That First Noisy Shift of The Day?

[fin_676]

When the oil in the primary is cold it will be a wee bit thicker than when hot the oil is part of the grip on the clutch by creating an air tight seal between the friction pads and the smooth plates in the same way that some water will assist a rubber sucker to stick to glass
To assist with a smoother shift into 1st when the bike is cold holding in the clutch leaver for up to 30 sec will allow the spinning clutch to throw the oil clear of the plates
I have in the past had bikes where the friction material on the clutch plates was cork and the bond between the friction plate and smooth plate was created by the oil sealing the space at the edge of the cork pads

Brian

 

[dolt]

Typical on cold starts. As has been said, clutch plates stick together if the bike hasn't been run for a couple of days. All suggestions given should help. I find that just pulling and releasing the clutch lever a few times helps to minimize that grabby clunk on the first drop into first gear. I always let the motor warm up until the heads are warm to the touch; usually donning gear during warm up. If the clunk persists after warming up and riding, the clutch probably needs a slight adjustment. The degree to which the clutch plates stick together is also a function of the primary lubricant. Nothing special for me, just a quality 10W40 in the primary and Redline Shockproof in the tranny.

 

[Rod Stewart]

Thanks for all the replies.
I tried a couple of them and it definitely seems to help.
I found rocking the bike a foot or two each way with the tranny in gear and the clutch disengaged works the best.

The best,