I bought my '98 a little over a year ago, and I have never gotten used to the clutch lever. The clutch engages when the lever is way too far from the grip, and is very disconcerting at low/parking lot speeds. It's almost put me down a couple of times, when there was no drive when I needed it. I have the lever set to the closest position. The bike only has 17K on it. Is this just a characteristic of the VFR, or is there a problem? I admit to being used to the clutches on my 900SS and BMW Airhead.