So I have noticed that even for a fruther 10 to 15 mins after warm up, the gear lever on my motorcycle (bought brand new - 6 months old) seems really stiff and harder to change.
Could this have something to do with the clutch?
Or is it just a cold morning thing?
You asked
Could this have something to do with the clutch?
Answer
Yes. IMO this is a clutch issue.
Background
When your clutch drags and does not completely disengage there is a slight load on the primary shaft of your transmission. This is a sequential transmission. When you put it into gear under these circumstances you may hear it loudly band in and feel it throughout the bike. As well, changing gears, if not done perfectly, may be a bit difficult. If you can speed shift without the clutch then you probably wouldn't notice that.
When it's cold, it can accentuate the issue due to the viscosity of the oil and the higher amount of friction as a result in your clutch basket. So cold CAN make it worse.
The Fix
Loosen the locking adjustment and get a little bit of play in the clutch handle. Move your handlebars all the way to the right and all the way to left while doing this. Ensure moving the handlebars does not take up all the slack and begin to disengage the clutch as a result.
Adjust approximately an eighth of an inch of play into the clutch handle. Give it a try now.
Good luck.
It's clutch problem.
The fix:
Loosen the locking adjustment and get a little bit of play in the clutch handle. Move your handlebars all the way to the right and all the way to left while doing this. Ensure moving the handlebars does not take up all the slack and begin to disengage the clutch as a result.
Adjust approximately an eighth of an inch of play into the clutch handle. Give it a try now.
Good luck.
Without knowing what kind of motorcycle it is, and if it's new or used, it is hard to determine.
The good news is that it isn't necessarily a bad clutch. The rest of the news is that you're going to have to find out what is causing it.
In order of easiest to hardest: 1) Grease the clutch lever itself. 2) Lubricate the clutch cable (if cable driven). 3) Remove the clutch slave cylinder (near your left foot), then pull out and clean, and re-grease the silver push-rod. [This FREQUENTLY fixes hard-to-shift problems.] 4) Possible clutch problems.
If it's not #1, it's most likely #3. Removing the slave cylinder and cleaning the push rod is about a 30 minute task.
Hint for hydraulic clutches: Once you have the slave cylinder removed, do -not- apply the brake. If you do fluid will leak out of places you don't want and you will have to fully bleed the clutch system.
