Engine dies - could it be a clutch problem?

[coolbike]

Arrrg! I'm so sick of problems!

Since a little incident involving an ignorant SUV driver backing into my bike and then driving off, I've had some quirky little annoyances with my little GS450. Today, as I was braking/clutching while making a right hand turn, my engine DIED! Yikes! It was so sudden that I thought my thumb had somehow hit the kill switch. Anyway, I checked to make sure I hadn't somehow burned the entire tank in 40 miles (which of course I hadn't), and continued on.

On my ride home, it died again while I was braking/clutching for a stoplight. Now this is when I knew I had a problem. It did it once again at a couple of stoplights later down the road.

Finally, as I was turning in to my driveway, I tried to put it in first and I heard a GRRRRRRRRR from the transmission, as if I hadn't pulled the clutch in (which I had). I tried it again, with the same GRRRRR, let out on the clutch, pulled it in again, and was able to shift down into first.

Now I'm pretty sure I need to make some adjustments with my clutch cable, but my question is, is could the fact that it isn't clutching in far enough just cause the engine to die? I figured it could, but I didn't feel any huge resistance (like when I don't quite hit the friction point) when my engine died.

Any help would be most appreciated ](*,)

[Tarbash 27]

when you pull in the clutch, the bike will rev down to an idle and that will not make it stall. the only way a clutch will cause the bike to die is if you dont pull it in and come to a stop and you stall it.

[coolbike]

What I think might be happening is that the clutch cable isn't adjusted correctly, and that when I pull it, it's not disengaging all the way, which is evidenced by the fact that I had the clutch lever pulled in, but the bike wouldn't shift down.

What I'm curious about is if the problems are related - what I suspect might be happening is that even though I have the clutch pulled in all the way, since it isn't fully disengaging, it's causing the engine to die when I'm slowing down. Does that make sense? Is it possible?

[Tarbash 27]

well sorta, if the rpm's are above idle, the bike should not stall. can you push the bike in gear when clutch pulled in while its not running. this will determine your clutch adjustment. it should roll fairly easy.

[coolbike]

No, I actually cannot push it around in first gear with the clutch held in very easily. It's gotten progressively harder in the last few days, in fact. As far as adjusting the clutch cable, is there a screw or bolt or something I can just fiddle with, or does it involve taking the whole transmission apart?

[blo]

There is, or should be, a screw with a lock nut on where the clutch cable enters the transmisson (left hand side, front sprocket cover). There is also the adjuster on the lever. If both are as far out as they can get, you either have a streched cable or worn clutch.