• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Periodic Maint parts for clutch?

  • Thread starter Thread starter littleroot
  • Start date Start date
L

littleroot

Guest
For 80GS1100E, I am looking for advice on which parts, under normal circumstances, wear out on the clutch. In the service manual they only say to "inspect" the clutch.

I plan on riding maybe as much as 10,000 miles this summer/fall including a Rally, I hope) and now is the time before we get too far into spring. Also the bike just will not "launch" off the line like I know it should, and I've repalces the cable and springs.

I have found most items very worn out on this bike so I've been going front to back (side to side?) replacing stuff. Since my other bike is down I'd rather not open this bike and then have to wait for parts. :)

Thanks for your advice.

-Bob
 
Clutch springs, clutch plates (steel and organic), check the basket for grooving, and lube the cable. The shift forks wear eventually but you need to split the cases to replace those.
 
So, what's up with your clutch?
Does it slip, does it engage unevenly? You can't smoke the rear tire?
Be advised, you have one of the more reliable GS1100 clutches, the '83 was the more problem prone one.

Those little fibre clutch plates will cost you $16.41 each and there's 9 of them. The steels will cost you $5.98 and there's 9 of those.
That's at Boulevard Suzuki,
http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fich...y=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1980&fveh=2155

Go to BikeCliff's web-site and download that service manual.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/
The clutch section starts on page 7-46.

I don't know for sure, but I think you just might just possibly have a case of "tinkeritus." ;)
 
trying to understand the difference between the "drive plates" and the "driven plates". The Drive plates are the ones with the "claws" along the outside, according the to manual, so I guess the ones with the teeth on the inside are the driven plates.

Are the drive plates also known as "friction plates", like I see for sale in a kit from EBC?

Thanks for your time.

-Bob
 
So, what's up with your clutch?
Does it slip, does it engage unevenly? You can't smoke the rear tire?
Be advised, you have one of the more reliable GS1100 clutches, the '83 was the more problem prone one.

Those little fibre clutch plates will cost you $16.41 each and there's 9 of them. The steels will cost you $5.98 and there's 9 of those.
That's at Boulevard Suzuki,
http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fich...y=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1980&fveh=2155

Go to BikeCliff's web-site and download that service manual.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/
The clutch section starts on page 7-46.

I don't know for sure, but I think you just might just possibly have a case of "tinkeritus." ;)

Thanks, Steve. Yeah, cannot smoke the tire or do a wheelie! ;)

Seriously, it if I raise the revs the bike will stall no matter how I release the clutch. I have to let the clutch out very slow with gentle revs. This works but I also get a sudden grab at the end when the clutch lever is fully released. Also impossible to find neutral with the bike running and me stopped unless the clutch cable is way out of normal adjustment. When I want to stop and put the bike in neutral I always do so before I come to a stop, tapping down from second. Otherwise I have to turn the bike off, select neutral and then turn the bike back on. So yeah it is more than "tinkeritus" :)
 
Last edited:
What are the symptoms for shift forks wearing out?

Popping out of gear and difficulty changing gears. Most of the time the issues are caused by improper adjustment, old springs or a dragging clutch.


From what I've read the EBC kit works fine, I haven't tried it though.
 
trying to understand the difference between the "drive plates" and the "driven plates". The Drive plates are the ones with the "claws" along the outside, according the to manual, so I guess the ones with the teeth on the inside are the driven plates.

Are the drive plates also known as "friction plates", like I see for sale in a kit from EBC?

Thanks for your time.

-Bob

Part number 21441-31D00 are your fiber plates, regardless of what they're called, (I can't keep drive and driven straight). The others are commonly known here as steels.
Aftermarket clutch plates for the most part will eat your clutch basket, because the plates are steel, where as the Suzuki plates are aluminum.
I do hear some folks like the Fast by Gast plates though.

There's lots that has been written about the GS1100 clutches, their problems and fixes on this site, most have to do with slippage, or the big nut loosening, or clutch rattling, or eaten away baskets, checking.
 
Part number 21441-31D00 are your fiber plates, regardless of what they're called, (I can't keep drive and driven straight). The others are commonly known here as steels.
Aftermarket clutch plates for the most part will eat your clutch basket, because the plates are steel, where as the Suzuki plates are aluminum.
I do hear some folks like the Fast by Gast plates though.

There's lots that has been written about the GS1100 clutches, their problems and fixes on this site, most have to do with slippage, or the big nut loosening, or clutch rattling, or eaten away baskets, checking.

More great info, thanks. I hope to get in there and measure the plates this weekend.
 
Just closing out this, one of three clutch threads i stared since I got the bike: I went ahead and replaced all the steels and fibers and mission accomplished: no more slipping at high engine speed acceleration and no more clunky take off from stopped.
 
Back
Top