750SF clutch adjustment

O

OTR002

Junior member
Location
Brisbane, Australia
So...The clutch drags when hot and is adjusted so that there is no free play at the lever (done by the PO) Before I pull it apart is there anything I should know about the SF clutches?
I'm using 10w40.
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Is this a normal clutch engine lever etc?

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How long have you had the bike?
How much has it been ridden recently?
Have you changed the oil you're using?
Answer those questions before pulling it apart.
And put some heat shrink on those dynamo wires.
Paul
 
That’s an aftermarket extended clutch lever and this can make adjustment very tricky, exactly as you describe.
I would use a 20W50, 15W50 or similar unless you’re near one of the poles.
 
Just saying NEVER use a Semi-Synthetic or Synthetic Motor OiI in your Breganzie- It will cause issues with your Clutch package - Mostly slipping and rattling at revs. unpredictable pull away in 1st and almost impossible to shift gears without grinding them.

Drain the Synth-Oil - Flush with Varsol and blow case dry with compressed air. Dissemble the clutch basket and clean all disks with lacquer thinner and bake the asbestos disks in an oven at say 250F to dry them thoroughly then scuff with say 280 grit. Reassemble the Basket - IMPORTANT - DO NOT over torque the Clutch Basket Bolts (Max 20 Inch pds ? - Check Manual Specs). Be careful you really do not want cross thread or strip one of them bolts.

Refill the engine with 15X40 or 20x50 weight DINO Truckers Oil such as Mobil Delvac, Shell Rotella or AC Delco and your good to go. I preferred Petro-Can DURON if you can find it ;o)
 
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According to the Green Book there should be 1-2.5mm freeplay at the lever and as pointed out above, that aftermarket lever might be causing issues. Make sure the cable is lubed and in good shape and definitely use only 20/50 non-synth oil as also noted above.
 
As Max notes, you have a non-standard extended operating lever which reduces the gorilla grip required by a standard setup. However, it reduces clutch rod travel to lift the clutch plates which means adjustment is very tricky and in my experience alters as the engine warms up so twiddling the handlebar adjuster is needed to compensate.
Inevitably the clutch lever pivot on the handlebar will be worn and this makes adjusting free play more troublesome. Your clutch cable appears to leave the bracket bolted to the crankcase at an uncomfortable angle - I'd adjust the bracket bend (or make a new one) to match the cable angle. The ferrule looks loose too? All adds to the 'fun'!
 
Some of the extended lower levers are a bit too long, reducing the amount the clutch disengages a bit much as a consequence. My own are about the same as that pictured. On my race bike I have a handlebar lever assembly from a Kawasaki 900 and the road Lav has the original one. The Kawa one is just a smidge heavier but still absolutely fine compared to the standard brutal effort, the road Lav is very sensitive to adjustment between disengaging or slipping. Ideally I would have extended it to just be accessible over the cover.
 
Exmoor beast said:
Have you got standard handlebar clutch lever? Dog leg levers won’t work too well. I use Semi synthetic 20/50 in my 750 with original 1960’s clutch/ springs - works fine.
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Rob said:
As Max notes, you have a non-standard extended operating lever which reduces the gorilla grip required by a standard setup. However, it reduces clutch rod travel to lift the clutch plates which means adjustment is very tricky and in my experience alters as the engine warms up so twiddling the handlebar adjuster is needed to compensate.
Inevitably the clutch lever pivot on the handlebar will be worn and this makes adjusting free play more troublesome. Your clutch cable appears to leave the bracket bolted to the crankcase at an uncomfortable angle - I'd adjust the bracket bend (or make a new one) to match the cable angle. The ferrule looks loose too? All adds to the 'fun'!
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Mate this bike is new to me (6 weeks) and my first Laverda, so it's a learning process. The lever is well worn and the adjuster is a modified nut!
View attachment IMG_3038.MOV
 
OTR002 said:
Mate this bike is new to me (6 weeks) and my first Laverda, so it's a learning process. The lever is well worn and the adjuster is a modified nut!
View attachment 89639
Click to expand...
Stock lever- mind all the worn bits, they can rock the nipple over which will cause the cable to fail. Try to get rid of all the play, decent new cable and adjuster before you start looking into clutch. I would whip off the sprocket cover and clean/ inspect / check and lube the actuator mechanism and pushrod.
 
Max said:
View attachment 89638
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Are you crazy? You can't use V twin oil in a parallel twin or the engine will explode! In a triple it will even be worse as the oil is not designed for the extra cylinder. As for the "super performance" marked on the oil, this can really cause problems as it can make the bike go too fast and you can't stop.

And finally it may be OK to use this oil in Australia for a V twin but if it is used in a engine north of the equator even more bad things will happen as the oil will be upside down in the engine.
 
Exmoor beast said:
Stock lever- mind all the worn bits, they can rock the nipple over which will cause the cable to fail. Try to get rid of all the play, decent new cable and adjuster before you start looking into clutch. I would whip off the sprocket cover and clean/ inspect / check and lube the actuator mechanism and pushrod.
Click to expand...
Sweet, that's the stuff I was looking for.

Do you know if anyone has tried different length pushrods to overcome this finicky adjustment issue?
 
OTR002 said:
Sweet, that's the stuff I was looking for.

Do you know if anyone has tried different length pushrods to overcome this finicky adjustment issue?
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I would keep it all stock ( take off the extended lever!) get the basics right , cable run, adjustment etc right and also make sure the oil level Isn’t too high. When they’re standard they work, no need for anything else.
 
1200ts said:
Are you crazy? You can't use V twin oil in a parallel twin or the engine will explode! In a triple it will even be worse as the oil is not designed for the extra cylinder. As for the "super performance" marked on the oil, this can really cause problems as it can make the bike go too fast and you can't stop.

And finally it may be OK to use this oil in Australia for a V twin but if it is used in a engine north of the equator even more bad things will happen as the oil will be upside down in the engine.
Click to expand...
I did take a bit of a risk with this, I’m pretty sure it’s ok so long as you don’t have points. If you do, only mineral oil will work. Will report back in 20 years.
 
OTR002 said:
Sweet, that's the stuff I was looking for.

Do you know if anyone has tried different length pushrods to overcome this finicky adjustment issue?
Click to expand...
Your pushrods cannot be any longer going by your photo, and there is no point in shortening them. The pivot on your handlebar lever is completely worn out and is stealing effective travel. You could re-bush it and replace the pivot screw (if you can find one), on the Kawa lever I use the pivot is about 10mm wide so not prone to wear like that. As mentioned, if you have a standard lower lever you could fit it to see if the clutch disengages correctly, and if your hand can deal with it.
It also looks like you have enough material in the lower lever to drill a hole below the one used and get a bit more travel.
 
The worn lever pivot will cost you a ton of plate separation - esp with the extended slave lever further reducing travels. Hand lever should already have a bush - a piece of cake to replace that. Just push out old and in with new. Standard size.


Pushing in the new bush...
laverda sf 750 new lever bush (10).jpg

Before.... DPO had fitted normal threaded screw as the pivot!
laverda sf 750 new lever bush (99).jpg
 
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