There should be about 5mm of play at the end of the lever. So if you gently push the lever forward then pull it back till you get some tension on the cable, there should be about 5mm difference.
turn the bars either side and see if it changes, that will tell you if the cable is catching or being pulled. It should change a bit but nothing significant. You may want to check the cable is well lubricated, it may not be releasing fully and causing the clutch to stay open slightly. Also, make sure the lever is lubricated at the pivot. After the winter we had, the clutch lever on my versys was catching on the last 10mm and releasing slowly.
Something else to check, is that when the bike is doing this, ease off the throttle and see if it catches.
redlining at 60mph !!
Moderator: Moderators
- RedexRobB
- Site Admin

- Posts: 7212
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- My Bike: ZXR400L3
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- Tirpitz
- zxr400 oc member

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- Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:45 pm
- My Bike: Kawasaki ZXR400L4
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Re: redlining at 60mph !!
You don't need to go looking for the pickup, you just need to be able to answer the two questions I posed by describing whether it hits the limiter or not. The reason you need to establish this is because it may be the rev counter, or it may be the pickup at fault.
But anyway, from your further posts I reckon it's neither of these. Sounds a very good candidate for clutch slip.
Fist up you need to make sure your clutch is adjusted correctly using the adjuster screws on the bar end of the cable. You should be able to pull the lever with just slack being taken up (i.e. no proper pressure) and create a gap of 2-3mm between the lever bracket and the lever itself. Look at the place where the cable goes into the lever, you're looking at that gap there which opens up as the lever is pulled. If you have no slack the clutch will be partly disengaged all the time.
If it isn't an adjustment issue then your clutch is worn out and the plates need replacing. Not a big deal and not expensive to sort but you will need a special tool to replace them (to lock the clutch basket when tightening it all up). If you don't have one you might be better off paying for the job to be done, unless you want to invest in the tool for the future.
But anyway, from your further posts I reckon it's neither of these. Sounds a very good candidate for clutch slip.
Fist up you need to make sure your clutch is adjusted correctly using the adjuster screws on the bar end of the cable. You should be able to pull the lever with just slack being taken up (i.e. no proper pressure) and create a gap of 2-3mm between the lever bracket and the lever itself. Look at the place where the cable goes into the lever, you're looking at that gap there which opens up as the lever is pulled. If you have no slack the clutch will be partly disengaged all the time.
If it isn't an adjustment issue then your clutch is worn out and the plates need replacing. Not a big deal and not expensive to sort but you will need a special tool to replace them (to lock the clutch basket when tightening it all up). If you don't have one you might be better off paying for the job to be done, unless you want to invest in the tool for the future.
ZXR400 L4, purple / black / pink
Hel braided hoses
Pirelli Diablos
Ohlins steering damper
A16 carbon fibre exhaust can
Nitron Sport shock
Hel braided hoses
Pirelli Diablos
Ohlins steering damper
A16 carbon fibre exhaust can
Nitron Sport shock
-
cargo
- zxr400 oc member

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- Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:33 am
- My Bike: tomos moped
- Location: Carrickfergus Northern Ireland
Re: redlining at 60mph !!
You do NOT need any special tools to replace the clutch plates.............
- Mad Phil
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:39 pm
- My Bike: Hayabusa, Ducati 996SPS
- Location: Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire
Re: redlining at 60mph !!
cargo wrote:You do NOT need any special tools to replace the clutch plates.............

- RedexRobB
- Site Admin

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Re: redlining at 60mph !!
You could use the proper tool, but as cargo says, you dont need it. Easily make you own up for halding the basket still.
-
cargo
- zxr400 oc member

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- Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:33 am
- My Bike: tomos moped
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Re: redlining at 60mph !!
You do NOT need to hold the clutch basket still to remove and replace clutch plates
- RedexRobB
- Site Admin

- Posts: 7212
- Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2002 7:37 pm
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Re: redlining at 60mph !!
thats right, only if your taking the basket out you will need it. Which you dont need to do for this. 
-
skullie
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:05 am
- My Bike: zxr400L1 ,zx400g,zx11d3
- Location: swindon ,wilts
Re: redlining at 60mph !!
hi guys
cheers for all the advice you have given me l have given the bike a full looking over and still cant find the problem
i believe that it has something to do with the clutch as Tirpitz has suggested
when i first got the bike would fire up then die when i put it into gear it died i thought it was the clutch playing up
so i tried to adjust it !!! without thinking, then after trying for ages to no avail
i found out in the end the sensor switch on the side stand had broke/split
so i might have caused this problem
cheers for all the advice you have given me l have given the bike a full looking over and still cant find the problem
i believe that it has something to do with the clutch as Tirpitz has suggested
when i first got the bike would fire up then die when i put it into gear it died i thought it was the clutch playing up
so i tried to adjust it !!! without thinking, then after trying for ages to no avail
i found out in the end the sensor switch on the side stand had broke/split
so i might have caused this problem

- Tirpitz
- zxr400 oc member

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- Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:45 pm
- My Bike: Kawasaki ZXR400L4
- Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Re: redlining at 60mph !!
So are you saying the clutch just needs adjusting or that the plates are worn out?
Cargo is right and I was wrong, you only need to muck about if you're taking the clutch to bits. Replacing the plates is a simple job you can do yourself. So whichever it is, it's easily fixable.
Cargo is right and I was wrong, you only need to muck about if you're taking the clutch to bits. Replacing the plates is a simple job you can do yourself. So whichever it is, it's easily fixable.
ZXR400 L4, purple / black / pink
Hel braided hoses
Pirelli Diablos
Ohlins steering damper
A16 carbon fibre exhaust can
Nitron Sport shock
Hel braided hoses
Pirelli Diablos
Ohlins steering damper
A16 carbon fibre exhaust can
Nitron Sport shock
-
skullie
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:05 am
- My Bike: zxr400L1 ,zx400g,zx11d3
- Location: swindon ,wilts
Re: redlining at 60mph !!
Tirpitz mate that i honestly do not know which it could be
will try the badly adjusted clutch first
then if i still got the problem will have to go for the replacement
will try the badly adjusted clutch first
then if i still got the problem will have to go for the replacement
