My 2000 Kawa ZRX, 2 very strange problems on 1 short ride.

[rphillips]

Sorry, a little long "BUT"!!! All been good with ZRX for yrs. never any problem, other than no center stand (stupid from Kawa.). Appx. month ago got my ZRX out for first jaunt since it's winter nap. Started fine, rode fine all good for trip to town and back, appx. 25 mi. Yesterday got ZRX back out for a little spin over to the lake and back. Started fine, idled fine a few min. warming up, all good. Pulled out on rd. with a little spirited take off up through the gears, not aggressive, but not just easing along, all good. Few mi. down rd. caught up with 50 mph car, cranked throttle a little in 5th, for spirited pass and felt clutch slip, what the heck, that never happened before. Heading on down the rd. I kept twisting and playing with the throttle and realized the clutch kept slipping worse and worse with less and less throttle, decided I needed to head back towards home. About half way home it got bad enough I was pretty sure I'd not make it back, pulled off in a church parking lot to scratch my head. Pulled the top off the master cyl. and looked but saw nothing amiss, put it back together, restarted eng., put in gear, let out on clutch and it hardly pulled at all. Scratched head a little more while looking and trying to see any kind of adjust. or anything but saw nothing. Pecked on banjo fittings and master cyl. with pocket knife then started eng. again and nothing had changed. Sat there a while then decided to try one more time and if nothing has changed, call for help. Now 2nd problem, straddled bike to start it for one more try, and bike wouldn't start, cranked just fine crank, crank, crank, but not a sputter, cough, pop, burp, just like no fuel or spark to cyl... What the heck??? it's never had a starting problem but this time nothing, I set petcock to Pri. just to be sure of fuel but still nothing. That's it, call buddy, he advised appx. an hr for him to get to me with trailer. I called wife to come get me. I went home got come-a-long to assist in loading bike on trailer if needed, tie straps, thought why not take and try starting fluid to see if it may help with starting. Appx. half way back to bike thought, wonder if I brake the banjo bolt loose on master cyl. rekon it may relieve pressure and let clutch work again. Went back home got wrenches then back to bike. First tried to start, crank, crank, crank, but nothing. Removed seat, opened air inlet, sprayed starting fluid and it fired right up, ran, idled, revved, seemed everything was perfect again, turned it off and restarted it a few times, all good, what the heck has happened????. Then wrapped a rag around banjo fitting on master cyl. and loosened bolt, watching for squirt of fluid, saw nothing but a couple drops of fluid appeared on rag, disappointing as I knew that little bit couldn't be the problem. buttoned it back up, started eng., put in gear and a hard jerk, eased out on clutch and eng. died, restarted eng. and while revving and letting clutch out I couldn't make the clutch slip. Buddy pulled in with trailer as I was still sitting there with eng. running, I motioned him to follow me. I rode home and no matter how I tried, I could not make clutch slip at all. At home started and restarted eng. several times with no problems, started it again this morning and all seems fine... Will need for higher temps. to check more on the clutch. Thinking just be sure to keep a 12 mm wrench and a small can of starting fluid on boar before heading out on it again... I'm glad it fixed itself, but sure hate it's fixed and me not having a clue what the fix was.

[Rob S.]

Phil - hit the enter or return key every so often. Paragraphs are our friends.

[LAB3]

What do the clutch and engine spark have in common? Some sort of ignition cut off to keep the bike from starting while in gear. If something in the clutch system was off it could be telling the ignition to not fire, in your case that would probably need to be a pressure sensor somewhere.

Just a guess, it's the only thing I could come up with.

[rphillips]

Sorry Rob, I didn't realize it would make it hard to understand what I went through without those grammar rules. If I remember, I'll try to put in a little more grammar next time. That being said, be thankful your GS1100 has a clutch cable, you'll never got to go through the clutch thing I've just went through, or possibly still going through. Not sure how the safety stuff, clutch, transmission, and side stand, works, but my ZRX did start "before" I released the pressure on the hydraulic clutch. But something to think on for sure.

[Cipher]

Sorry Rob, I didn't realize it would make it hard to understand what I went through without those grammar rules. If I remember, I'll try to put in a little more grammar next time. That being said, be thankful your GS1100 has a clutch cable, you'll never got to go through the clutch thing I've just went through, or possibly still going through.

Its as appalling as Henry James though his pagination, grammar and punctuation was perfect.

Marginal battery replace.
Bleed your clutch hydraulics fully purging system.

drive in tight radius about you home to test.

[salty_monk]

I'd at the very least be bleeding that clutch, making sure the return port is clear in the master & perhaps cleaning out that slave cylinder - might even go as far as changing the line. If it's original could be breaking down inside by now....

I'd probably put some seafoam in the gas too & run that through.

Random stuff like that often seems to be with rubber parts breaking down or corrosion causing bad connections somewhere.

[Nessism]

How long since the clutch fluid was changed? Most OEM's call for replacing brake/clutch fluid every couple of years.

[rphillips]

Well, most that have been around here long probably know I'm not very diligent as to recommendations, other than oil changes and valve adjustments, and in later yrs. even more lax about those. More of the type that only does many things as problems arise, like now. Not sure if I'll try this myself, a guy next town over still enjoys doing this kind of stuff. Every yr. it gets easier for me to support his business... Sure glad I got it home without having to haul it as I've never not been able to ride home, other than wrecks.