No Motion at Rear Wheel

[hollywoodxs1100]

Hi, all. I need some advice.

I'm building/resurrecting a '78 XS11 Standard with parts scavenged from my '79 Special (whose frame broke to pieces).

I bought the bike for $140, no keys, etc. I swapped over my entire front end,tank, seat, guages and electric harness. It was a crapshoot, as the bike had been sitting 8 years and I didn't know if the engine would run. I'm happy to say that I got it fired up last night, and it runs great.

This morning, I finished assembling it, bleeding brakes, etc. Got ready for a test run down my block. I fired it up, put it in gear, let off the clutch and..... nothing. At all. No forward motion. In any gear. Runs and sounds great, though.

What are the possibilities? How do I narrow it down? I'm thinking clutch disks. Is there a way to change the clutch disks without an impact driver? Does anyone know the size of the clutch nut? I bought a 26mm socket, and it's too small.

[red bandit]

If you swapped the forks did you swap the triple trees also. They match the forks. Before you go tearing things apart, peel back the rubber boot on the middle drive at the swing arm and look inside with engine running in gear to see if drive shaft is turning. If it's turning, pull rear wheel and check spline on drive shaft and rear diff.

[hollywoodxs1100]

Yes, I changed the triple trees as well. I wasn't going to, but it didn't seem to fit right.


If there's no movement inside the rubber boot, would that lean toward a clutch issue? How can I tell if the tranny is toasted?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Hollywood,

A few things. First, IF the 79SF was the registered vehicle, and you swapped the guts to the other frame, then I hope you a title for the standard frame, cause it's the frame that's registered, not the engine!

Secondly, you say you put it in gear, so I am assuming that you can hear it CLICK/THUNK into gear, but when you release the clutch, the engine keeps running/spinning....no sense of a load/resistance on the clutch/tranny/engine, it just free spins/revs!?!? I've heard of clutch plate packs STICKING and folks NOT being able roll the bike and have to BREAK LOOSE The clutch pack, but this does not sound like your situation!

There is a cover plate on the right side of the engine where the clutch cable goes into the casing. There's a nut and phillips head screw adjusting pin there. Read up on how to adjust/set the clutch tension there, and do the adjustment. Also be sure that the cable is releasing all the way, not binding due to corrosion!!

You can remove the oil filler plug, and shine a flashlight down the hole and turn the engine over to see the clutch assembly/basket turning. IF it's not turning= not good!

But I think it's either the adjustment, but could also be worn plates, sprung springs, broken star plate????
T.C.

[blue giant]

Hollywood,

Clutch basket nut is 27mm.

DAHIKT!

[hollywoodxs1100]

Thanks, guys!!! With all of your help, I am once again riding.

Neither bike is at my house, both are currently stored at separate locations. This AM, I went to the bike and ran it with the oil cap off. I could see the clutch basket spinning. Pulled the rubber boot, no movement there. Good news. I took the clutch basket off of the parts bike (R.I.P., "Little Timmy". You were a great bike and I will miss you dearly.)

The hard part was getting the bad clutch basket off of the other bike. With bad clutches, the assembly just wants to turn and turn. I was able to jam a wrench into the fins and get some assistance from the stator cover to hold it still. That set of disks was literally toasted. Smelled terrible.

The donor set went on without any problems and I was test driving in minutes. It was my first time back on a bike since Little Timmy fell to pieces underneath me in Sept of '06. It was really nice. I've got to do some minor adjustments/safety checks before I declare it streetable, but boy am I glad to be a motorcyclist again.

I can't wait to get some pics posted, because this is one ugly bike. It will be fun to make it pretty again, piece by piece.


Thanks again for all of the advice.

I don't have a title for the bike, but I have a bill of sale and some lien paperwork. It was left at a bike shop in '96 and never picked up. It's off the DMV records here, so should be relatively easy to register.