Help a noob with a question

[checjb]

Hi all,
I recently pased my licence and bought myself a 2000 ER5 to commute to work. I rode in on Friday with no issues. At the end of the day I left and prepped the bike, got ready and pulled away. My bike trunbled along about as fast as I could walk! When I revved the revs shot up but the bike barely increased in speed. I liken it to driving whilst riding the clutch in a car. It felt like 25% of the engine power reached the drive chain. I could change gears fine etc but my acceleration was terrible. I dared not ride along a dual carriageway because I worried that it might take a mile or two to get up to 70 mph!

FYI, I could get up to speeds but the pickup (and let's face it, that what bikes are all abaout) was worse than an overloaded 1.0L PoS car that my GF once had.

Any ideas, oh knowledgable and worthy, experienced riders!

 

[Dogbreath]

Certainly sounds like a clutch problem, unless the sprockets have worn so smooth the chain is slipping but that would be making a horrible racket. It's possible that the clutch cable has partially seized so isn't allowing the clutch to fully release.

I don't suppose it's just had an oil change with fully synthetic car engine oil? Some oils can cause wet clutches to slip.

Is the ER5 an ex-DAS bike? They are quite a popular bike for training centers, and they do tend to get the arse kicked out of them.

 

[checjb]

Hi,
Thanks for the answer. The chain is fine (it was a bit dry but I lubed it only a few days before so go up close and personal with it). It was serviced by a local specialist so it should've received the right oil type. I haven't got enough past history to know if was an old training bike but it's not exactly showroom so maybe, I suppose.
Hmmmm, time to find a mechanic.

 

[VoG]

If the revs are rising as they should but the bikes not accelerating as It should then the clutch is slipping, if the clutch is cable operated ide check the cables not binding due to dirt ingress/shagged cable, if it's hydraulic, ide check the fluid in the master cylinder & the state of the actuating piston.

If there all good then ide be looking at the engine oil level & finally the actual physical condition of the clutch itself.

 

[ElliorR]

Being an ER5 it may have been a school bike as they were popular before the recent licence changes. If so the clutch may have taken a lot of abuse they normally wouldn't get if not a school bike.

Hopefully though it's just something cheap and simple like the clutch cable.

 

[acemastr]

I can't see a clutch just going to be honest, check the clutch cable operation (both ends) and if it has a center stand then put it on it and put the bike into gear and watch what happens to the back wheel, may be fairly obvious

 

[ElliorR]

.....if it has a center stand then put it on it and put the bike into gear and watch what happens to the back wheel, may be fairly obvious

Just waiting for the OP to ask

"Are both ends of the chain meant to be connected to each other?"

 

[checjb]

Just waiting for the OP to ask

"Are both ends of the chain meant to be connected to each other?"

LOL - cheeky sod. I may not be any good with spanners but even I know that. So, it sounds like the rope thing that comes out of the gripper on the left hand side, right? OK, I'll cut that and see what happens.

Seriously though, thanks for the advice folks. My GF (who got me into this whole biking thing) alweays told me that bikers were a friendly, helpful bunch. I have found it to be true in every situation so far.

 

[Fireskull]

With the clutch pulled in will it rev normally?
Does the ER-5 have a choke?
Could be the carbs need a good clean...