clutch engagement

[Guest]

hello everyone, i'm new to motorcycles. been riding about 4 months. i have a 79 gs750. in the morning i can start it and take off, but the clutch doesn't engage until the lever is almost fully released. if i've been riding for a while and come to a stop light sometimes it will want to keep going even though the lever is pulled in all the way or the clutch will begin to engage as soon as i start to release the lever. any ideas? or is this just a qwerk of these bikes? my bosses harley doesn't do this. thanks!

[BadBillyB]

Hey, Shinzon1, Definitely not a quirk, only Harley's have those .....Does the clutch lever feel smooth and consistent ?? No binding or funny feel ??....The primary adjustment for these models lies just in front of the front sprocket. You should get yourself a Clymer manual for your bike if your going to fix things yourself. Has the bike been siting up for a while. The clutch plates tend to get sticky if it sits. I think I hear the welcome wagon coming................listen...........Billy

[tom203]

hello everyone, i'm new to motorcycles. been riding about 4 months. i have a 79 gs750. in the morning i can start it and take off, but the clutch doesn't engage until the lever is almost fully released. if i've been riding for a while and come to a stop light sometimes it will want to keep going even though the lever is pulled in all the way or the clutch will begin to engage as soon as i start to release the lever. any ideas? or is this just a qwerk of these bikes? my bosses harley doesn't do this. thanks!

I hope you haven't been putting up with this for 4 months! should be easy fix. As stated, get or borrow a manual.

[shinzon1]

i've got the thing adjusted to where it does disengage even when hot, but it still starts to engage as soon as i start to let off. i do have a manual but i can't find anything in there about this problem. it sat up for about a year before i got it. i bought it from my boss. they did go out and start it occasionally but never really drove it around. unfortunately i have had to deal with it for 4 months.

[bellucci]

There is an adjustment on the handle bar side if the cable... There should be slack in the cable so the bike does not creep... Your clutch lever should move a couple or 5 mm's so that you don't get a slipping clutch. If you have too much slack, the clutch does not disengage all the way... See if you have too much or too little... Report back and we shall get to the bottom of this dilemma.
Curt

[bellucci]

I just reread the post and I think Billy is on the right track... get the cover off and see if you can find the primary adjustment... If I remember right, its a screw with a locknut... with the motor cold, loosen lock nut, turn screw in till lightly seated and then back out 3/4 turn.Hold and tighten lock nut... Or I might have all the wrong info... Clymer or Suzuki shop manual... See Basscliffs site for online help...
Curt

[shinzon1]

ok. i'll check. the handle bar setting is right. but i can't get my side cover off right now. gonna get my impact driver tonight or tomorrow. hopefully it won't completely strip on me. got the first two loose but that third one wants to be a pain. of course. lol.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. shinzon1,

Depending on the model, sometimes there is an adjustment in the middle of the cable too. But check the manual for your bike (you can find one on my website).

Anyway, I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[BadBillyB]

See, I told you the welcome wagon was coming....I had my ear to the ground....And it arrived in a timely fashion....What kind of manual do you have.???....Make sure you have the right size bit for that impact driver as those butter bolts aren't very forgiving....Billy

[SqDancerLynn1]

You don't have to remove the side engine cover to adjust it.. Should be a small cover on the sprocket cover. Disconnect the cable from the handle bar. Loosen the lock nut, turn the adjusting screw in until it seats, back it out 1/2-1 turn Reassemble and reconnect and adjust the handlebar cable

[shinzon1]

ok. so i readjusted and took it for a drive. nothing has changed. the clutch does feel better, but after it gets hot it still wants to keep going even though the handle is pulled in. it's almost as if the cable is stretching when it gets hot, and then once it cools off it goes back to the way it was when i adjusted it. its like it has two different lengths. one when hot and one when cool. is that possible? i mean i know metal expands when it gets hot, but i've never run into a situation like this. that is the only thing i can think of. any ideas?

[shinzon1]

i also noticed something else which leads me to believe its the cable. when the bike is cold and measure how far the lever inside the cover moves it is longer than it moves when it is hot. i didn't actually look at how much of a differance just that there was a differance. i'll try and measure it again later. i'm probably gonna be out of touch this weekend and most of next week. getting married. but if i can't figure anything out i'll be back after the honeymoon.