Can't find Neutral

[The Beast]

I have read some of the previous posts on Finding Neutral but My issue is that, when it is cold I can shift to N all the time. Put in 1hr of ride time and Dang it N disappears. I have always used Rotilla t6. 2003 with 42,000 miles. did clutch upgrade last year.

[cowpuc]

My MK1's have always been sensitive to oil's and oil changes in the feel of the tranny operation Beast.. Fresh oil = smooth shifting and all that.. Matter of fact, after years of riding em I can pretty much "feel" oil change time in the tranny - crazy I know but it really is so..

Guess the first question is - how long ago was your last oil change..

Next is - what weight of oil is this "T6"? I run Rotella 15/40 a lot in the cooler weather of fall n spring here in Michigan - non synthetic = usually good for 2500 to 3000 miles before it looses its viscosity and can "feel" the tranny getting sticky.. I know, by the book,, Yamaha specs 20-40 for summer temps but I have found 20-50 for western desert riding or temps above 90 here in Michigan. 20-50 will usually get me up to around 3kish miles before loosing its viscosity to heat and stickiness returns.. I use a lot of Super Tech Wall Mart oils or even the stuff from our Dollar Store - most if not all is for Diesel Motors - stay away from High Energy car oil myself.. Have had really good luck with straight up Dino..

Also be curious to know what "upgrade" your speaking of.. You do complete basket swap? If not,, I wonder if your basket is saw toothed and not getting full movement on the plates.. Any chance you inspected the "ears" the fibers slide on when your clutch is disengaged. If the basket is grooved or "saw toothed" as it were - this can prevent the plates from fully separating and the loss of viscosity in the oil as it heats up can cause what your talking about = more info needed on your upgrade..

Also possible is either air in your hydraulic clutch system or a bad spot in the master cylinder - either can create a similar situation to that of saw teething on the basket..

[Bert2006]

I usually find that getting into neutral gets a bit challenging when I am getting close to having to change the oil. once thats done..works fine...until next time

[Du-Rron]

I use T6 5W-40 as well. I would recommend a clutch bleeding with new fluid assuming you don't need a new oil change.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?97279-Baking-Clutch-Fluid-Exhaust-Heat-Shield

[gggGary]

A "neutral trick" on any wet clutch bike; let the clutch out slightly, just enough that the bike urges forward then pull lever in again while the foot tugs the shifter to neutral. The front brake can be on, actual movement isn't needed. This works because it squeezes the oil out from between the plates reducing the tension on the gears that resists moving them along the shaft. It takes some practice to get the rhythm, timing of doing this perfect but it works.

[Rob Swallows]

Gary's trick does work and I've used it on several bikes through the years. Never had a problem on 70's vintage motorcycles running Castrol "GTX", or Klotz oils however in that timeframe. I just serviced my oil in the Venture and have put about 70 miles on the change and the clutch is finally starting to act like it should as far as shifting to neutral when stopped, and hot. It has dragged since I started riding again this year. I have no idea what was in the crankcase as far as type but the prior owner stated the Yamaha dealer did all his service. I have come to doubt several things I was told however. I followed Steve's advice, (M61A1) and used Honda "GN-4" oil and am happy with it so far. A genuine Yamaha filter was used also with exactly 3.5 litres of oil dumped in which center the level in the sight glass.

[Rob Swallows]

I have about 250 miles or so on the oil change using the Honda GN-4 oil with a Yamaha filter and the clutch is working and releasing better than it has since I've owned the bike. It's always had "YamaLube" oil since new according to former owner. I'd purchased the bike with a fresh oil change and the clutch has never worked as well as it does now. I highly recommend others try this oil in their bikes as I really believe you'll be impressed with the operation.