Engine dies when shifting to any gear

[astr0dawg]

got an old 1997 royal star with 50k on her. like the title says, shifting gear kills the engine. I start off with bleeding the clutch and it somehow it seems to get a little softer but doesnt change anything. carefully held in the clutch then I shift to 1st then it lurches forward and engine turns off completely. i thought about changing the oils and fluids to see if theres going to be any improvement but any thoughts and advices from here would be highly appreciated.

 

[RoboCop]

Hmm. That's a really old model but wow just 50,000 miles? Have you checked the clutch master cylinder? It could be very worn out at this point and having a hard time disengaging due to inadequate pressure. Either way, I suggest you have the master and slave cylinders cleaned immediately. You might also need a good old flush and bleed to resolve this even temporarily. Lest, go to the dealer, man.

 

[SlowJazz]

Is it possible to roll the rear wheel/bike when idle and on the 1st gear with the clutch lever pulled? I think the clutch could be faulty.

 

[ursulalala]

Hmm. That's a really old model but wow just 50,000 miles? Have you checked the clutch master cylinder? It could be very worn out at this point and having a hard time disengaging due to inadequate pressure. Either way, I suggest you have the master and slave cylinders cleaned immediately. You might also need a good old flush and bleed to resolve this even temporarily. Lest, go to the dealer, man.

I would also recommend that you go to the dealer @astr0dawg. This is an old post so I believe that's what you did or something. I hope you were able to get it fixed.

 

[p3ppr0n1]

Hmm. That's a really old model but wow just 50,000 miles? Have you checked the clutch master cylinder? It could be very worn out at this point and having a hard time disengaging due to inadequate pressure. Either way, I suggest you have the master and slave cylinders cleaned immediately. You might also need a good old flush and bleed to resolve this even temporarily. Lest, go to the dealer, man.

Yep, that lurching and dying usually means the clutch isn't disengaging all the way. Changing the oil might help if OP is using the wrong type (like car oil with friction modifiers, which can make clutches sticky), but it's more likely a mechanical clutch issue.
Look at the clutch basket fingers for grooving, or just plan on replacing the clutch plates and springs. They just wear out and get sticky after 50k miles, preventing full release. It's a common fix on bikes that age!