[Stretch]

Actually Easy Rider, after I read your last post and sort of quickly said "it is ok" (please remember I am brand new at motorcycling - I have had my bike only a couple of months and put barely 1000 miles on her - so I will be asking/saying stupid things now and again in order to learn), I went to the general books I have on motorcycle maintenance and they alll agreed with you that clutch cables could be the problem. But they didn't mention how to check it as you did (which is why I ask and read BadBob). So, let me go into the garage and check. BRB

Ok, I took a ruler with me and held it on the grip with the wheel straight ahead and, using one finger, I could gently move the clutch level 5mm before I felt strong tension... but that being said, it wasn't free and easy movement for that 5mm, there was a bit of stiffness, not as much as after the 5mm, but it didn't feel like what I could consider "slack." I didn't see any obvious kinks or bends Water Warrior, so, I am wondering if, based on my reading, the clutch cable may need lubrication. That would be a relatively easy fix (at least based on what I saw in the manuals). I just need to go out later today and get the goodies to do it. So here is my plan:

1) Lube the clutch cable (it can't hurt and it might help).
2) Retest for clutch slack and, if necessary, adjust the cable tension (I am assuming the service manual will tell me how, I haven't had a chance to break that out as yet and the general manual was fairly vague about it).
3) Make a trial run to test for clutch slippage: if it is still there, go ahead and dump the Syntec and replace it with cheap no-frills/no-additives 10W40 from Pennzoil.
4) Make a second trial run for clutch slippage: if it is still there, assume the worst and start reading about clutch overhauls because at that point, my assumption would be that either I did damage the clutch or it simply decided to die right about the time I decided to try to change the oil.

Does this scheme make sense to those of you who are more experienced than I am at all of this? I am trying to move from cheap and easy fixes to the expensive and painful ones in a logical sequence.
-Bob