Compensator going bye bye?
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Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Compensator going bye bye?
My 2009 EG has 46,000 miles. Lately I've been noticing that it's getting harder to catch neutral and it's hard to start in gear wit the clutch pulled in. (Turns over slow and lurches forward a bit)
Is this the dreaded compensator or something else? Is it something that's gonna leave me on the side of the road?
Is this the dreaded compensator or something else? Is it something that's gonna leave me on the side of the road?
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From: australia
If you are confident the clutch is adjusted properly ,(inside derby cover and cable),, and oil level is ok,, a simple check/test, to check if compensator could be the culprit is this,,
Hold front brake ,with the bike in first gear.
Let out clutch about half way.
If comp stays quiet, it is a good sign comp is ok.
If comp starts chattering and knocking it is a sign that comp my need replacing , or at least checking ..
Hold front brake ,with the bike in first gear.
Let out clutch about half way.
If comp stays quiet, it is a good sign comp is ok.
If comp starts chattering and knocking it is a sign that comp my need replacing , or at least checking ..
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From: Oklahoma
Clutch drag is responsible for both of your symptoms. The compensator is a "shock absorber" on the engine and has nothing to do with this. If your brakes are dragging, do you replace your shock absorbers?
Clutch drag and lurch on start is very common with wet clutches. The oil makes the plates stick together. You can see this easily by putting the bike in gear (engine NOT running) Pull in the clutch lever and try to push the bike. It will take a lot of effort to break loose the stuck clutch plates but then should push almost as easily as when in neutral. When starting the bike in gear with the clutch pulled in the starter must overcome that same stickiness in the clutch, slowing the starter, and at the same time the bike jumps forward a bit.
To check for proper clutch lever free play, pull the clutch lever in. While releasing the clutch lever try to pull the cable housing away from where it enters the fixed part of the lever assembly. As the lever approaches the fully released position you should be able to pull the cable housing 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch from the place where it enters the assembly. If it pulls out more than 1/8 of an inch the cable has too much slack and you aren't getting full clutch release with the lever pulled against the hand grip.
A proper clutch check and adjustment consists of setting the plunger in the clutch hub inside the derby cover and properly setting the cable AFTER the first part of the adjustment is complete. Information is available in the service manual, the maintenance hints in here and on youtube. If this is your first time doing this, make sure the Torx bit fits snugly in the derby cover bolt heads. T27 is the correct size, a T25 will seem that it will work but when higher torque is applied it will strip the points in the star pattern in the bolt head, a common mistake made by beginners.
Clutch drag and lurch on start is very common with wet clutches. The oil makes the plates stick together. You can see this easily by putting the bike in gear (engine NOT running) Pull in the clutch lever and try to push the bike. It will take a lot of effort to break loose the stuck clutch plates but then should push almost as easily as when in neutral. When starting the bike in gear with the clutch pulled in the starter must overcome that same stickiness in the clutch, slowing the starter, and at the same time the bike jumps forward a bit.
To check for proper clutch lever free play, pull the clutch lever in. While releasing the clutch lever try to pull the cable housing away from where it enters the fixed part of the lever assembly. As the lever approaches the fully released position you should be able to pull the cable housing 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch from the place where it enters the assembly. If it pulls out more than 1/8 of an inch the cable has too much slack and you aren't getting full clutch release with the lever pulled against the hand grip.
A proper clutch check and adjustment consists of setting the plunger in the clutch hub inside the derby cover and properly setting the cable AFTER the first part of the adjustment is complete. Information is available in the service manual, the maintenance hints in here and on youtube. If this is your first time doing this, make sure the Torx bit fits snugly in the derby cover bolt heads. T27 is the correct size, a T25 will seem that it will work but when higher torque is applied it will strip the points in the star pattern in the bolt head, a common mistake made by beginners.
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