Lurch in First (Hey that Rhymes!)

[Guest]

From neutral going into first gear the front end dips a lil, a lurch. The clutch is pulled in all the way so it should be completely disengaged. I'm thinking the cable needs to be adjusted but I'm not sure from which end and in which direction. The cable at the handlebars is almost all the way out, and all the way in on the transmission side.

I'm sure its a simple fix, but I'm not sure how to do it... please tell me I'm right.

[Spyderman]

From neutral going into first gear the front end dips a lil, a lurch. The clutch is pulled in all the way so it should be completely disengaged. I'm thinking the cable needs to be adjusted but I'm not sure from which end and in which direction. The cable at the handlebars is almost all the way out, and all the way in on the transmission side.

I'm sure its a simple fix, but I'm not sure how to do it... please tell me I'm right.

you need to turn the cable out at the case end to take up some of the slack in the cable
when you pull the clutch lever you should only have about 1/8 of an inch of play before the cable gets tight starts to disengage the clutch any more than that and it won't fully disengage the clutch and you'll have problems like you are now
loosen the lock nut on the clutch cable at the case end and then turn the threaded portion counter clockwise until you get the correct amount of play in the cable then tighten the lock nut back down and test your clutch
good luck and i hope this helps you

[detorn]

I backed out the case end all the way earlier, leaving the handlebar end alone, and the problem persisted... actually it changes a little, I got no movement on the bike till the level was fully let go... no friction zone, just release to be able to move at all...

So I should back the case end out again and put the other end in more? I'll give it a try.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

If your clutch cable is not stretched too much (in which case you would need a new one), try this...





For the GS550, here's some info I've collected on my website:

GS550 Clutch Adjustment
Originally posted by Mr. Nessism

It is not possible to adjust the progressiveness of the clutch's engagement - only the place where engagement occurs.

550 clutch adjusts a little differently than the large bikes.

The 550 clutch has three different adjustment points: at the hand lever, at the bottom of the cable where it enters the sprocket cover, and at the actuation helix built into the sprocket cover (under that small cover held on with two screws).

I suggest you fully loosen both the hand lever adjuster and the adjuster at the bottom of the sprocket cover. Use the helix to perform the main adjustment.

Loosen the lock nut on the helix adjuster and turn the flat head screw until you get the feel at the lever you are looking for - cable tightness determines where the clutch engages. Snug down the lock nut afterwards. You might want to leave the cable just a smig loose, and take up the slack with the hand lever adjuster. Very simple adjustment.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[SqDancerLynn1]

When you put the bike in gear some lurch is NORMAL. Go back and readjust the clutch

[Spyderman]

nice addition cliff
the 550 is a fair bit different then from the larger bore bikes then in regards to the clutch
with that little bit of added info he should be able to get it adjusted correctly now with no problems

[J Paster]

My 78 GS550 clutch was so sticky I had to blip the throttle to downshift the friggin thing. Lurched like mad, no adjustment would solve it. Turns out the clutch basket was worn pretty bad from the eight disc clutch it had in it. The replacement I got had seven, just like the OEM fiche shows! Much thicker fibers, tossed one of the steels and it bolted right up. I had to clean up the divots worn into the basket, too. Now I can downshift without the poseur racer action. In retrospect, I should've ebayed a better clutch basket because I still have to wait till I'm stopped to get neutral. But, a solid improvement. Hope this helps if adjustment doesn't cure the problem.

[detorn]

GS550 Clutch Adjustment
Originally posted by Mr. Nessism


The 550 clutch has three different adjustment points: at the hand lever, at the bottom of the cable where it enters the sprocket cover, and at the actuation helix built into the sprocket cover (under that small cover held on with two screws).

I suggest you fully loosen both the hand lever adjuster and the adjuster at the bottom of the sprocket cover. Use the helix to perform the main adjustment.

Loosen the lock nut on the helix adjuster and turn the flat head screw until you get the feel at the lever you are looking for - cable tightness determines where the clutch engages. Snug down the lock nut afterwards. You might want to leave the cable just a smig loose, and take up the slack with the hand lever adjuster. Very simple adjustment.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

This did it. I had the bike on the center stand and kicked it into first and the wheel was spinning, so I knew it was more than just a common lurch (which it does have now).

Thanks cliff, the manual spells this out, but does it so vaguely that I didn't really understand it.

I'm glad I did it anyway now, found another problem when I was down there.