The case of the missing clutch lever freeplay

[670cc]

Was a different type engine oil recently installed?

A clutch on a CTX engine used primarily for highway riding should have a long life, perhaps well over 100,000 miles, IMHO. Perhaps in your case some internal clutch hardware came loose or broke, but that would seem most unusual, especially on a Honda.

 

[TGR-MAVERICK]

I have used the mobil 1 10w-40 for as long as I have owned the bike, 5 years now.

 

[TheIronWarrior]

Thanks for the replies guys. Stock everything mechanically, clutch cable is not frayed or rusted but could use a lube.
Thought I might have to open it up, wondered if maybe the clutch is dried out or hard, or if any pieces are catching on burrs or groves in the basket.
I only noticed the high engagement point within the last week and it happens when moving and stopped.

Just strange that it only started recently and didn't happen gradually.

For clarity, can you confirm:
Before the problem, the clutch started engage at 50% at all times, before 50% there was no clutch engagement. Freeplay was set correctly (10-20mm)
Now suddenly the clutch starts to engage at 80% (more travel) at all times, and also chatters, before 80% there is no clutch engagement. Freeplay is... (entirely gone??)
As far as you know, absolutely nothing was changed, adjusted, replaced, etc.

 

[670cc]

I have used the mobil 1 10w-40 for as long as I have owned the bike, 5 years now.

There are several Mobil 1 oil varieties, as I understand it. Is this oil in your CTX not labeled as energy conserving, and it meets JASO T 903 standard MA? Ordinarily I wouldn’t even ask or care about oil, but since incorrect oils can affect wet clutch operation, there is a remote chance it could be relative here.

I think we already mentioned ensuring that the clutch lever pivot was in good condition. If you disconnect both ends of the clutch cable, the cable slides through the sheath freely, and the sheath ends are intact, you may need to resort to inspecting the clutch itself. If I was taking the cover off and disassembling the clutch, I would first order and have on hand a set of fiber friction plates just in case they were needed. If you keep the bike a long time, you could eventually need them anyway, or you could sell the set on this forum.

The chattering mentioned earlier could be a symptom of something, but for someone on a forum to remotely diagnose a problem based on the description "chattering" would be very difficult.

 

[TheIronWarrior]

There are several Mobil 1 oil varieties, as I understand it. Is this oil in your CTX not labeled as energy conserving, and it meets JASO T 903 standard MA? Ordinarily I wouldn’t even ask about oil, but since incorrect oils can affect wet clutch operation, there is a remote chance it could be relative here.

Oh don't you go turning this into an oil thread now!

 

[670cc]

Oh don't you go turning this into an oil thread now!

I thought long and hard about whether to mention oh-eye-ell, but I'll take a chance that we can touch on it briefly and move on.

 

[TheIronWarrior]

I thought long and hard about whether to mention oh-eye-ell, but I'll take a chance that we can touch on it briefly and move on.

Absolutely. This is one of the rare cases where the topic is actually worth discussing (briefly).
You'll just have to flag the thread with a trigger/content warning to keep the vulnerable members safe

 

[TGR-MAVERICK]

For clarity, can you confirm:
Before the problem, the clutch started engage at 50% at all times, before 50% there was no clutch engagement. Freeplay was set correctly (10-20mm)
Now suddenly the clutch starts to engage at 80% (more travel) at all times, and also chatters, before 80% there is no clutch engagement. Freeplay is... (entirely gone??)
As far as you know, absolutely nothing was changed, adjusted, replaced, etc.

The chatter appeared a few thousand miles ago, but the clutch was still at 50% engagement yes, free play was set correctly yes.
The bike is in my garage and my toddlers wouldn't be able to replace adjust or change anything and my wife wouldn't dare or know what to mess with to mess with me

 

[TGR-MAVERICK]

There are several Mobil 1 oil varieties, as I understand it. Is this oil in your CTX not labeled as energy conserving, and it meets JASO T 903 standard MA? Ordinarily I wouldn’t even ask or care about oil, but since incorrect oils can affect wet clutch operation, there is a remote chance it could be relative here.

I think we already mentioned ensuring that the clutch lever pivot was in good condition. If you disconnect both ends of the clutch cable, the cable slides through the sheath freely, and the sheath ends are intact, you may need to resort to inspecting the clutch itself. If I was taking the cover off and disassembling the clutch, I would first order and have on hand a set of fiber friction plates just in case they were needed. If you keep the bike a long time, you could eventually need them anyway, or you could sell the set on this forum.

The chattering mentioned earlier could be a symptom of something, but for someone on a forum to remotely diagnose a problem based on the description "chattering" would be very difficult.

I use the Mobil 1 motorcycle oil with the crotch rocket on the front that I made sure before I switched to, it has the jaso-ma certification.
Yes cable pivot is lubed, I took the cable off to lube it last night and it moved freely through the sheath.
Yes, the way people describe noises make it very difficult to diagnose.
I just took a video but it's so difficult to hear I don't know that I can discern the sound from the video. It almost sounds like something is rolling around, it's a lower tone, not like a high pitched chirping or clicking.