Motorcycle Repair: Yamaha 1989 FZR600, yamaha fzr600, unrelated issues

Question
Hi Chris,
I just recently bought a 1989 Yamaha FZR600 and lets just say that it needs some work.  Anyway I am having a small problem with the funciton of the clutch operation.  I cannot seem to get the bike to shift properly, and when it does shift you can feel it jerk into gear.  While idling it maintains a rev @ 3500 rpm's.  I was wondering if this could be related, and what would you recommend I do?

Thanks chris.

Johnathan  

Answer
Hi Johnathan.

These could have a realtion to each other, but they are two seperate unrelated issues.

I would suggest getting the bike into a shop since the reason that the bike is idling so high is because the previous owner set it too high.  They did this for a reason which I am betting is to keep the bike running due to another problem (or because they thought that it made the bike faster for some foolish reason).  This idlespeed is way too high.  Bring it down to what the manual suggests (usually somewhere between 1000rpm - 1300rpm).  What it should be depends on the bike and most of them are different.

The clutch could be misadjusted or it could need proper attention.  Try adjusting the clutch to the point where it isn't wanting to jump on you when you shift it into gear.  If that doesn't fix it, then the clutch may need rebuilding.

Let me know what you find.
Good luck and ride safe.
FALCON