K-Bike Sidestand & Clutch Adjustment
By Brian Curry
April 1998
Here is how I do it. Note that the presetting of the exposed cable length, is primarily for setting the “auto-retract” of the sidestand.
Put the bike on the center stand.
First, disconnect the clutch cable ends and check they are clean and lubed. I levered the trans end clutch lever in a bit and slipped the barrel out of the fork. I almost can do it with my hands. With that end disconnected, pull the handle bar end to the grip and look underneath. You can wiggle the free barrel down and out and the wire will drop through slot. Clean and lube.
Remount the cable. Grip end first. (I use grease to help hold everything in place, at the grip end especially.) The compress the trans end lever and put the barrel back in the fork. The grip end barrel is not captured by the cable. The trans end is.
I bent some wire to the 75 mm length.
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|<---------75 mm-------->|
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|________________________|
This makes the measurement easier. Push the rubber sleeve away from the end of the sheath end. Measure from the end of the cable end sheath steel sleeve (Not the plastic which might be trying to slide out.) to the inner end/side of the barrel. Adjust the grip end adjustment for the 75 mm exposed. There should also be some clearance between the clutch fork and another lever that come up from below and is below the cable end of the clutch fork and the pivot point.
This PROPERLY positions the clutch operation lever to bring up the sidestand so get it right!
Then, look at the other end of the trans end clutch fork lever. It has a lock nut and adjuster bolt. The adjuster bolt takes a 10 mm and lock nut 13 mm. Loosen the lock nut. Adjust the 10 mm adjuster so that you have the ~1/8″ travel at the grip. That ~1/8″ is at the open end of the V that forms as the grip lever is pulled back. Tighten the lock nut. This will change the adjustment bolt a bit, so check and futz with it until it is right.
While you are there, look at the rubber boot that the adjustment bolt goes into. If it is wet, it is leaking and needs to be replaced.
With the clutch cable length set so that there is enough travel and the clutch fork at the trans end in the right position, and the clutch set so the springs can do their best to compress the clutch disk, the auxiliary function of retracting the sidestand can be set.
When the clutch fork cable end moves forward as the clutch lever is pulled in, it contacts another lever pointing downward, pushing it forward. Naturally the lever lower end moves backward.
The lower end has a rod going through it that travels forward to the sidestand. Since the lower end is moving backward with the rod, it pulls the sidestand back allowing it to retract.
The sidestand mechanism is a “center over mechanism.” The rod only has to pull it over the center “hump” and then the springs pull it back the rest of the way to rest next to the muffler. The rod and clutch lever do not pull it all the way back. The two springs you see, pull it the rest of the way back after it gets over the hump.
The rearward end of the rod, where it connects to the lever actuated by the trans end clutch lever, is threaded. A semicircular metal bit is threaded onto the rod and is captured by the sidestand actuating lever. (The sidestand actuating lever is spring loaded to keep tension on the rod and semi-circular piece so it can not fall out.) With the sidestand up, (This takes tension off the rod.) push forward on the lever bottom, while pulling back on the rod and thread the semicircular piece forward. This takes up the slack making the clutch actuating lever act sooner, and takes it “over the hump”.
Put the sidestand down and check that actuating the clutch gets it over the hump so that it fully retracts. When the sidestand is down, there should still be space between the sidestand lever and the clutch lever.
Do not over adjust the semi-circular piece! If you do, you can screw up the clutch adjustment. :(:(
The sidestand pivot point needs to be kept well lubricated. If it is not, it will not self retract once it is “over the hump”. BTDT The two springs should be good for the life of the bike.
One important thing. This adjustment SHOULD BE a do it once and forget it. If you need to do it again, something big changed. The likely thing is that you, or someone, tried to pull in the clutch (I have never figured out why some people “have” to operate the levers. It is can be even worse if the front wheel is off, and they go for the brake lever.) with the bike on the sidestand. If they try hard, they can pull the cable through one of the barrels. This is not a good thing. It means the barrel is half off the cable. It can then fail at the worst time…