Jlloyd
New Member
A few weeks ago I bought my very first CT70, a very faded Candy Ruby Red, build date 10/69 with over 10k on the odometer. The previous owner had gotten it for free and put a few bucks into it; new tires, cables, CHP carburetor and replaced the points with CDI. Runs like a champ and didn't cost me a ton to buy it. The only problem was that the transmission took considerable effort to get into gear. Up shifting was clunky using my foot, but downshifting was impossible. In order to shift from 3rd to 2nd to 1st, it was necessary to reach down and yank the gearshift by hand. Definitely NOT the way I remember these being when I was a kid.
Fast forward a couple weeks. I called the PO and asked what oil he used. His answer was, "whatever I had around the barn". I did some research here and other sites and learned that, first and foremost, to use motorcycle oil that was formulated for a wet clutch. I went with synthetic Lucas 20w-50 high-zinc. The old oil didn't look horrible, just a little thin with a sort of grayish tint. After it was drained and replaced, I started it, warmed it up and checked for leaks. Immediately I noticed it went into first a little easier. Second and third were much the same. The surprise came when I put my toe under the shifter and thought "I know this isn't going to work". It popped into second!! Granted, it isn't the buttery smooth shifts that I remember when riding my friend's Trail 70, but it worked. The more I ride it, the easier it is to shift up/down. Clutch adjustment hasn't really affected it much. I've read the articles and watched the video of the guy with the Z50, but I'd really like to have a hands-on lesson on where the "resistance" is felt when taking up the play in the clutch.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share my little moment of success. I love this site. I have learned and hope to continue to learn from it and its members, who seem to have been enamoured by these little machines so many years ago, as I was/am.
Fast forward a couple weeks. I called the PO and asked what oil he used. His answer was, "whatever I had around the barn". I did some research here and other sites and learned that, first and foremost, to use motorcycle oil that was formulated for a wet clutch. I went with synthetic Lucas 20w-50 high-zinc. The old oil didn't look horrible, just a little thin with a sort of grayish tint. After it was drained and replaced, I started it, warmed it up and checked for leaks. Immediately I noticed it went into first a little easier. Second and third were much the same. The surprise came when I put my toe under the shifter and thought "I know this isn't going to work". It popped into second!! Granted, it isn't the buttery smooth shifts that I remember when riding my friend's Trail 70, but it worked. The more I ride it, the easier it is to shift up/down. Clutch adjustment hasn't really affected it much. I've read the articles and watched the video of the guy with the Z50, but I'd really like to have a hands-on lesson on where the "resistance" is felt when taking up the play in the clutch.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share my little moment of success. I love this site. I have learned and hope to continue to learn from it and its members, who seem to have been enamoured by these little machines so many years ago, as I was/am.