Update on this: I opened up the clutch a couple weeks ago. No gunk, no wear. Looked practically new (but with only 12K on the clock, I guess it should). So I closed it back up...
I've got the idle down from 1500 previously to 1000 now, and that made it a little less clunky. Down shifting at <2K while moving is pretty smooth. A couple weeks of commuting with the fresh oil also seems to have helped -- less disturbing, metallic whack-clank and more damped pop. Based on the comments here, some browsing on the youtube, and the similar-sounding transmission on my buddy's 750 Shadow, it sounds like things are operating as designed. Guess if I wanted to make sure nobody heard me shifting ever, I could just chop off those delightfully understated OEM mufflers? :) Cheers, -ntd On Saturday, May 24, 2014 2:44:00 AM UTC-4, Neil Dantam wrote: > > Dear Nighthawk Compatriots, > > I recently picked up a '97 CB750 after spending 8 years on a > great little '95 CB250 (till a careless driver took it out and > nearly me with it, but that's another story). I'm still learning > the sound and feel of the new machine, but man does that 750 have > some OOMPH! > > HOWEVER, shifting on the 750 has seemed awfully rough. Shifting > from 2->1 or N->1 while stopped is loud enough that drivers will > turn around and look. It's not so bad if I shift 2->1 at around > 10mph, but if I try at around 25mph, I even get a chatter. > > So today, I adjusted the clutch cable, leaving just about a > millimeter of play in the lever. Then, I put the bike up on the > center stand, spin the rear wheel by hand in neutral, and spin it > in 1st with clutch all in. HUGE DIFFERENCE! In neutral, the > real wheel spins free with minimal resistance. In 1 with cluch > all in, there is significant resistance (my "carefully > calibrated" right arm would call it ~10Nm), and as soon as I take > my hand off the wheel, it stops. > > This can't be normal, can it? I have read a couple other threads > here about clunky shifting on the 750. This is way worse than > the 250 though. On the 250, I couldn't tell any difference > between neutral and clutch all in. Am I looking at a serious > clutch repair here? (and if so, any gotchas for the shade-tree > mechanic?) > > Many thanks for your wisdom and advice. > > Cheers, > -ntd > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to nighthawk_lovers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
