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In a nutshell, my clutch no longer seems to engage the gears.
The story:
I ride an '81 GS650GLX. I purchased the bike in February. The odometer reads 30,000k, but since the bike is 21 years old, either it has 130,000k or it was hardly ridden before I bought it.
I had planned to take a longer ride this weekend through southern Alberta, so I cleaned up the bike (wash & wax) and checked her over. The oil seemed a bit low, so I topped it up with 10W40. It took about a 1/2 litre to bring it up to the 'full' mark in the sight glass. (However, I may not have waited long enough for the oil to settle properly for a good reading - more below.)
I felt I had a bit too much play in the clutch lever, and shifts didn't feel as smooth as they had earlier this year. I took up the slack in the clutch lever at the lever (about 5mm).
The next morning, I fired her up, let her warm up, and headed out the driveway. I made it about 50 feet down the road, and suddenly lost all power to the rear wheel while in 2nd. No noise, no 'clunk' - the engine continued to run just fine - just no power. I pushed her home and began to investigate.
While in 1st gear, when I pulled in the clutch lever, nothing happened. The rear wheel continued to spin, but not with enough power to move the bike. I backed off the clutch lever to the same point it was at before I adjusted it, to no effect. A friend suggested I may have put too much oil in and 'soaked' the clutch, so I did an oil and filter change just in case.
This morning, I checked her again. With the engine warmed up, I can engage all gears - I can hear the gears clunking as I shift, as the clutch does not seem to be engaging - but no power getting to the rear wheel. No spin at all. I'm afraid the clutch and/or transmission may be toast.
Issues:
1. In the "Old Q&A" drivetrain section, Sandra Whitney replied to a question from Derrick Simmons re. "No power to front sprocket/rear wheel - 1985 GS 700 E", and opined, "It sounds to me like you either spun the countershaft sprocket (or nut) or the clutch basket." She advised to "Take the countershaft sprocket cover off and check to see if the countershaft nut fell off."
Is this an applicable reference for my shaft-driven model? If so, where is the "countershaft sprocket cover"? My Clymer manual doesn't have the most comprehensive index, and I'm not sufficiently familiar with bike engines to locate this.
2. If the problem does not lie with the "countershaft nut", can anyone suggest a likely culprit? There may only be another month of riding weather here in Alberta, and I'd like to enjoy as much of it as I can before winter sets in. If the clutch has to be rebuilt, should I go with OEM parts, or aftermarket (if they are still available?)
Thanks in advance,
The story:
I ride an '81 GS650GLX. I purchased the bike in February. The odometer reads 30,000k, but since the bike is 21 years old, either it has 130,000k or it was hardly ridden before I bought it.
I had planned to take a longer ride this weekend through southern Alberta, so I cleaned up the bike (wash & wax) and checked her over. The oil seemed a bit low, so I topped it up with 10W40. It took about a 1/2 litre to bring it up to the 'full' mark in the sight glass. (However, I may not have waited long enough for the oil to settle properly for a good reading - more below.)
I felt I had a bit too much play in the clutch lever, and shifts didn't feel as smooth as they had earlier this year. I took up the slack in the clutch lever at the lever (about 5mm).
The next morning, I fired her up, let her warm up, and headed out the driveway. I made it about 50 feet down the road, and suddenly lost all power to the rear wheel while in 2nd. No noise, no 'clunk' - the engine continued to run just fine - just no power. I pushed her home and began to investigate.
While in 1st gear, when I pulled in the clutch lever, nothing happened. The rear wheel continued to spin, but not with enough power to move the bike. I backed off the clutch lever to the same point it was at before I adjusted it, to no effect. A friend suggested I may have put too much oil in and 'soaked' the clutch, so I did an oil and filter change just in case.
This morning, I checked her again. With the engine warmed up, I can engage all gears - I can hear the gears clunking as I shift, as the clutch does not seem to be engaging - but no power getting to the rear wheel. No spin at all. I'm afraid the clutch and/or transmission may be toast.
Issues:
1. In the "Old Q&A" drivetrain section, Sandra Whitney replied to a question from Derrick Simmons re. "No power to front sprocket/rear wheel - 1985 GS 700 E", and opined, "It sounds to me like you either spun the countershaft sprocket (or nut) or the clutch basket." She advised to "Take the countershaft sprocket cover off and check to see if the countershaft nut fell off."
Is this an applicable reference for my shaft-driven model? If so, where is the "countershaft sprocket cover"? My Clymer manual doesn't have the most comprehensive index, and I'm not sufficiently familiar with bike engines to locate this.
2. If the problem does not lie with the "countershaft nut", can anyone suggest a likely culprit? There may only be another month of riding weather here in Alberta, and I'd like to enjoy as much of it as I can before winter sets in. If the clutch has to be rebuilt, should I go with OEM parts, or aftermarket (if they are still available?)
Thanks in advance,
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