Motorcycle Repair: BLEEDING HYDAULIC CLUTH, seperate systems, kawasaki ninja

Question
MY QUESTION IS. I HAVE A 1987 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX750. AND I HAVE BEEN UN ABLE TO PROPOERLY BLEED THE CLUTH AT THE SLAVE CYLINDER OR AT THE MASTER CYLINDER. I KEEP COMING UP WITH AIR EVERY TIME. DO YOU HAVE ANY TRICKS TO THE TRADE. I HAVE DOUBLE CHECKED THE FITTEING AND MADE SURE EVERYTING IS TIGHT. WHEN I THINK THAT I AM COMPLETE. I START THE BIKE UP AND PULL THE CLUTCH LEVER IN AND ATTEMPT TO PUT IT IN GEAR, BUT THE BIKE SHUTS DOWN, LIKE THE CLUTCH IS NOT DISENGAGING. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID MY BIKE WAS TO OLD TO BRING TO THEM. PLEASE HELP.

Answer
Eddie,
 Sounds like that shop has a great policy!  Funny how some "mechanics" don't want to be bothered w/ actually diagnosing an evasive problem.  Too old huh?  Maybe the next time he goes to his doctor he'll tell him the same thing, sorry, you're too old!

Anyway, I am not extremly familiar w/ this bike but it sounds like you're saying that you are bleeding the brake's master cylinder as well as the clutch's master cylinder.  I can see them sharing a resivior (the same fluid) but that must have independant master cylinders.  When you activate the cluch lever you push fluid through the clutch line by way of the Slave Cylinder which is a smaller version of the brake's master cylinder.  When you use the front brake you are puching fluid through the brake lines by way of the brake's master cylinder.  They are two totally seperate systems after the resivior.  If your brake is operating ok, leave it alone.  You are only concerned w/ the clutch's system.  Loosten the bleed valve on the clutch line slightly and pump the clutch for at least one minute at a moderate pace.  Once you see no more air pockets/bubbles spitting from the line, tighten the bleed valve as you are pulling in the clutch one last time.  Be VERY sure you don't allow the resivior to drain completly.  You will need to fill it periodically as you drain the system.  If you are still getting that mushy type feeling when pulling in the clutch and it is not infact dissengauging fully you have a leak.  The leak will either be at the piston in the case that actually pushes the rod that pushes the clutch plates apart OR at the slave cylinder itself.  If it's the slave cylinder it will need to be rebuilt with new rings/seals or be replaced alltogether.  I'm not really sure about the combination of the brake and clutch cylinders but if they seem to be the same unit, they may be cast together but have SEPERATE master cylinders, meaning the fluid feeds both intakes at the bottom but the systems are still seperate.  The only thing besides a coincedence that would cause the brake system as well as the clutch to accumulate air in the system is if the resivior was allowed to run dry and suck air into both cylinders.

Hope this helps,
Mike