gs1150 with racing clutch

[martinfink]

The clutch on my new bike is real hard to pull the, seller said that it had a kavlar clutch which if it is a racing clutch then the springs are stiffer then stock .Could I pull half the springs out, I had a opened clutch chopper that it was ok to run with less springs?Thanks M

[80GS750]

yes, for a weaker pull you can put half the OEM springs back in and it will make a difference....

just get on bikebandit.com and order some new ones....

[Junkie]

You should run springs in all... 6? spots for springs, but you can certainly run stock ones in them as long as the setup is balanced. You should be fine with 3 stock/3 aftermarket (alternating around) and the pull should be quite a bit easier. I suspect you'd be ok with 4 of one and 2 of the other, with the 2 directly across from each other, but haven't heard of anybody doing so.

[tkent02]

Why not go with stock springs and plates? The stock clutch is a feather pull, the stock clutch won't slip at all under normal abuse.
Obviously you are not racing.
Someone here who is racing would trade straight across, I'm sure.

[Junkie]

Hmm yeah, with the stock exhaust and all I doubt much has been done to it... has anything? I mean, it's possible that someone put together a serious sleeper but I doubt it.

[rphillips]

You can remove 2 springs (directly across from each other), 3 (every other spring), or 4 (leaving only 2 directly across from each other) & still be balanced. I removed either 2 or 3, don't remember for sure, from my wife's bike, works fine & she quit complaining.

[Junkie]

By remove springs do you mean actually remove them, or just replace them with the stock ones?

[martinfink]

Took me about 15 min to open up the clutch and remove 3 springs and what a diff.have not run it to hard as it is not on the road yet .but carb rebuilding may be in order as she stumbles alittle over 3000 rpms but then clears.

[80GS750]

you should not run it with springs missing, but im sure people do it

[chef1366]

Does this bike have mods? If not put the stock clutch back in. At least get the stock springs. All six.

[rphillips]

Please explain!!! CHEF1366, 80GS750, or someone. I enjoy all responses, but please explain your reasoning. Why should all 6 springs need to be used? I probably wouldn't remove 4 and leave only 2, because the 2 pressure points would be so far apart, but 3 - 20lb. springs spaced evenly around the pressure plate, should work exactly like 6 - 10lb. springs. I guess I'm missing somethimg, but I don't see what.

[Pete Logan]

Please explain!!! CHEF1366, 80GS750, or someone. I enjoy all responses, but please explain your reasoning. Why should all 6 springs need to be used? I probably wouldn't remove 4 and leave only 2, because the 2 pressure points would be so far apart, but 3 - 20lb. springs spaced evenly around the pressure plate, should work exactly like 6 - 10lb. springs. I guess I'm missing something, but I don't see what.

If you go into the area where the springs are, put your hands on the plate they are holding, and try to shift it around, throw it out of alignment.

Then remove three out of the six.

I mean physically remove them.

Then try pushing the plate around again - trying to unsettle it.

If you can't feel any difference, then good luck

Suzuki didn't put six in there to save money.

Don't forget - three and four spring clutches are typically seen on old Brit bikes which revved to 5,000 in a firestorm. Going to 9+ may take a little more retention.

I think you will be perfectly OK with three springs as long as you stay under 5,500rpms

[rphillips]

Hey Pete, that's not exactly what we were talking about. You are exactly right, If you have 6 stock 10lb. springs, that is a total of 60lb. pressure on the pressure plate. This bike has heavy duty springs. If the heavy springs are 15lb. springs, using 4 springs equally spaced around the pressure plate, you will still have 60lb. of pressure on the pressure plate. Question is, would there be any drawbacks to using the 4-15lb. springs? Not talking about regular trips down the drag strip, just normal riding.

[NICK!]

Six new Suzuki springs are under $15 on bikebandit. I would NOT try leaving 3 springs out. The pressure plate is a cast piece. If that baby flys apart at the very least your looking at a total tear down to clean out the shrapnel.

This may not cure the problem, I have zero experience with Kevlar plates. You might wind up needing new Suzuki steels and fibers. When it comes to clutch plates stock is always best.

[80GS750]

6 springs is 6 single evenly placed points of failure... if one works loose or something happens, you shouldnt have a catastrophic failure...

with only 2 or 3 springs in place, and 3 or 4 holes left in the basket, you only have 2 or 3 points of failure.... so if a spring came loose or something happened, theres that much less holding it all together.....