The Hodaka Club Forum

What would make finding nuetral while the engine is running on my ace 90 almost immpossible. The clutch works fine and you can find it with the engine off fairly easy but running in gear I keep going from 1st to 2nd it seems. The bike will roll backwards with the clutch in so it is not dragging.
Terry

just a kind and gentle touch. I think Clarence

I gave up trying to find neutral on my Wombat while the bike is running. --Brian

I usually try to find nuetral before I come to a stop and that works ok. But sitting still is a problem.
Terry

There is ALWAYS a bit of drag with a wet clutch. The oil between the plates and disks guarantees that there will always be a teensy bit of drag when the clutch is disengaged. That being said, a dragging clutch due to out-of-spec free-play at the engine clutch lever, or a warped steel plate or friction disk is often at the root of not being able find neutral with the engine running and machine stopped.

Fine motor skills of the foot in a heavy boot can also be a part of the problem. Neutral is only "half a click" from either 1st or 2nd . . . and that can be a fiddly thing to pull off.

Ed
PS: Being able to back the machine up while in gear, engine running and clutch disengaged is NOT a definitive test that the clutch is, or isn't dragging. That may only mean that the drag is slight enough that it does not create a problem for pulling the machine backwards . . . but it could still be dragging.
PPS: Check lubrication of the shifter components. Having everything properly greases also eases shifting/finding neutral issues.
PPPS: Finding neutral is always easier when the machine is still rolling.

hey ed, what would not being able to back the machine up while in gear, engine running and clutch disengaged could possibly indicate?

I'm not really sure. If you can't back the bike up (engine running, in gear, clutch lever pulled in) . . . if clutch drag is causing that, it would seem that you would have to plant your feet to keep the bike from taking off. (so you wouldn't need to test for backing up . . . the machine would be telling you the clutch is dragging by virtue of your having to hold it from going forward)

Ed

kinda sorta. There are times when a hodaka can't be pulled backwards in neutral running or not running. The kick start is hanging up just enough so when you pull back on the bike it pushes the kick start kicker forward into the clutch cover. I have seen this several times. It has never seemed to affect the operation. So as I remember if you had the hodaka on a stand in neutral you could not pull the rear wheel backwards. And if setting on the bike with the engine running in gear with the clutch pulled, or running and in neutral the bike will not roll back?? . also you will see the kick crank move forward. Cobwebs Clarence

I hope this isn't considered "thread hijacking" as I think my problems are sort of relate to the topic.

@taber-- my ace 90 will not roll back with the clutch pulled, running and in neutral, and also the kick crank moves forward. what could be hanging up the kick starter? I did rebuild the bottom end so I am assuming that I might going back in to clean up whatever I screwed up. I did use a new and improved roller retainer. or is this kick startrer hang up able to be remedied from the out side?

I have not yet, but plan to blueprint the clutch. I am been into enough already I should have already done it.

I have not experienced the problem - and have limited time right now to run "thought experiments" on what might cause it - so I'm no help at all.

Though I'd reckon that whatever is wrong is mostly inside the cases (not good news, but Murphy's Law seldom fails).

Ed