1978 GS 1000 Starter Clutch Problems

[JOE BIO]

My 1978 GS 1000 wouldn't turn over . After pulling off the Rotor (Magneto) I discovered the 3 bolts that hold the Starter Clutch to the Rotor had all sheared off.I was going to extract the broken bolts and reassemble the unit, but I would like to know what could have caused this to happen? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Joe

[tfb]

It's a known and common problem... nothing you did wrong, just what happens given enough time.

If you use the 'search' feature, you will find plenty of posts on the forum here which describe this problem.

I don't know for certain, but I would say that Suzuki now have an up-rated bolt to fix the problem. If I recall correctly, Biker66 put in 10mm bolts by getting the starter clutch unit's holes enlarged, and then tapped 10mm threads into the rotor. Seems to have done the trick.

[JOE BIO]

Starter Clutch

Thanks for the information TFB .I didn't oversize the holes as recommended .The threads were in perfect condition after extracting the bolts. I figue if they last me another 45,000 kms my riding days will be over !

[Eli69]

i just had the exact same thing happen on the same bike. had a bit of trouble finding replacement bolts. found bolts that were a few mm too long, ground them down to length. NOTE: make sure you tighten the rotor bolt, the book says about 70 ft/lbs. (which i didn't do)

[Eli69]

another thought - i remember hearing each bolt when it broke. very loud bang. took about a week for all three to go.

[tfb]

It hasn't happened to my bike yet... but I think it's only a matter of time. :roll: