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clunk in 1st gear

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  Roden 
#1 ·
I just bought my first bike a few months ago, '97 Trident 900, and I'm starting to wonder about an annoyance... I've only ridden one other bike and I didn't notice this so much. Basically if I'm sitting still in neutral and put the transmission in 1st gear, there is an audible 'clunk' sound and the whole bike lurches forward about an inch before I even release the clutch lever. Furthermore, sometimes the engine stalls the first time I put it in gear after warming up for a minute or two. It never fails to actually get into 1st gear, and the other gears don't seem to do this. So...

How (ab)normal is this?

If this is a terrible condition, is there anything I can do about it?
 
#2 ·
When you start it cold, do you start it with the clutch in? If you don't the clutch plates may be sticking the first time you drop it in gear. Starting it with the clutch in lets the starter break them free, and stops the lurch.
 
#3 ·
Thanks Idaho, that could explain the stall sometimes the first time I start it, sometimes it'll start in neutral without using the clutch, other times the starter does nothing until I squeeze the clutch... it seems random. I'll make sure to use the clutch everytime I start it from now on.

Any other ideas on the noise and lurch? That happens every time, even after I've ridden it over 10 miles. There's no stall, it just goes ka-chunk and pulls forward for a split-second.
 
#4 ·
Hey Joe, start with a good bleeding of the hydraulic system, it is probably full of gunk and badly contaminated with water.

You will need to clean all the sludge out of the master cylinder with cotton buds or something similar and then pump plenty of fluid through.
Even then, the slave cylinder might be full of crap that won't clear and you might have to pull it and strip it down to to clean it up.

This is an easy first step to take before looking any further.
Better clutch operation is guaranteed.

Cheers,

Roden
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the input Roden, I noticed the forum has conveniently listed similar threads at the bottom of the page - several other riders have noticed this behavior with 1st gear and have been told it's pretty normal. I'm definitely going to follow your advice though as the bike is 11 years old and I have no idea what kind of service has been done to it.
 
#6 ·
They do clunk into first gear like most bikes but it shouldn't lurch forward. Bleed the clutch and if you haven't already done it, do an oil change, that could also make the world of difference to clutch operation.

As far as the hit and miss starting is concerned, there is a switch on the clutch that is a part of the safety circuit. The switch could be a bit sticky, common problem. The stalling issue could be related to the sidestand switch which may also be sticking, also a common problem.

Let us know how you get on,

Cheers,

Roden
 
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