clutch cables stretch with use and the adjustment at the clutch lever must be made on occasion. If there is no more adjustment at the lever, then follow the cable down and see if another adjustment is available. If not, you'll need to remove the cover to the clutch basket and find the adjustment there. Now, just another thought. Bikes that have correct freeplay, but want to clunk and creep, may have sticky clutch plates/tension springs. This can happen when the oil is old or the bike has been sitting for longer intervals (previous owner?), or simply stuff accumulated and stuck to the plates. Not the most likely thing with your mileage, but don't completely rule it out. Mama Monday, May 14 For Cathy who wants a stronger clutch hand: An off the wall thought but since you're a new rider . . . think carefully, was the clutch on the course bike easier to engage? As Mama said, a death grip on the clutch is common for new riders, but if you have small hands like I do, clutching & front braking) can be difficult unless/until the levers are changed or adjusted. If you have to over-reach your hands get very tired very quickly, and engaging the clutch is what you do most and it also often requires a sustained grip. Just a thought. Jem (note from Mama: good point . . . also, taking a look at the positioning of the controls on the handlebar may prove to be a solution . . . they can be loosened and twisted around a bit for better hand reach . . . 'cause arching your wrists up and over to get those levers can be a strain also.) Monday, May 14 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
BadBoy, Meanwhile, I read through some of the earlier letters posted on the archived Bike Fix: Clutch Lever pages. There is a product called a MRC Clutch and it promises reduced pull effort and is appropriate for the 2007. Mama Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Lyonsden10, Tuesday, June 26 Fix for VStar 650 clutch lever (smaller hands) Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Terry, Petra,
This fix, although relatively simple, solves this problem and allows the rider to adjust the clutch engagement point closer to the grip like most other bikes. This is especially helpful to riders with smaller hands which includes a lot of females. I have sold well over two thousand of these and more than half have been either to, or for, women riders. I send it with complete, illustrated instructions and it usually take about 15 minutes to install and adjust. Anyone with just some knowledge of mechanics should have no trouble. I sell these kits to dealers (in bulk), over the 650 V-Star forum, and on ebay. You may want to check out the description (and also read the feedback comments) on eBay. Just search "Yamaha V-Star clutch adjustment kit." I sell these to individuals from the forums (not through eBay) for $12 USD and that includes shipping. I charge an extra $1.00 to Canada and a little more to most of Europe. The eBay prices, since they are an auction, usually run about $15 - $20. I did all the R&D on this fix and patented it over a year ago. The parts are not "off the shelf" parts and are manufactured specifically for or by us. Some people have made their own after looking at our photos but I don't see how one could ride or drive over town, buy the parts (and they would still not fit correctly) and install them for the above price. I take PayPal (use my email address seritec@aol.com as the ID under the "send money" tab. If anyone needs to send a bank check/money order, it can be sent to: Roger Helmstetler (make check to me), Seritec, Inc., P.O. Box 1254, Jamestown, NC 27282. Thanks again, Roger Thursday, July 26 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Philip, Friday, August 31 Dear VTwin mama, Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Susan, Dear VTwin Mama, The only thing I am unsure of is making the jump from my standard rear tire to a larger one. Do you how big I can go on this bike and does a larger rear tire affect the ride? Thanks! Melissa Dear
Melissa, The standard rear tire is a 170/80-15, which means it's 170mm in width, has an aspect ration of 80% (so a height of 80% x 170 = 136mm), and a rim diameter of 15". You want to be careful putting something fatter on because rims are designed to support tires of a certain width. Sometimes a larger rim, and therefore different tire, can be put on a bike. Otherwise, typically you can go about 10mm wider, and a slightly higher aspect ratio (but that could interfere with the fender) but I'd double check with the local dealer's parts department on that one. You want something approved by the bike manufacturer (and double check on any impact on the warranty). Yes, a wider tire will affect your ride. More width, more traction, more traction, new handling realities in slow turns and high speed curves. Nothing that a little parking lot and road practice won't solve. That's the key whenever you make a change! Mama Monday, September 10 For Melissa and Susan on adjusting the VStar 650 clutch lever: I'm not sure what the difference is between the 650 and 1100 VStar as far as how the clutch cables are attached. But on the 1100, you just loosen the locking nut (looks more like a wheel) then turn the cable end nut to the desired amount. I had to do this after they adjusted my clutch for some reason on the first service. They set it so the clutch didn't engage until the lever was literally ALL the way out! A guy at work said they did the same thing to him. Hope this helps. Michele (note from Mama: while this is the standard adjustment on most motorcycles, it is my understanding that doing this on the 650 VStar only adjusts the freeplay. If you try to move the engage/disengage point, you end up with a loose clutch cable, which is not right. Not sure why this is.) I also have a 2007 VStar 650 Classic and have read a lot of posts regarding the clutch lever problems. At first, I found it very difficult and certainly very different from my previous bike. But with a little practice it has now become second nature. Didn't have to get the clutch adjustment kit you mentioned. Denise from Newfoundland (note from Mama: yes, many riders will keep working with a system that may not be optimal but doable with practice. I think I compensated for many things over the years, but with the advent of the Internet, it is so much easier to talk things out, and if a different set-up is available, it may be something to consider. Yahoo to the Internet!) Wednesday, September 19 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Stacy, Most solutions are about the stiffness of the clutch lever action, i.e., more ergonomic, meaning that the pull and release can be "softened up." For many of the newer motorcycles though, this is really not an issue. One thing you can do right off the bat is to take a closer look at your hand position relative to the clutch lever. If the whole assembly is secured on the