Clutch Adjustment

[Air4Life]

This being my first clutch adjustment.  Actually a couple of weeks ago, I'm just reporting it now.  

Anyway, I measured a piece of rod 201 mm long and placed it between the back end of the forward casting on the transmission and adjusted the handlebar barrel till I achieved the center of the clutch arm cable barrel.  I also adjusted the back end of the arm to achieve 3 mm on the handlebar end.  Sounds good right - well in my case no, the bike was difficult to downshift from fourth to third, while second and first were impossible to achieve without blip-ping the throttle first.  

I double checked my sources of information and triple checked my work, but it still appeared to be right.  Then I decided to return the handlebar barrel inward where it was before I decided to get all textbook geeky, and voila, it shifts beautifully again.  

THe distance is now at the face of the cable's barrel on the clutch arm instead of the middle of it.  Go figure...  Not a huge dimensional difference, but enough, apparently.

[tvrla]

 The 201mm measurement is the  distance, essentially, of the free cable (no housing). I can't picture where you're measuring from.

The whole idea is to have the clutch arm parallel to the trans back cover mid way through its stroke.

It's not rocket science.

[Barry]

THe distance is now at the face of the cable's barrel on the clutch arm instead of the middle of it.

With the available diagrams not being exactly crystal clear I guess nearly everyone must initially ponder on whether the measurement is to the centre of the barrel nipple, to the edge of the barrel nipple or to the face of the operating arm.  I Know I did and concluded it should be to the face of the operating arm. As wirespokes said that's essentially the length of exposed inner cable. It's just as well it's not critical to a couple of mm because I'm not sure I've seen a definitive answer. I know snowbum reckons it's to the centre of the barrel nipple and Tom Cutter says to the edge of the barrel nipple. Take your pick.  Anyone know what Oak says ? To be on the safe side I ignore the +2mm tolerance and set mine to exactly 201mm to the face of the operating arm and the clutch works fine.

Edit:  I found the attached service bulletin which at first sight doesn't look to be about clutch adjustment. There is a drawing lower down and even though it's for the K model it is clear the measurement is to the edge of the barrel nipple and that this would also apply to the R versions.

[Air4Life]

The whole idea is to have the clutch arm parallel to the trans back cover mid way through its stroke.  

Yes, I understand this.  I used http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/clutch.htm
as my only reference since it seemed straight forward enough, which it still is, but apparently that little difference made the world of difference.

It's not rocket science.

Exactly, I came to the same conclusion afterwards.

I know snowbum reckons it's to the centre of the barrel nipple and Tom Cutter says to the edge of the barrel nipple.  

Tom Cutter gets my vote here, at least on this particular r65.

...it is clear the measurement is to the edge of the barrel nipple ...

Yep, that diagram you included is the area.  THe edge of the nipple is what we are talking about.  I called it the face in my earlier post.  Another way of expressing it could be the region that makes contact with the clutch arm. {I'm bleeding this one to death now, ain't I?}

Right, the distance was not great.  In fact it is the radius of the barrel that I and the contrary opinions you pointed to would have it result in being.  

Anyway, attached is a picture of the casting area for taking the measurement from. Sorry I didn't have one specifically for this message.

Thanks, I appreciate your support.  I wanted to share my experience, as it was frustrating having to try and follow something so carefully only to abandon it for something that worked much better for me.