Motorcycle Repair: 74 Honda CB550 tight clutch lever, honda cb550, clutch lever

Question
Hi, Rich.  My 74 Honda CB550 sat for a year and a half before I got it.  Among other issues is a puzzler for me.  The clutch lever is really hard to pull.  I have replaced the fiber clutch plates as a first resort.  Incidentally, what should those four clutch springs be torqued to?  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Phil, you may just need to re-route the cable.  If there are any tight bends in the cable it can bind it up.  The cable should route to the right side of the fork stem and then down the frame to the clutch cover.  It's also possible the cable is rusty inside.  The spring bolts are torques to a standard 6mm torque or about 3-6 lb-ft.

Regards
Rich