CX500 GL500 650 Global

So, in the continuing debugging of my new old motor, I have a noise question. The smoke must have been like you said, Shep, it hasn't come back now and I tried the trick of driving down the road and rolling off/on throttle and no smoke. This motor starts much easier than my original one as well, which I don't fully understand. It's the same battery, CDI, and coils as the old one, so why the easier starting?

Ok, back to the original reason for this post, as I said I have noticed a noise that I can best describe as "clutch clatter". It's a rattle type noise that goes away when I pull in the clutch. I re-measured my free play at the lever and its only about an 1/8 inch or so, do I have the clutch cable adjusted too tight? Is it better to err on the side of too tight or too loose?

1:Worn clutch plates and or springs(Not too often as they are quite robust).
2:Small burrs on the Clutch basket or on the clutch plates.These can stop the plates seating correctly and are easily removed with a bit of emery/grit paper or a small file carefully used.

Sometimes it's a warped plate or spacer but not often IME.


Also sometimes the PO may have put them in in the wrong order(Easily done as they can be confusing).

The order is in the Manual or,

http://www.elsham.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/cx500/clutch/

Even if all these things are ok you may still get a bit from just age but it's worth checking.Although I made special tool for taking the Locking mut off the clutch most times I use a lump hammer and bluntish chisel.I know I shouldn't but the tooI made was never that good.If you do check the clutch don't forget it has a Large thrust washer under the Locking nut that has writing on it to tell you which way it should face e.g the writing outermost.