1965 BSA C15 SS80 heavy clutch.

[Bandittwelve]

I have a SS80 with a clutch lever so heavy to pull that it makes the bike almost unrideable.
The cable is new and well lubricated, does anyone have any suggestions to make it easier to operate please?
Cheers guys.

[Spaceman]

It's best to start off by checking the clutch centre adjuster nut free play is correctly set and the operating lever at the engine end is roughly at right-angles to the cable when the clutch lever is pulled in for maximum efficiency.

If still heavy, it is likely to be either a tight cable run or the clutch spring nuts are screwed in too far. To rule out the former, take off the cable and route it straight to the engine lever without bending it tightly inside the battery box and see if this gives a lighter operation of the clutch. If not then it is probably the clutch springs causing the heavy operation.

[JulianS]

Check the handlebar lever, the measurement from centre of cable nipple to centre of lever pivot should be 5/8 inch for your C15.

Levers also come with a measurement of 1 1/16 inch and one of these will give a much heavier clutch.

Also make sure the cable has a smooth run.

[AltcarBob]

The clutch on my B25 Starfire was really heavy I did all the tricks to get it running smoothly and it still gave me hand cramps. It turned out that the clutch pushrod was bent a previous owner had tried to remove the clutch basket without removing the pushrod.