Clutch or Chain issue?

[genesis]

This is my first post, I searched for a while and couldn't find any relating post.
I have a 07 FZ6. It's my first bike, I bought it new, and I've been riding now for about a year and a half.

Recently it has felt like it has started getting a little harder to shift gears. Just a little rougher. Last week I hit a pot hole (don't know if its related) and the next day I began feeling a clicking through my foot peg, shifter side. It's far more noticeable when I'm coasting with the clutch in. I don't know if this is related to my clutch or if it's some sort of slippage with my chain.

What do you guy think? I just want to know what I might expect when I take it into the dealer. Since I'm sure they'll say the clutch isn't covered even though there is only 8000 miles on it.

Genesis:thumbup:

 

[Nelly]

This is my first post, I searched for a while and couldn't find any relating post.
I have a 07 FZ6. It's my first bike, I bought it new, and I've been riding now for about a year and a half.

Recently it has felt like it has started getting a little harder to shift gears. Just a little rougher. Last week I hit a pot hole (don't know if its related) and the next day I began feeling a clicking through my foot peg, shifter side. It's far more noticeable when I'm coasting with the clutch in. I don't know if this is related to my clutch or if it's some sort of slippage with my chain.

What do you guy think? I just want to know what I might expect when I take it into the dealer. Since I'm sure they'll say the clutch isn't covered even though there is only 8000 miles on it.

Genesis:thumbup:

Welcome mate,

Not much to go on really, how hard did you hit the pot hole?

Was it enough to alter your wheel alignment? Try putting your bike on the center stand and rotating the wheel. It should run freely with a bit of a whirring noise from the drive train.

Have you tried to adjust your clutch slack? does this cure the problem?

Have you checked the bolts holding the footrest on? There is normally about 5 - 10 mm movement on the foot rest mounting. The bolts should be tight.

Have you checked the chain slack is within normal limits?

Does your clutch cable need lubricating? You can easily remove the lever and squirt some engine oil down there. I use a syringe and wide bore needle to do mine.

If you coast with the clutch in there is still some drag, this is normal.
Good luck

Nelly

 

[Fz6Sa]

How old is your Oil? (Miles/Km and months).
Since the engine oil also lubes the clutch, - the could be something there.

Other than that, I think Nelly pretty much covered it.

 

[CanadianFZ6]

Have you ever lubed or adjusted your chain in those 8000 miles?

 

[dako81]

I think if you hit a pothole, and now you're noticing something, it is possible you may have messed the alignment of your rear wheel up just a little bit. This would cause the chain to make a little more noise, and if far enough out of alignment could cause the clicking you're experiencing.

Put it up on the center stand and get down there and look from the back of the rear sprocket down the chain up to the front sprocket. The straight line made from the chain around your rear sprocket should continue straight all the way up to your front sprocket, if there is a bend in this line that the chain makes, something is out of alignment.

You can also use a tool like this:

Or a method like this:

 

[genesis]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I was going 65mph when I hit the pot hole, but I didn't think it was hard enough to mess with wheel alignment.

The clutch slack seemed normal, but I did adjust it slightly. This didn't help any.
The chain slack is normal, and the wheel spins freely.

There was no sign of the click when I had it up on the stand. But I didn't take it above second gear.

The foot rest was nice and tight. And while coasting the clutch drag feels normal, just the clicking when I'm out riding.

I have a service plan with my dealer so I go to them for oil changes and lubes. My bike was last in 5 months ago at 4500 miles. Is that too long between cable lubes/oil changes?... That seems like a long time now that i write it down.

I know I have neglected my chain a little. It s rainy season here so I get rained on a couple times a week riding to work and I've only lubed my chain a couple times since my last service. There is some build up on the chain I will have to clean.

Genesis

 

[Fz6Sa]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I was going 65mph when I hit the pot hole, but I didn't think it was hard enough to mess with wheel alignment.

The clutch slack seemed normal, but I did adjust it slightly. This didn't help any.
The chain slack is normal, and the wheel spins freely.

There was no sign of the click when I had it up on the stand. But I didn't take it above second gear.

The foot rest was nice and tight. And while coasting the clutch drag feels normal, just the clicking when I'm out riding.

I have a service plan with my dealer so I go to them for oil changes and lubes. My bike was last in 5 months ago at 4500 miles. Is that too long between cable lubes/oil changes?... That seems like a long time now that i write it down.

I know I have neglected my chain a little. It s rainy season here so I get rained on a couple times a week riding to work and I've only lubed my chain a couple times since my last service. There is some build up on the chain I will have to clean.

Genesis

1. Do an Oil and Oil filter change. (Cheap and it wont hurt)
2. Clean your chain real good, and re-oil it. Oil your chain like once a week.
3. Check for chain wear, replace chain and sprockets if needed.

 

[OZXJR]

I have had an occasional clicking sound on mine tonly happens when I lube the chain and disappears when on the centre stand

 

[jamesfz6]

I agree with everything everyone said. I just wanted to ad that if you dont check and readjust your chain every 1000 miles or so (i know the 600 mile rule of thumb) it will make a clickin sound as it goes around the looser(did i spell it right?) it gets.

 

[genesis]

Thanks guys,

I'm gonna do the oil change and clean and lube my chain when I get home from work. Hopefully this will fix it.

I'm not sure how to adjust my chain, I've just always checked to make sure the chain didn't have too much movement.

I'll let you guy know if I get everything fixed.

Thanks Again
Genesis

 

[Botch]

Rub your hand slowly over the driving surfaces of both tires. You may have embedded a rock, chunk of asphalt, or human bone fragment in one of your tires when you hit the pothole. Worth a check, anyway...

 

[genesis]

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to say thanks again! Just wanted to let you know everything is good now!! My chain was really dirty. So I cleaned that up and lubed my clutch cable. Things felt better after that but I went a head and had it looked at.

The shop is owned by a friend of a guy I ride with so I trusted them more than dealership guys. They checked out my clutch shifter and chain. They lubed some connections I didn't think to get and tightened my chain. I didn't realize how loose it was until I felt it afterwards.

So thanks again.
Matt

 

[Nelly]

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to say thanks again! Just wanted to let you know everything is good now!! My chain was really dirty. So I cleaned that up and lubed my clutch cable. Things felt better after that but I went a head and had it looked at.

The shop is owned by a friend of a guy I ride with so I trusted them more than dealership guys. They checked out my clutch shifter and chain. They lubed some connections I didn't think to get and tightened my chain. I didn't realize how loose it was until I felt it afterwards.

So thanks again.
Matt

I am glad that its sorted now.

Nelly

 

[playbygolf]

I have the same problem, when I coast with the clutch in, i get the clicking as well. My chain is tight, aligned right. I'm wondering if I could have stretched one link inthe chain that could have caused it to click as it goes around the front sprocket? I know a new chain and sprocket conversion is something I want to do, but want to make sure this would solve the issue!