kz550 clutch problems

afternoon

I have an 82 KZ550 ltd with around 15k miles on it. Bought it last year after it had sat under someone's porch for some time. I got it started with not much trouble, cleaned it up, parked it during the winter/spring and now having some clutch issues as I am about to get it on the road.

When I got it the clutch lever was very stiff with no freeplay but if I remember right could go into gear and neutral. Didn't ever go for a run with it before parking it so not sure if trannny was sound but nothing unusual and owner didn't come across as wanting to hide anything.

I thought I'd adjust the clutch before riding it and now I have problems with it. I've got the manual and have read through clutch adjustment, problems here to preface but still not sure.

So no free play at lever prior to touching it. I adjusted it per manual (at lever, at the adjuster midway in cable and at screw/nut in side cover). And now it's like I have an extra 1-2 inches of cable to account for that I can't decrease no matter how I adjust midway adjuster or at the lever. And the bike is very slightly engaged in gear depending on how far out I have the side cover screw. And I mean slightly engaged like I can keep the bike from moving by holding it.

I've tried various settings on the side cover screw and doesn't seem to make much difference. And again, the midway adjuster can't take up this new slack and at the lever now it's as if there is and inch or a bit more of free play.

I'm not sure what exactly I did that could cause this as it would seem like it probably is pretty close to what I think it had been at this point and not sure what the problem might be. New cable? plates stuck? ?

I very much would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.

Bob H

It could be your cable is worn out or stretched, it could be the wrong one all together, or the plates could be stuck. Im thinking plates, just cause you said it sat out for a year.

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Thank you for the suggestions...what I don't get is how it went from no slack whatsoever to an extra inch with no change except for adjusting it exactly as the manual and what I've read, says to do. Cable looks ok as in no fraying or rusted out. I guess the thing next is to pull the covers off and see what's doing, yes?

There is a link in my signature to the clutch adjuster mechanism. IT explains the adjustment procedure, and why the manual may in fact be wrong.