bike revs in gear but no movement

[catch2otwo]

So a friend called me with a question. He just bought a 87 yami virago 1000. Hes got two problems.

1. When its in gear, he hits the gas and basically all it does is rev. He limped it home but the other morning, he got on it and it went no where. Im thinking the clutch is shot and just slipping? Would the clutch cover get hot? any ideas?


2. His oil light comes on every now and again. I told him to check the oil level. they were going to change the oil. Do the sensors ever go bad? what else is there to check.

[OreoGaborio]

Sounds like a toasted clutch to me.


The oil light comes on when there's low oil pressure, not low oil level. Could be the sensor, could be the oil pump.

[catch2otwo]

jeez pete your too fast.

How do you figure out if its the oil pressure sensor or pump?

[union]

Its a shaft drive so he might want to open that up and make sure the gear is ok. I dont know much about them but it also holds oil. Not sure if its mixed with the crankcase oil but that could also be the cause of an oil light.

[OreoGaborio]

replace the sensor... if it comes on again then it's the pump

[FTMS]

You can check oil pump pressure if you have a gage to screw into the fitting were the sensor is. If you don't have a gage, go with Pete's answer.

Check the final drive assembly. Drain the gear oil out and hope that is all that comes out. You might be able to see some of the teeth in the drive unit through the fill hole.

Is the clutch on those hydraulic or manual?

[catch2otwo]

clutch is cable operated.

They are going to drain the oil from the diff this weekend. I doubt its that, clutch sounds more likely.

[Rambunctous]

Is the bike still on the centerstand?

[butcher bergs]

The oil light comes on when there's low oil pressure, not low oil level.

This is inaccruate.

[butcher bergs]

So a friend called me with a question. He just bought a 87 yami virago 1000. Hes got two problems.

1. When its in gear, he hits the gas and basically all it does is rev. He limped it home but the other morning, he got on it and it went no where. Im thinking the clutch is shot and just slipping? Would the clutch cover get hot? any ideas?


2. His oil light comes on every now and again. I told him to check the oil level. they were going to change the oil. Do the sensors ever go bad? what else is there to check.

1) Is there a little play in the clutch lever or is it pulled tight to the perch? Clutch is slipping but there could be another reason why besides bad clutch plates. Yes the cover will get warm.

2) Locate the oil level sensor and check for damage to the wires. Move them around to see if it creates an open which triggers the light.

[DuncanMoto]

Clutch is shot and there's crap in the oil from the clutch plates that clogs the pressure sender unit intermittently. Drain the oil and look at what is in it before spending a dime on it. If it sat for a long time without running, those metal plates rusted to the friction plates. when he started it things began to shred.

[butcher bergs]

It's not a pressure sensor.

[DuncanMoto]

It's not a pressure sensor.

O.K. then..... sensor that relies on oil running through a little tiny hole that gets plugged up by some crap that got stirred up in a 23 year old bike.

[butcher bergs]

Have it your way.



(just know that oil doesn't pass thru it)

[Rambunctous]

Though I do not know about this paticular model there is such a thing as a oil pressure switch and also a low oil level switch. They are different animals of course.

[butcher bergs]

Well if there's no oil then there's no pressure... But the oil light is triggered by a lack of oil pressure.

Is that what you're gettin at or are you gonna keep being vague?

This particular bike has an oil level sensor only. I'm almost certain this machine doesn't measure oil pressure at all.

If that oil light is flickering then there's low (or no) oil, the sensor itself is going bad or there's an intermittant open in the wiring which triggers the light...also the sensor does not get clogged in this instance.

[catch2otwo]

ill have them drain the oil and check the sensor. will the motor oil be the same oil as the oil in the drive train? i hate diagnosing this over the phone with them.

[RandyO]

The oil light comes on when there's low oil pressure, not low oil level. Could be the sensor, could be the oil pump.

As bergs already posted, incorrect, the Virago had an oil LEVEL sensor

very common for the oil light to come on when on
1. when on sidestand if oil is slightly low
2. when cold and oil pumped into heads doesn't return to sump fast enuf
3. on real steep hills (hurricane mtn road comes to mind, my 920's oil light would come on), wheelies and hard acceleration on moderate inclines

check oil pressure by loosening banjo bolt to oil line when running

[RandyO]

O.K. then..... sensor that relies on oil running through a little tiny hole that gets plugged up by some crap that got stirred up in a 23 year old bike.

fwiw, the sensor is just a float switch iirc

[beet]

what a bunch a dumb fucks, not you randy

[OreoGaborio]

what a bunch a dumb fucks, not you randy

Why, because we gave informative answers based on what would have been a perfectly normal assumption based on 99% of bikes out there instead of giving vague references to the fact that we were wrong?

GFY, beet. Seriously. I'm not in the fucking mood. But thanks for informative post, I'm sure it helped Cedric's buddy fix his bike.

[DuncanMoto]

what a bunch a dumb fucks, not you randy

Nice....... Real Nice.
I am floored that someone on this forum, that I don't know personally, would insult me like that. What a jerk.
Do you just tell someone on the street that you've never met before to their face that they are a "dumb F!$CK ?
I can't believe you are a teacher. I mean what the heck is wrong with you?
If it were up to me I'd ban you for from the forum for attacking people for posting on this thread.

How ignorant of you!

Good day sir.

[DuncanMoto]

My apologies for letting this thread get sidetracked. My rant is over.

So even though it is just a oil level sensor (without a hole as Bergs pointed out) I am still going with the clutch is cooked.
Low oil would make it an even better guesstimate of the problem.
Drain oil, remove and inspect clutch plates. Replace plates and spring sets. Assuming this 22 year old bike has springs and clutch plates.

[OreoGaborio]

Wirelessly posted (Samsung Lube.... Er, Glyde: Mozilla/5.0 440x240 Samsung SCH-U940 NetFront/3.4)

what a bunch a dumb fucks, not you randy

Why, because we gave informative answers based on what would have been a perfectly normal assumption based on 99% of bikes out there instead of giving vague references to the fact that we were wrong?

GFY, beet. Seriously. I'm not in the fucking mood. But thanks for informative post, I'm sure it helped Cedric's buddy fix his bike.

Okay, I've washed the sand out of my vagina now... But beet, you can still gfy

[catch2otwo]

thanks for the help guys. as usual, somehow my threads go to poo but thats ok, got the info they needed. Hey duncan can you get a clutch pack for that bike? And to figure out if the clutches are gone, you'd need to measure the thickness from what i can remember from my dirtbike stuff.