Stuck clutch lever on '84 K100RT

I have been offered a 1984 K100RT. It's a pretty clean bike, but it has not been run in nearly a year. You know, the "it was running when it was parked" story. They are asking $800 for it. I have looked it over pretty closely. One of the things I have found is that the clutch lever can't be squeezed. It is stuck.

I think this is an indication that the splines are rusted or otherwise seized. The owner does not know if the shaft splines have ever been lubed in the bike's 80K career.

I am an avid do-it-your-selfer. Most maintenance is no problem for me. I have never lubed the shaft splines on a BMW. How hard is the task?

Do I really want this bike? It's not like I don't have others to ride.

Is $800 a good price?

I would say for 800'if it runs not am a bad deal

Rusty splines should not prevent the pressure plate from moving. The disk might drag on the clutch cover but the pressure plate should move. That is - for sure the spring should move when pushed by the rod, levered by the lever pulled by the cable.

So, it is something more simple. A stuck lever at the handlebar, a stuck lever at the transmission, a jammed throwout bearing at the back of the transmission, or the cable binding.

Take a large screwdriver and see if yoyu can lever the lever at the treansmission - by the muffler left side - to disconnect the cable. The trouble shoot the handlebar lever and cable.

If they move freely then you would need to make sure the lever and throwout at the back of the transmission move freely. Unless the clutch rod is stick in the shaft that is as far as you ought to need to look.

So the worst case scenario would probably be the jammed throwout bearing. Do you suppose it can be freed by tweaking the lever? A tear down for replacement would probably be the same as that for a complete clutch job.

MG McAnick said:

So the worst case scenario would probably be the jammed throwout bearing. Do you suppose it can be freed by tweaking the lever? A tear down for replacement would probably be the same as that for a complete clutch job.

Click to expand...

No. The throwout bearing is located at the back of the transmission where the clutch lever pushes. The lever pushes on the bearing assembly, which pushes on the rod that goes forward through the centerline of the input shaft, which pushes on the spring, which releases pressure on the pressure plate.

There is nothing to stop the spring from moving.
It would be very unusual for the rod to bind in the hole through the input shaft.
A worn throwout can jam.
The lever at the transmission can jam from crud and corrosion
The cable could bind - but that would be a bit unusual.
The handlebar lever might also bind, but I doubt it.

Also: VERY IMPORTANT!!

I don't remember if the K100 has the same sidestand retraction mechanism as on the K75. But if it does then the clutch won't "pull" if the bike has weight on the sidestand, or if the sidestand has jammed in the down position.

So step one is to make sure - put the bike on the centerstand, put the sidestand up, and try to pull the clutch.

PGlaves said:

So step one is to make sure - put the bike on the centerstand, put the sidestand up, and try to pull the clutch.

Click to expand...

Ohhhh, it's definitely on the side stand. I'll either sit on the bike and retract it, or set it on the center stand and try it again. I have a feeling that's the issue.

PGlaves said:

Also: VERY IMPORTANT!!

I don't remember if the K100 has the same sidestand retraction mechanism as on the K75. But if it does then the clutch won't "pull" if the bike has weight on the sidestand, or if the sidestand has jammed in the down position.

So step one is to make sure - put the bike on the centerstand, put the sidestand up, and try to pull the clutch.

Click to expand...

Just read the benchwrenching yesterday. Good article on jumping to conclusions and overlooking the obvious.
Good call Mr Glaves.

Missed it by THAT much...

I went back to look at the K100 this morning. Sure enough the side stand was down. When I retracted it, the clutch lever functioned as it should. Actually it was functioning as it should all along, I just didn't know it.

Unfortunately they had taken a deposit on the bike yesterday when I was too far away to go see it.

Thank you for your help. This one just was not supposed to happen.

K75's are better anyway.