V Star clutch slack

This might not apply to those of us who ride other models, but the V Star 650 has always had one noticeable irritating *feature*. The clutch when fully released leaves slack in the (handlebar) clutch lever, allowing it to flop around and rattle. This cannot be "adjusted out", without screwing up the release point itself - the point at which the clutch begins to engage - sometimes causing later clutch slippage if adjusted too far. To my knowledge, this affects all years, and in the case of the 650, it affects both the Classic as well as the Custom.

To the rescue! I found, on eBay, a simple, elegant, and very effective solution for this. It is a $17 (plus shipping) item, and it works like a charm. It consists of just two (2) parts, a spring that slips over the bottom of the clutch cable (must be released first, but clear step-by-step instructions are included), and a polished tube that then fits over both clutch cable and the spring. See the photo below to view the spring and guide-tube ...

Following the 15-30 minute installation, all you need do is readjust the clutch play in the normal manner (most people do it at the top, or "handlebar" end), and ride a little so you can "season to taste" until you get just the feel you want. This worked so well for me as one of my winter "I can't ride but I can play" projects that I thought I'd pass it along to you here.

I mentioned it is a $17 part ... actually, the MFR offers the kit for bid starting at $9.99, or a "Buy It Now" price of $17.99. Shipping is currently $4, and it will come to you in a #10 business envelope. No, folks, I don't know the guy, nor do I have any interest in the product other than just that I stumbled onto it and it worked to solve a problem that I didn't think there was a solution for - according to my Yamaha mechanics, there isn't, but they obviously don't belong to eBay. Best wishes to all, and if you try this out, drop back and let me know if it worked as well for you as for me. ;^)