shifting problems

[Guest]

Weather is getting nice and im ready to go ride... only my bike isnt shifting too well.

'81 GS450 twin. Last october I replaced the clutch, springs and plates, and I also put a new clutch cable on it as well. I can shift through all the gears when im in the garage but when I get the bike moving I cant shift out of 1st. It seems to me that the clutch isnt disengaging. If im on the center stand and in gear with the clutch pulled in, the rear tire still spins.

I assume my adjustment is just off a little bit? Maybe I suck at adjusting the clutch? ...any help would be great.

[tom203]

Weather is getting nice and im ready to go ride... only my bike isnt shifting too well.

'81 GS450 twin. Last october I replaced the clutch, springs and plates, and I also put a new clutch cable on it as well. I can shift through all the gears when im in the garage but when I get the bike moving I cant shift out of 1st. It seems to me that the clutch isnt disengaging. If im on the center stand and in gear with the clutch pulled in, the rear tire still spins.

I assume my adjustment is just off a little bit? Maybe I suck at adjusting the clutch? ...any help would be great.

Did you use OEM springs and plates? some here have had problems with aftermarket stuff. There should be very little play at clutch lever.

[Steve]

With the rear tire in the air (bike on centerstand), the wet clutch will have enough drag to spin the tire.

Try it with the bike on the ground.

That wet clutch drag will also be more pronounced when the engine is cold, so will reduce quite a bit once the engine is warmed up.

.

[tkent02]

With or without the clutch releasing shifting should be easy. Some of us rarely if ever use the clutch to shift. Something else is wrong.

[CycloneGS]

With or without the clutch releasing shifting should be easy. Some of us rarely if ever use the clutch to shift. Something else is wrong.

Any ideas? It has fresh oil in it. Pretty sure its full.


On the ground, I can shift through the gears but only if im not moving.

I can take off and the the clutch feels nice and tight however the clutch lever is tough to pull. It is adjusted just like the manual says with 1-2 mm of play at the lever.

[CycloneGS]

I pulled off the engine cover where the clutch cable goes in. The clutch pin, which runs just in fron of the front sprocket and into the engine casing, has me worried. The clutch pin has about an inch of play with no resistance. Meaning, I can push it in (as if I was pulling the clutch lever) about an inch but there is no resistance to this AND it will not return to the starting position.

Is there a spring or force from the clutch side of the engine that should return the pin?

Trying to take my lady friend on a ride Saturday...

[mpencegs]

sounds like the pin isn't moving the clutch plates... Did you get the tension right and everything when you reinstalled the clutch basket.. Also maybe the clutch plates are sticking. My old GS did this till I removed and oiled all the plates.

[CycloneGS]

I was hoping I didnt have to pop off the clutch side again... Draining the oil is a PIA because I have to remove my 2-1 exhaust too. I tried leaning the bike way over with the kickstand in a hole in my driveway and that seemed sketchy.

I guess I have to pull it off and inspect again.

BTW it was 73 degrees in Des Moines yesterday!

[CycloneGS]

sounds like the pin isn't moving the clutch plates... Did you get the tension right and everything when you reinstalled the clutch basket.. Also maybe the clutch plates are sticking. My old GS did this till I removed and oiled all the plates.

The clutch basket is the part that the plate slide into correct? Its held on by the big nut right?

I installed new springs and plates but I didnt loosen the nut in the middle to remove the basket.

Tonight i did take the basket out and it looks fine. Here are some pictures:

[CycloneGS]

how many clutch plates and metal spacers should i have?

When i bought new plates I got 7 but the old clutch only has 6....

[terrylee]

There also is a screw with a nut around it that is inside your cover where cable goes.(There is a small oval cover in middle of larger cover, remove two screws and it's inside there.) That has to be adjusted, I believe loosen lock nut, screw in screw till just snug and then screw back out about a 1/4 of a turn, then hold in place and tighten lock nut. Might check a manual just to be sure on instructions, been a while since I did mine. terrylee

[CycloneGS]

so i pulled it all apart put it back together with new plates and the older springs. that was the ticket! i think the spring i ordered were too stiff. They measured at the upper limit in length and the old ones were at the lower limit.

thanks for all the help guys!