1971 Bombardier Bantam help!

[Dantheshan]

Im guessing this is a pretty rare bike to come up in discussion so i hope you guys can help me out. I have this bike running in perfect condition except for one thing, the clutch... The clutch does not engage on this bike and i need help fixing it (or replacing if thats even possible).
Here is the bike:

And im guessing this is the clutch? If so, how do i get it off? Will a clutch removal tool remove the ring that on the inner side?

Thanks for your help guys!

 

[jeep2003]

chances are it just needs adjustment. That jam nut with the flathead screwdriver screw in the middle is the adjuster. Question is how do you adjust it. Usually you simply screw in the screw and back it off till you feel the least bit of resistance and go back in 1/4 turn. but i dont know if thats what you do on these.

 

[Dantheshan]

Ok thanks alot. Ill give that a try and see what happens.

 

[Clayon]

That looks alot like my old moto skeeter 650. Well the frame does anyways. But I guess that bombardier eventually bought out moto ski anyway. Is that a rotax engine? is it a bse?

 

[Dantheshan]

Haha i wish i could tell ya. I have no idea what either of those are.

And i tried adjusting the screw, i didnt do anything. I dont think the clutch plates are even moving when i pull the clutch lever which is why i wanted to take the clutch apart. So i am back to square one

 

[jeep2003]

so the leaver wont put it into neutral or is it in neutral all the time? I cant tell how yours is setup but sometimes theres a leaver on the engine that the cable attatches to. It pushes a rod through the engine that operates the clutch on the other side. sometimes the contact point between that leaver and the rod gets worn down and bottoms out on the case. Or the pin that holds that leaver. Check that out.

 

[Dantheshan]

No its not in neutral all the time, i am able to shift through all the gears without the clutch. There is a lever that the clutch cable attatches to on the bottom of the transmission. This is it:

It swings forward but will not disengage the clutch... so im stuck. do i have to take the entire bike apart to fix this?

 

[Tom S.]

... do i have to take the entire bike apart to fix this?

Prolly not the whole bike, just the engine. :laugh: Sorry, that was too easy. I am curious, is this a new problem? I mean, did it work before and now it doesn't? Or has it been this way since you got it? It also looks like the kickstarter points straight down. It should point upward. Did you arrange it that way for the photo or does it swing freely? Will it shift through all of the gears if you rock the wheels back and forth? Do you have a shop manual?

 

[jeep2003]

na once you figure out how to get the clutch off an apart im sure that will lead you to the problem. youll be able to see how it works and thatll help you adjust it. In theory

 

[Dantheshan]

Prolly not the whole bike, just the engine. :laugh: Sorry, that was too easy. I am curious, is this a new problem? I mean, did it work before and now it doesn't? Or has it been this way since you got it? It also looks like the kickstarter points straight down. It should point upward. Did you arrange it that way for the photo or does it swing freely? Will it shift through all of the gears if you rock the wheels back and forth? Do you have a shop manual?

haha i know just the engine. well it hasnt run since probably late 70's early 80's due to a wiring problem. i got the bike this summer and fixed it. yea i dont think the kickstarter has the return spring so it stays down when i kick it, but it starts on the first try every time now. it shifts through all of the gears fine, i ride it up and down my street shifting when i hit the right speed (i know not the best for the gears, but hey i cant figure the clutch out, and its fun). I have no shop manual or really any info on it. I couldnt find a whole lot of info online, and i think (prove me if i am wrong) that this is a pretty rare bike

 

[chop_shop]

bombarier clutch

Gday, just wondering if you got this sorted and fixed my bombardier bantam has the same issue ? if you did would you mind sending the details of what you had to do ?
thanks
Warren

 

[mechanical stig]

i know its a massively old thread, but this seems its a common problem, mine also now has the same issue, clutch lever is jammed, mine had a snapped clutch cable when i got it , i thought it was just a faulty cable, so swapped it out today and it pulled the locking collar off the cable straight away.