C: Clutch Heavy Clutch on Comet

[SteveT]

Hi, I have a comet with a non original clutch that I believe is a Honda mod?
Anyway, it’s just so heavy to use and it’s putting me off riding it as after a while I have a lot of pain in my left wrist. My little Enfield doesn’t have the same effect although of course it can’t really be a fair comparison.
On my old velo thruxton you could remove some of the springs and it would make a light clutch with no ill effects.
Can something similar be done to my comet?
Thank you
Steve

 

[Peter Holmes]

I am afraid a heavy clutch lever is a trade off for running a Honda clutch, you can make sure that you have the 7/8” between centres clutch lever, that helps a bit, a new Teflon lined cable from Venhill, and make sure you route the cable for the freest action, no tight bends, make sure they Burmam clutch arm is adjusted for maximum leverage, if none of that improves things sufficiently, then perhaps you could source lighter springs, you can also I believe put washers under the clutch spring bolt heads to reduce the amount of spring tension. Good luck.

 

[SteveT]

Thank you Peter, I’ll check those things out. I know the cable run is good and I’ve tried the adjuster setting at the box and it’s at its best but will check the lever etc. it’s a pity as otherwise I enjoy it, the clutch heaviness is really spoiling it and it’s not getting used.
Thanks
S.

 

[SteveT]

Well assuming I’m measuring the clutch lever correctly, from the pivot centre to the hole centre for the cable I have 11/8 ins. Are we saying it should be 7/8 ? If so it might make a considerable difference?

 

[Peter Holmes]

Yes, change it, you will of course get less clutch plate separation,not that significant, but more leverage, mechanical advantage, it should/will make the lever lighter.

 

[SteveT]

Thanks for your help! Will give it a go. It does have a tendency to drag going into 1st occasionally so I’ll see if that gets worse but the heaviness is just too much even for someone with arms like Popeye (which I haven’t!!)
Thanks
S.

 

[Bradley Burt]

A washer on two spring posts to reduce the spring tension works well.

 

[vibrac]

I have a Honda Clutch its hard but usable. I am trying hard to follow the 'washer under' bit (I may already have them it a long time since I fitted it) but one says "spring post" and one says "spring bolt" if that means the washer compresses the spring more wont that have the effect of increasing spring pressure?

 

[Peter Holmes]

Tim, this is from my foggy memory, I hope I have this correct, the clutch springs drop onto internally threaded posts, then bolts engaging in the internal spring post threads compress the springs until the bolt head abuts the top of the threaded post, if you put a washer under the bolt head that is a lesser diameter than the internal diameter of the spring, it will hold the bolt head further away from the spring post, reducing the amount of spring compression, the more washers you put under the bolt head, the more you will reduce the spring compression, but you cannot put to many washers under the bolt head or will lose to much spring compression and get clutch slip.

 

[Bradley Burt]

My clutch was on the edge of slipping with one washer under all 4 bolts. One washer under 2 of the bolts works well. Lighter clutch springs is not an option from Conways.