gears won't engage/clutch issues?

[lamity101]

Hi All: I have a 1981 XS1100 special, 24000 miles, essentially trouble free since I bought the bike a year and a half ago. Recently I moved to a new home in hills outside of Madrid, NM, and I have a mile and a half driveway that is rocky, gravelly, and steep in sections. The 1100 doesn't like the road. The other day I dropped the bike on a steep uphill section, and ended up in the ditch. Had a heck of a time getting the bike to start. Damage to the clutch hand (bent a bit), knocked the muffler weld loose, cracked the fairing windshield, and runs a bit rougher.

In the process of trying to get the bike out of the ditch, I tried several times to power out of the ditch (going uphill, bike to heavy to turn it around), the bike would try to move, but hit some rock, and die. However, after 5 or 6 tries, the bike wouldn't engage the gears. I can start the bike, pull in the clutch, put it in first or second gear, let out the clutch, and nothing happens. The engine just revs, but no forward movement. It feels like the clutch cable is moving when I pull in the handle, buts thats it.

Could someone give me some direction on where I need to look at what damage may have been done? I get the sense that something may have broken inside the clutch cover on the right side of the bike. Or maybe worse, something broken in the transmission. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am not with the bike right now. I had a trip to Colorado which is where I currently am. But I will be working on the bike when I get back to New Mexico in a few day. I do have a 1980 XS 1100 standard parts bike. I am hoping if I need any parts to fix the Special, that the Standard parts are the same.

Thanks in advance for any advice. lamity101

[egsols]

Cable may be broken inside sheath. Pull adjusting cover off clutch and pull cable to see if it is actually doing anything.

[trbig]

I would think that if the cable broke, it would keep it IN gear if the clutches were working. I am going to guess that you just smoked the friction plates, or glazed them. It may have been slipping just a touch anyway, or you were slipping it trying to get out, and you finished them off.

New friction plates and springs, or the cheap way as I have posted recently.. just put an extra steel plate in the clutch basket and get everything tightened back up.


Keeping it out of the ditch would help a lot too!



Tod

[egsols]

Sorry, was thinking backwards, duh!!!!

To add to what trbig said, if the bike was on a steep slope you may have also starved to the oil to the clutch. Did you notice any burning smells when you were trying to "power" it out?

[lamity101]

Hi Guys: thanks for the replies. Again, I am currently not with the bike, but I will check things out when I get back.
I did not smell anything burning when I was able to engage the gears. I know what a burning clutch smells like, and there was nothing of that nature going on. I haven't had any clutch issues before this. I had adjusted them top and bottome 6 or 8 months ago, and it was good to go.

When I was trying to get the bike out of the ditch, it didn't seem to have its usual grunt when in gear. It would engage, then bog down when it tried to get over the edge of the ditch. Giving it gas at the point did nothing to get over the bog. I would pull in the clutch, the bike would settle back to the orginal starting point. I would rev the engine, it would go to 4 or 5 thousand rpm, I would let the clutch out, and then it would proceed to bog again. I would get some rear tire movement of a foot or so, until it hit the edge of the ditch, and then it would bog down or kill.

When I do engage the gears with the clutch in, it clunks into gear like it usually does, although finding neutral isn't as easy as it used to be. I feels like maybe the clutch isn't fully engaging so moving the shifter from first to neutral kind of hangs up.

Again, thanks for your help. lamity101

[Gyrogearloose]

Fried

I'm with Trbig, I think you smoked the clutch...meaning you probably glazed the plates. If you revved it to 4 or 5 thou, and slipped the clutch hoping to avoid a great leap forward, you probably got up enough friction heat to do the deed. In any case you should disassemble the clutch and view what may be the problem. Good luck. Maybe you need a set of chains for that mountainous road. LOL.

[lamity101]

Got the bike running again

Thank yous to everyone for their input on my bike. It turns out the friction plates were fried. The friction plates were disintegrated, with pieces of the material everywhere inside the clutch, and the steel plates have turned a dark black. I was able to use the plates off of my parts bike that are in very good shape. Took awhile to loosen the clutch nut, but a search of the site said to use heat, and this was the trick that finally got it loose. I swapped the parts, and the bike works again. I changed the oil and filter, also.
So again, thank you again for pointing me in the right direction, and having this site for great advice and guidance. lamity101