GSXR 1100 slingshot clutch disengagement issues

[Joycie]

Like the tittle says I have issues with the clutch not letting go.

So couple of weeks ago (shit more like a month now) I had drama's with the clutch. I've always had a bit of a clunk when selecting 1st when hot but ignored it always vowing to do something about it later. So one week it was working like normal then the next week I couldn't get out the drive way due to stalling as if I had not clutch at all. I had/have movement at the clutch slave and knowing I always had some wear I jumped right in and replaced clutch fibres, steels, springs and thrust washer.

So I pinned it all up today filled it full of oil and had no improvement at all from when I started as installing as soon as I try to select a gear. F@ck

Like I said I can see the slave pushrod working and with the engine off and in gear and clutch pulled in I can roll forwards. Let the clutch out and the rear wheel locks like it should. So this says to me the clutch is disengaging but not enough. With this in mind I turn to the black sludge in my clutch reservoir I'm using for fluid, suck it all out and pump 250ml of brand new clean DOT 4 through the system till I'm positive there is no air or old fluid left.

Start it up and still no better. Staying with the line of thought that the clutch is disengaging but not enough, how much should a serviceable slave cylinder be moving? I measure mine with my calibrated eye at about 3mm I'm thinking this is enough but can't find anything on my downloaded service manual or Haynes hard copy.

Is there some thing I'm missing?

1. Fibres are brand new and soaked before install
2. Steels are brand new
3. Springs are brand new and oiled on install
4. All parts torqued as per Suzuki service manual
5. Same oil I've always used (non synthetic)
6. New thrust bearing thrown in for good measure
7. Clutch fluid changed out and bled.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Redmohawk]

Fucked hose bloke , look at the rubber hose for expansion or air in line still.

[K6Thou]

Reds onto it I reckon. Get a nice new braided line for it and report back.

[slingy88]

If you can roll back and fourth with clutch in, in gear, I'd say that's enough disengagement to work ok. At the risk of stating the obvious, your not putting in gear with the sidestand down in your haste to test it?

[Tony Nitrous]

Braided lines change the feel and bite point but I have never had an issue with the
clutch fully engaging or disengaging. I have a 15 year old bike sat I front of me that's
had a hard life and still on the original rubber lines. Had various clutch issues of the years
but cant think of one that was line related. I do like braided lines, but I'm not convinced
the lines are your problem.

[Yella]

So you drop it into gear and the bike jumps forward and stalls or just stalls out? Seeing that you can push it around in gear with the engine off and clutch pulled and its all new I would say its disengaging OK. Can you check the clutch with the cover off and see it working?

[Joycie]

I've already a braided line on the clutch but it is nowhere near new. So no flex/bulges of the line and can't find any leaks.

Slingy's comment about the side stand has me thinking though. To start with, no I didn't have the side stand down, but could I have a faulty switch?

Had a look at a UK/US wiring diagram and it looks to me that with the stand down the engine would not start which mine does. Now there is a good chance I have no idea what I was looking at and am speaking out my ass so could some one tell me what a correctly functioning side stand switch should do?

With the stand down should the engine still start? If so what is the purpose of the switch?

If anyone saw the state of what the bike uses for a wiring harness they'd instantly wonder how the thing starts at all. Let alone have a correctly functioning side stand switch.

Will but the multimeter across the switch when I get home to see if I can get any closer.

[slingy88]

It will start with the sidestand down, but if you try to put it in gear It instantly kills the engine. The purpose? So you don't ride off with the sidestand down.

[Joycie]

Cheers Slingy. Yep I get that the side stand switch is a safety device but wasn't sure how it is supposed to work. I've not tried to take off with the stand down (at least not on this bike) and have never tested it so was never sure how it was supposed to work. Last road bike I owned with a functioning side stand switch would not allow the engine to crank at all if the stand was down.

At home and have put the multimeter across the switch no continuity with the stand up and still none with it down. Can't see any obvious breaks in wiring but me thinks there's an open circuit.

Can some one confirm what I'm supposed to get with the stand up? Only guessing it's supposed to be continuity but am thinking it could be a resistance reading of some sort.

[slingy88]

Ok, just checked mine ( 750 but should be the Same). Mine works, but got similar to you. No continuity up or down with it isolated from the main loom. On impedance, i get no continuity down, and 4.8k ohms up. Surprised as it doesn't show anything other than a simple contact for both the sidestand and neutral switch.

[Joycie]

Thanks again Slingy. Yep I think I/we've got it.

I've no continuity or resistance with the stand up or down. New switch ordered will hopefully be here by the weekend before I know for sure.

[slingy88]

No worries, hope it fixes it for you.

[Joycie]

So new side stand switch arrived last Friday. Was going to show what the correctly operating switch should show compared to my u/s switch nut got ahead of myself and fitted the switch friday night and hey presto no more dramas.
Just got out of the garage after sticking the multimeter across the switch and I got no resistance with the stand up or down.F@ck F@ck F@ck. Started it up, clicked it into gear expecting the engine to cut out but no it all works fine.
Just to really try and confuse myself I plugged the old switch in and tried the same thing, into gear but the engine did cut out.

So in conclusion my old switch if F@cked. My new switch works. I cannot prove to myself how a correctly operating switch is supposed to work but will go with Slingy and believe they are supposed to read a resistance and that I probably cannot operate a multimeter correctly and should keep avoiding electrical issues if at all possible.

[slingy88]

Great to hear its working for you. What range did you have the meter set to. Think I was using the 20K range to read mine. I might check the fact manual about what testing procedure they use for it.

[Joycie]

When I didn't get an initial reading I though the same thing and ended up trying all ranges. Still nothin. Just glad the bike works, would of been nice to confirm how it works myself. but I'll take what I can get, this time anyway