I know this isnt Ducati related but i would appreciate some general advice and i guess it would apply to all wet clutch bikes, I have just acquired a 1988 Suzuki Gsxr1100, the dealer who i bought it off changed the oil/filter before the sale and i think he might have put the wrong viscocity oil in the bike ie Fully synth or the like, as the clutch plates are sticking, when the engine is cold and i go to engage 1st the bike invariably stalls, it usually takes a couple of tries before it engages and all is then well and the bike performs as it should. I've just got some recommended oil for the bike (10w40 semi) ,my question is - if i just drain the oil in the bike then refill with the proper stuff will this be sufficient to sort the problem or will i need to strip the clutch and clean/replace the plates? Thanks Phil.
Might be an idea to have a look at the clutch anyway check for operation and wear and tear. Can’t see synthetic oil causing that sort of problem.
Are these bikes hydraulic or cable operated clutch?, might be worth bleeding the clutch if hydraulic or checking the cable adjustment, there’s a chance that the mechanism isn’t pulling the plates quite far enough apart and with cold oil it’s enough to cause a lot of clutch drag, worth a try before you start pulling it apart.
Bike had been stood a couple of month's before I bought it, and the guy recently changed the oil/filter before the sale.Maybe I'm clutching at straws re. The oil, I read somewhere that older wet clutches dont like modern fully synthetic oil. The bike has a hydraulic clutch.what else could cause sticking clutch plates ?
at the age of your bike, 1988 , it would have been using very standard basic 10-40 motorbike oil, the subsequent incoming fully synthetic stuff was in its infancy then. whilst Fully synth probably wont hurt , it may be prudent to start again with the correct" ordinary" oil and use the fully synth stuff as a flushing agent , especially if you do not know the oil change frequency of the previous owners. as mentioned earlier in this post , check the actuation clearance , if it is cable , then about 1/16th to 1/8" gap between the body of the clutch lever and the lever itself is a good starting point. to separate the plates. but of course if you have a lot of wear in the pivot bolt/screw then that can reduce the actuation movement.
The only clutch issue I would expect from using fully synth on a bike not designed for it would be clutch slip, so you can probably rule out the oil, unless it’s hugely away from the 10/40 spec, ie too thick, I’d bleed the clutch first, if it’s not that then at least it’s a service item ticked off
I'll get it bled tomorrow, I noticed if I roll the bike backwards and forwards when in gear with the clutch pulled in and engine not running there is resistance that frees itself off.Maybe the plates are sticking because it has been stood a while, hopefully might sort itself out when I start riding it regularly,I've barely ridden it cos of the shite on the roads.
I think you're right , bearing in mind the ambient air temperature , the oil will be "thick" albeit at the 10 point of the scale. If you get out on it and get it hot , the separation should improve. A lot of Japanese bikes go into gear with a thump.
When you start the bike cold,pull in the clutch for around 30 seconds before selecting 1st gear,it should select the gear smoother.But yes the bike needs to be riden to operating temp,so the oil can circulate properly.
As always - thanks for all the useful and sensible advice as is to be expected from this quality forum, some others leave a lot to be desired
Check your slave cylinder isnt flexing when you pull the clutch in, if it is this will cause the clutch not to disengage as you will lose movement on the pushrod. I had the same problem on a Bimota with the GSXR1100 engine a few months ago and made up a simple support bracket for the slave cyl which has stopped all the unwanted movement.
The thump you mention when going into gear disappears if you put it into gear as the revs are dropping, rather than steady, or rising. Small blip, let the revs start to drop, engage. My experience is that if you start with the least expensive solution and work up, more often than not, it will cost you the thick end of fuck-all to sort it. So the order I'd approach this in is, firstly, phone the dealer ask what he put in it, because if its full of semi-synth, draining and refilling with semi-synth (believing it had fully-synth) isn't going to help. Secondly, ride it, for, say, a 20 mile round trip, if not much better, bleed clutch. Ride again, if not sorted, put bike on side stand - not paddock stand - and remove clutch cover, see what you can see. Side stand because that way you might lose a teaspoonful of the fresh oil and not need to drain/refill
Bled the clutch this afternoon, but to be honest I dont suspect there was anything wrong with it , I did start the bike and let it tick over and warm up for longer than usual and the clutch released as it should, I just think it's a combination of me being unduly concerned, the bike being stood for a while, new thick oil and the cold temperatures at the moment ,I'm pretty sure when I start to ride it regularly and the weather starts improving in the spring it'll be tickety boo...cant wait, makes a good stablemate for my Ducati.
Good to hear, nice to have something different to the Ducati, the GSXR is a great machine, first rode one at Mallory when they were new!, Phil Mellor (RIP) almost knocked me off it at the hairpin undertaking me , happy days
Just saw this article; https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesoci...-advice/suzuki-gsxr1100-modern-classic-review
Yes...I have read it too, good write up...any excuse for a pic...1988 1100j last of the 1100 slabbies....includes bins for ducbird