handlebar is such a way that it's causing an arch of your hand, you could loosen the assembly and rotate it down a bit, thus aiding your overall ability to operate the clutch lever. If the positioning is fine, but the overall handlebar is a bit far away, you can investigate whether a pullback riser would help. The OEM or aftermarket solutions for levers that let a smaller hand grab and release with greater ease are more difficult to research. All I can offer is that you'll need an enlightened person at the parts desk of the local dealer. By opening up their vast catalogs of aftermarket products, they may be able to identify a clutch lever that has a greater bend or is overall flatter and thus not as far from the grip. Many bikes offer a "dial" adjustment, but you would have seen that already if your bike had it. Some motorcycle clutch levers can be adjusted so that the engage/disengage point is closer to one end of the range of motion so at least your smaller hand can work the friction zone properly. For this I would call up the service department and put forth your dilemma. If none of this helps, the only other thing that's been suggested is that you take it to an independent shop and investigate whether they can heat and bend your current lever. It's been noted that this could weaken the lever, but a knowledgeable person could offer more input on that. Last but not least, the LS650 Savage is now called the Boulevard S40. It's useful in your research to note that there may be a S40 solution that would fit to your 2006 model. Mama Friday, December 14 New kit to modify friction zone on Yami VStar 650 Dear VTwin Mama, Monday, March 10 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Powerman, Friday, August 1 Dear Readers, My boyfriend Marty, a Suzuki Boulevard C90T rider, is a fan of Mocc's Place ... where the garage and mod shop sections offer easy-to-understand instructions for all sorts of things on Intruders and Boulevards. Marty noted there was a lever adjustment mod ... so if you've already adjusted the levers in as much as possible, this is a method to reduce the distance just a touch more. Is it possible that other makes/models use a similar system ... take a look ... one never knows! Mama Tuesday, September 16 For Bitin' Squirrel who is trying to find a clutch lever solution for her smaller hands: First let me say what a great and well done site ... I am now passing it on to all of the women riders I know as well as informing my buds. Although I am not a member as yet, I do want to point something out that Bitin' Squirrel and everybody missed ... she says the controls on the Buell Blast fit her but she just did not like the bike. Well, it is a Harley so why not just swap the controls and bars to her 883? It is an easy job and a permanent fix. Regards, Ryno (note from Mama: although the original letter is from 2003, I was intrigued with this input because yes, Harley-Davidson has owned Buell since 1998. Anyone with an older Sporty can check into the latest controls offered by H-D, which I know reduce the pull effort, but maybe aren't actually a smaller "footprint" ... and explore a switch with the Buell control set-up idea.) Hi VTwin Mama, First, I ride a Yamaha Roadliner, 113 cu inches (1900ccs). I got it in March after waiting a year and a half for the red color to come to my dealer. First, it's an all aluminum frame, so it's about 100 lbs lighter than my previous bike, a Yamaha Roadstar. That was a beast to manhandle. The Roadliner is soooooo much easier to handle for me. My problem is the hydraulic clutch. With RA hands, there isn't much strength left, and I need whatever ease I can get. I forwarded the info on the Easy boy clutch to my husband to see if it'll work for me. Anyway, I've been riding for 4 yrs. I started out on a Yamaha VStar 650 and outgrew that in 2 months. I graduated to a Kawasaki Drifter 1500ccs. That was very top heavy. Then I got a Yamaha Roadstar 1700cc. It fit me perfectly (5'8", 230lbs). After riding my husband's Roadliner, I was convinced it was the way to go. It's longer, and even with risers it's a stretch for me but not uncomfortable. It rides like a Cadillac and we ride long trips when my hands allow me to. I have a Corbin Stinger seat so it helps me sit lower. Anyway, you have a wonderful website. I'm forwarding to the other girls that ride in my STAR chapter. It's now on my favorites list too! Good work! (my nickname is crash. let's just say it's out of the way now!!) Desiree G., aka Crash Dear Desiree, Monday, November 24 Dear VTwin Mama, Also I've ordered the Muller Easy Pull and I'm having that installed as soon as it comes in. I've had many people tell me that it really helps. Mary D. Dear Mary, Friday, February 27 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Anon Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Sharon, Your question always spurs me to check once again to see if any new solutions have hit the market for metric bikes (as Harleys are covered by the EZ Clutch or Power Clutch and a few metric solutions, very specific to the bike make/model have been sighted). Still, nothing that I can find for yours. That leaves me with the generic suggestion of finding an independent motorcycle shop and inquiring about heating up and bending your current lever inward for easier reach. Mama Monday, May 18 Moose Racing makes Easy Pull ... it goes in line with the clutch cable. On my BMW R65 I needed to cut the cable to install it. There was also an issue that the slot inside was not cut deep enough and the cable was bending. I emailed Moose Racing about the issue but I dont know if they fixed the problem. I know this may not work for everyone but it is worth looking into. Drew (note from Mama: wow ... this truly looks universal ... and while it won't solve a problem of getting shorter fingers to grasp the actual clutch lever, if you're looking to make the pull easier, this is a distinct possibility to help.) Dear VTwin Mama, If I cannot find a lever I will likely sign up to have the decompression surgery done on my left wrist to alleviate the carpal tunnel (I had the surgery done in '88 on my right wrist and it was very successful), but that would still leave me with my small hands trying to cover a long reach. And, I wouldn't be able to ride during the healing and recovery post surgery period. Has anyone found a clutch lever that would be more suitable for small hands on a 2009 VStar 1300? Thanks, Karen Dear Karen, Monday, July 20 The Clevver might be something to consider. Roger (note from Mama: aha ... reduce the amount of pull tension by 33% and increase the friction zone by 50% ... very nice! And it will fit a lot of VStars including the 650, new 950, 1100 and 1300. It won't however, reduce the distance between the handlebar grip and the outer edge of the lever ... small hands are still going to have to stretch the distance.)
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