GS550 Heavy clutch

[Guest]

Getting a 1984 GS550 ready for the road, this weekend is going to be a busy one.
I notice the effort required to pull the clutch lever on this one to be really high... Normal on this model?
Previous owner installed a new cable. Routing and install can be better which I'll address but the question remains.
Anything I should look for?

[jbthomp]

Yeah I have an 80 gs550 and the clutch is pretty stiff on it too. If the cable is bent anywhere that can cause a harder than normal pull. Might try to get the cable as gradual of a bend as you can. Does it feel gritty at all? Or is it Smooth?

[loud et]

Download the free manual from bass cliffs site.
It covers cable routing.
I know I installed a new clutch cable on a bike and routed it improperly.....even though there were no kinks or hard bends it was still tight.
A simple re route as per factory routing made it extremely smooth an 50% lighter.

[tkent02]

The models like the 750 an 550 with that helix operated pushrod do seem to have a harder clutch pull. I have a new cable on mine, greased everything, routed the cable well, it's still a little bit harder than the bigger bikes.

Not so you'd notice when riding, but it's harder than the other GSes.

Just do the best that you can with eliminating kinks, using the correct lube and new cables, and route them carefully. Do the best you can. It will be good enough.

I wonder if using a whole new helix assembly and the part in the cover that it runs in would help much? Haven't tried that yet.

[Tomcat]

I have the manual and reviewed cable routing. It's not correct as is, even dis-connected there's some resistance but no where near as stiff as when connected. Think Harley +++
I'll do the best I can and report back.
Thanks for the input

[tkent02]

Is it a used cable? If it is rotate it 180 so that all of the curves and bends are opposite to where they are now. It will help a lot.

[koolaid_kid]

Did you clean and regrease the worm drive assembly? I think that is what Tom is calling a helix assembly. It gets filled with gunk and needs to be cleaned periodically.

[tkent02]

Yeah, the worm gear. (It's really a Helix) I wonder if some super duper new synthetic grease might let it pull easier?

[koolaid_kid]

I would use the blue waterproof grease. Good stuff. IIRC it is called Marine Grease. I get mine at Tractor Supply Company, but it is available lots of places.

[Tomcat]

Is the "worm drive' (helix) the device between the cable and pushrod?

[tkent02]

Yes, the big screw thing that turns cable pull into pushrod push.

[Tomcat]

Thanks, that's what I thought.
Had a look at that last weekend. Really grimy in there, clean up and lube is definitely in order.

[BigD_83]

Just my 2 cents, but the clutch pull on my 550es is way softer than that on my 650.

[tkent02]

Did the ES use the same Helix setup?

If it does maybe your 650 has problems….

[BigD_83]

I'm not saying that the 650 requires a gorilla grip, but I find the 550 clutch to be quite feathery. I haven't dug into the 550 clutch to see if there is a difference in the setup.