Thread: 2 problems with a common cause?

I rode my 1991 CT 70 on the trail for the first time today. It ran great and idled well. I have two problems that I wonder if they are related. The first is the starter lever slips unless you kick it very slowly. The engine fires up fine if you kick it slowly enough. I have adjusted the clutch and it hasn't seemed to help. The clutch pulls strong and I don't think it is slipping.

The second problem is it can be very hard to get in any gear. Upshifting or downshifting is about the same. Sometimes it seems to shift fine, other times it is as if you are already in top gear and you try to shift again. On the throttle or off is about the same.

I rode with my son on his XL250 and son-in-law on a DR200 and they were both suprised on how well the little Honda did. I said it would do even better if it shifted better.

Could the two problems be related? Any advice is appreciated.

Did you change the oil? maybe change to synthetic!!

Both problems could be clutch related, but represent opposite ends of the spectrum. Starter slippage is clutch slippage; that would result from the clutch preload being too tight or wear. The balky shifting is what I'd expect if the clutch were not releasing completely, more in line with the preload adjustment too loose. Try tightening the adjuster once the engine is fully up-to-temp and see if that improves the shifting. If it does, you're on the right track...sort of. Assuming you get a good result, the acid test then becomes finding out what happens the next time you attempt a cold start. Seems a better than average chance that you'll get even more slippage. Should that be the case, it's time to disassemble the clutch and see what's worn. Friction discs are cheap enough and the oil spinner has probably never been cleaned anyway.

Also check the throwout bearing. It's a longshot, as these motors don't seem to thrash them, but a worn bearing could make the clutch behave badly.