[MotoMike]

Small, or minor adjustments to the clutch cable free play are made at the cable adjuster, located under the dust boot on the clutch lever perch...

Loosen the knurled Jam Nut using a pliers, and then rotate the adjuster to end up with about 5 mm of free play, as measured at the gap between the lever and lever perch...

Retighten the knurled Jam Nut securely against the lever perch after making the adjustment, then move the dust boot back into position...

If a larger adjustment to the clutch cable free play is required, this adjustment would be made at the other end of the cable, at the cable holder bracket which is located just above the oil fill plug.

Using 12 mm and 14 mm open ended wrenches, loosen the Jam Nuts and then reposition the Jam Nuts on the threaded part of the cable to take up the required amount of slack.



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[dukeofbjorbon]

Thanks bud after 400 miles mine was really loose.

 

[marauder4]

How much freeplay should there be in the cable? I can get pretty close to 1/4" on mine at the moment.

Bart

 

[MotoMike]

How much freeplay should there be in the cable? I can get pretty close to 1/4" on mine at the moment.

Bart

From the opening post...

Loosen the knurled Jam Nut using a pliers, and then rotate the adjuster to end up with about 5 mm of free play, as measured at the gap between the lever and lever perch...

 

[autopilot]

Has anyone checked the hand book?
I would concur with the advice given above as I have always been taught this way. However the book confuses the issue and gives free play at the ball end of the lever.
Strange these Taiwanese chaps, indicator switch in the wrong place and humungus horn button just where you don't want it.
Still love it though.

 

[MotoMike]

Has anyone checked the hand book?
I would concur with the advice given above as I have always been taught this way. However the book confuses the issue and gives free play at the ball end of the lever.
Strange these Taiwanese chaps, indicator switch in the wrong place and humungus horn button just where you don't want it.
Still love it though.

Yes, in the Owner's Manual the measurement is given at the end of the lever. I prefer to measure at the gap between the lever and the lever perch, as it is easier to get an accurate measurement.

BTW it's Thailand (not Taiwan) where these bikes are made.

 

[kiwi rider]

Strange these Taiwanese chaps, indicator switch in the wrong place and humungus horn button just where you don't want it.
Still love it though.

They had the switches the usual way round on the 250R and for some reason I cant fathom they swapped them round on the 300R.
Has taken me a long time to adjust. I tooted a lot of folk during the process :laugh:

 

[mikal]

Small, or minor adjustments to the clutch cable free play are made at the cable adjuster, located under the dust boot on the clutch lever perch...
View attachment 2337


Loosen the knurled Jam Nut using a pliers, and then rotate the adjuster to end up with about 5 mm of free play, as measured at the gap between the lever and lever perch...
View attachment 2353


Retighten the knurled Jam Nut securely against the lever perch after making the adjustment, then move the dust boot back into position...
View attachment 2361


If a larger adjustment to the clutch cable free play is required, this adjustment would be made at the other end of the cable, at the cable holder bracket which is located just above the oil fill plug.
View attachment 2369
Using 12 mm and 14 mm open ended wrenches, loosen the Jam Nuts and then reposition the Jam Nuts on the threaded part of the cable to take up the required amount of slack.



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Ok Kiwi Rider helped me out with my 1 problem where the lever wouldn't snap back fully. So now it does. My question is the 5mm 'free play', does that mean when you pull the lever the cable shouldn't move at all? Then if the cable shouldn't move does that mean on the other end of the cable, where you show the major adjustments are made, the very end of the cable where the ball piece is inserted into the clip it should have slack in there? Should I be able to jiggle that cable around?
Right now I pull the lever and it pulls the cable but it doesn't feel like it's 'activating' yet. That bit of play is where I measured my 5mm's between the lever and perch. After that point and I continue to pull the clutch lever I actually feel the pressure of the throughout bearing pushing.

 

[scyurs]

Very helpful!

