Finding the Friction Zone

[Rude Dog]

Yup.....what Chief said.   

You'll get it.  It just takes practice and riding.  Practice in your driveway just rocking your Drifter back and forth and getting the feel of the friction zone before you start out.   It won't take long.  And definitely let her warm up.

[tmassey]

yep...riding in the rain is always fun......NOT !   at least with the big fenders you don't get as wet from the rode....i think thats the only plus... i got caught riding my wife's vstar in a major down pour...i had my boots filled with water....nothing was dry on me.

[ColinO]

Thanks all, was able to use Chief's advice this past Sunday and it worked like a charm, didn't stall once!  Just have to remember to let the clutch out slow and feel for the zone at the beginning of the lever pull, letting her warm up also seemed to help.  Of course, just when I got the hang of it, I got caught in my first thunderstorm!  Luckily, I was only 5 miles from home so the ride wasn't too bad...a good riding experience for my second time out.

[Double B]

I had the same trouble when I first got my drifter this spring. Once you find the friction zone and let it warm up, no problems.

[Varooom]

By 'automotive oil' I mean any oil that doesn't say '4 stroke motorcycle oil' on the package.  All others seem to have all these additives that don't do well with wet clutches, causing problems that you'll read about if you dig into this wonderful site's archives.
I just put Mobil 1 motorcycle 10-40 in my 1999 1500 and, for the first time in 75,000 miles, the lifters are quiet and happy!  $8.30 at Wal Mart.  Smoother seeming too.  Cruised up to Laconia today for the rally and could notice the difference; smoooooooooooth.  Her reward for nearing 100,000 so effortlessly and without one valve adjustment.
Also, there's a kickstand kill switch which won't let you drive away with it down; very good safety point.  Make sure that the switch is adjusted properly and isn't intermittently causing stalls.
Varooom

[Master Gates]

having just bought an 03 Drifter not that long ago, I can relate to this somewhat.  Since my bike is the first I have ever had, I have little to compare it to aside from the little suzuki that I rode for the safety course.

My bike seems to have a very small "friction zone" when compared to the little 250 I rode.  It takes some practice to get it right.  I stalled the darn thing a whole lot, but then kind of figured out how to do it right.  The day I took the bike home, I had to get it around an uphill corner out of the guys garage....in gravel/dirt.  That was pretty embarrassing actually...and the fact that it was on an uphill incline made it just plain frustrating after the first few stalls.  I definitely have to roll just a bit on the throttle as I am letting out the clutch.  This might be because of the idle speed being low, but I am not sure.

Varoom - what do you mean by plain automotive oil - you mean a different weight that what is specified, or something altogether different?

[Varooom]

If the former owner used regular, automotive oil the clutch 'freezes' together overnight and one stall is needed to break it free.  If you're stalling when you shift into first, that's what may be wrong.  Happened on my Ninja too.
Drain, fill with motorcycle 10-40 and it'll right itself.
Varooom

[chief]

Drifters have hydraulic clutches. The friction zone tends to be at the beginning of the lever pull on this sort of system... its nearly universal on all brands and models.

Hydro clutches cannot be adjusted to move the point of contact. Manufacturers provide dials on the clutch lever to allow you to adjust the percieved point of contact. You get some play in the lever that makes it easier to find the friction zone.

There are some things you can do to ensure you bike is in proper shape... check the master cylinder, ensure the level of the fluid; change and bleed the fluid as prescribed by the mfg.

Also make sure you aren't getting any clutch slippage. Not riding usually means a sticky clutch...

If you aren't a wrench it couldn't hurt to take it to a dealer and have them check the above.

[ColinO]

I am having the worst time finding the friction zone on my 01 Drifter 800. I tend to stall quite often when starting out.  I am not sure if it is me or the clutch?

I bought the bike used a month ago and it had 1055 miles on it.  I am the 3rd owner and the guy I brought it from didn't ride it a lot as he has another bike, as far as I know, the only thing that has been done to the bike is to have the oil changed and I could be wrong about that.

Does anyone think that it would be a good idea to bring it down to my local dealer and have them do a tune up?  Not sure if the lack of miles driven and such can affect clutch performance?