Clutch Chatter

The clutch on my VF500F chatters and snatches, like it is jerking at the drive chain, when I start in first. All other gears are fine and no discernable clutch slip even with my fat a$$ on board. Has anyone else experienced this? Do I need a clutch? The bike has around 35,000 miles on it. I do not know the history other than that it slid down the street on the paint a time or two.

By the way, it may be just me but I have been trying to do a key word search in the 1st Generation forum for clutch problems and I get page after page of unrelated posts. I apologize if this topic has been covered.

 

Worn/burned /warped discs tend to act this way , given the miles on your bike I would replace and start from a new referece point. Just me but with older parts it may be best to have a good starting point you can trust. It does sound like warped disc's frome here.

 

That sounds right. So far, in my searches of the normal sources, I can find friction plates but I am having no luck locating the steel plates. I would assume that if the clutch plates are warped the steel plates will have to be replaced as well as the friction plates.

 

Hi,
The steel plates exists, no doubt about that, but are harder to find than the friction plates.
Your local Honda shop should have it, they are still available.
Some retailers also have it, like bihr in Europe: Bihr Online
(yeah, America is too far for me)


I usually use this website to have access to the micofiches:
honda partsmanual fiche vf500f 500 interceptor 1984 vf500

Then you can look with the reference where else you can find the parts you need

Hope this helped a little

 

Mine chatters a little bit. It concerned me at first, but never got any worse. I'll have to see what it's like after I get the bike back up and running.

 

Shows they are still available. These guys are great. Bought my clutch there also.

Honda Yamaha Suzuki Kawasaki Sea-Doo Can-Am Ski-Doo Motorcycle Parts ATV parts Scooter Parts personal watercraft parts Accessories

 

I check with my guy at the Honda store. The steel plates are still available, in fact he had both steel and friction plates in stock. It seems that they fit a bunch of applications. I'll add replace clutch to my to do list along with replace steering head bearings.

 

Good choice, the bearings in the head set are Schwinn quality at best. Would not worry too much aboot the metal plates, more the friction plates and the springs wear and cause your problem.

 

I am pretty sure I have a steering head bearing problem. Like the clutch chatter it is the second of only two little problems I have noticed with an otherwise stellar bike. The bike, when traveling on a long flat straight road seems to either favor one side or the other, as if you are shifting your weight on the seat or you are experiencing a cross wind only there is no cross wind. If the head bearings are worn or have flat spots this could account for this behavior. Both the clutch and the head bearings are a pretty cheap fix as far as the parts go. Tearing the front end off the bike is another thing entirely but it's not like I haven't done it before on numerous old British bikes. At least the VF has a center stand. I also have to replace the front headlight and faring bracket. I have the turn signals to go back on the bike but the PO cut the turn signal tabs of the bracket! I can replace this while I have the front end all over the shop. By the way, if anyone has one of these brackets I would be interested in purchasing it from them.

 

I am pretty sure I have both of these items available. I won't be able to get to my parts garage until this weekend at best.
btw... although I don't own a Norton, I do belong to the Northwest Norton Owner's Group. My neighbors are going to Lumby in July, but I won't be able to make it.

Cheers!
Mike.