 

[manilalite]

So this morning I found out my clutch won't snap back. It just gets stuck in place. I have to push it back. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the part to fix the recall problem. I don't wanna mess with the clutch as I'm really not mechanically inclined. Ughhhh there's go riding this weekend.

 

[kiwi rider]

So this morning I found out my clutch won't snap back. It just gets stuck in place. I have to push it back. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the part to fix the recall problem. I don't wanna mess with the clutch as I'm really not mechanically inclined. Ughhhh there's go riding this weekend.

Hmmm... that's an interesting one for such a low mileage machine, a sticking clutch is generally something an older bike would do. The first thing tho is to eliminate is the clutch cable and lever.

Remove the cable from the lever and see if the lever moves freely in the pivot.
This eliminates the lever.

Now disconnect the clutch cable from the actuator arm down where it comes out of the engine casing/gearbox. Check that the cable moves freely inside the outer sheaf. If so then it is an issue with your clutch.

Sometimes clutch plates can stick together when a bike cools down and then sits for a long time. But I don't think this sounds like your issue.
I would eliminate the lever and cable first then go from there.

 

[manilalite]

Hmmm... that's an interesting one for such a low mileage machine, a sticking clutch is generally something an older bike would do. The first thing tho is to eliminate is the clutch cable and lever.

Remove the cable from the lever and see if the lever moves freely in the pivot.
This eliminates the lever.

Now disconnect the clutch cable from the actuator arm down where it comes out of the engine casing/gearbox. Check that the cable moves freely inside the outer sheaf. If so then it is an issue with your clutch.

Sometimes clutch plates can stick together when a bike cools down and then sits for a long time. But I don't think this sounds like your issue.
I would eliminate the lever and cable first then go from there.

Thanks for your reply but I'm not gonna touch for fear of making it worse.

I'l just find out when i go to the dealer. I'll update later.

 

[Speedsktr]

Thanks for the how-to! Came in very handy when I tightened my clutch cable today. I can finally use the setting I want on the adjustable levers I installed a few weeks back.

 

[King CobRa]

Great tutorial, before I found this one I had followed a tutorial on YouTube that measured the play from the ball end of the lever.

I wanted it as loose as possible (I already suffer from carpal tunnel). It measured at about 22 or 23 mm (Which is out of spec according to the owners manual that says it should be inside of the range of 10mm to 20mm.

But it feels good and I am not having any problems shifting. So do you think I am okay? Or should I get back inside of the 20mm

I am at about 7 or 8mm according to MotoMike's method of as measured at the gap between the lever and lever perch...

Am I safe? I basically want it as loose as humanly possible without harming the clutch.

Rode today with the new adjustment and it feels super comfortable and the gear shifts where very smooth. Before I had the dang thing so tight it was causing me pain in my thumb after a 30 minute ride.

Is it true that I dont need to pull the clutch completely in (touching the handlebar) when shifting? I read somebody say that but I am too skeptical so I continue to pull the clutch 100% inside when shifting gears.

 

[motorboy]

Your good-but I have found on my last four or five Honda's that 20mm at the end of the lever works best for me-measured hot engine

 

[King CobRa]

Your good-but I have found on my last four or five Honda's that 20mm at the end of the lever works best for me-measured hot engine

I think I measured it with cold engine. I had returned from a 15 minute ride and it was like after the bike sat for 1 hour parked it was after that 1 hour that I adjusted the freeplay.

I just came back from another extended ride just now. The shifts are really fantastic. So it definately feels like it is adjusted at a reasonable level.

Really love this bike so far after only 2 or 3 weeks. This is the best moto I have ever owned.

Kawasaki Ninja 250 2001
Yamaha Virago 250 2003 (underpowered on the freeway; not recommended)
Kawasaki Ninja 250 2004
Honda CB300F 2016 (First fuel injected bike ever)

 

[motorboy]

I have to say for it's size it is one sweet engine with a sweet transmission-- the difference to the clutch adjustment- hot is about 2mm more slack than cold so not a big deal -better loose than tight