Clutch is shuddering in first gear

[ed3541]

I'm refurbishing an '85 K100. Swapped out the engine and tranny for a newer engine (55k) from another '85 K100. But the bike shudders when I take off in first gear. The engine seems to be running smoothly and the bike runs OK once it's going. I'm wondering if I should replace the clutch. It's too bad I didn't do it before I installed the engine. Is this shuddering when starting-out in first gear a sign of a bad clutch? If anyone has any ideas on this problem, I'm open to them.
thanx,
Ed

[Uhtread]

Probably a bad clutch.  An old standby clutch test is to put the bike (vehicle) nose on to an unmoveable object - large tree, e.g. - and operate it as if to take off.  The engine should die.

[johnny]

greetings ed354...

march 31st post... musta missed it...

anyway... im betting it just needs to be ridden... getts out there and commence to whacking the throttle in all gears... its a 50/50 chance it just needs some heat cycles to smooth out...

j o

[Laitch]

greetings ed354. . .
. . . getts out there and commence to whacking the throttle . . .

:2thumbup:

[ed3541]

OK thanx Y'all for the ideas. I'll definitely try 'em before replacing the clutch.

[mr_10brook]

I agree with Johnny.  I bought a 97 LT last year from Alabama with only 18k miles over the phone.  When I got it home (trailered), I had a clutch shuddering issue on taking off.   The problem went away after a few hundred miles of back and forth to work. 

[ed3541]

I'm glad to hear this from 3 brick bikers now. I'm gonna go down to the DMV and get a plate so I can put some miles on it.
thanx