Clutch problem?

[Kaizer]

I have a bit of a silly question. My GS500 suzuki 2001 model got vandalized last week. They messed up the clutch switch and tank, along with a few minor things, when it fell on the left side. Before the vandalism, in order to start it up, I had to pull in the clutch and then hit the starter. NOW, I don't have to pull in the clutch to start it. I just turn the key, hit the red engine on switch, and then hit the starter. Is this normal??? Please let me know. Thanks.

[wildbill]

no not normal. You should always have to pull in the clutch to start it. Sounds like a wire or somthin came loose, like the clutch was bypassed now to start it.

[Kaizer]

Exactly! So I guess I must have installed the clutch switch incorrectly. I will have someone look at it. How did it bypass the switch then? That is weird. Do you think they damaged the wiring? Thanks.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Under the clutch, there are two contacts. They should be hooked up to a switch. I don't know all the wiring, nor do I have the wiring diagram in front of me. Basically, if those two are connected directly, it bypasses the clutch safety switch, making the bike perform as described.

[ducati_nolan]

If the wires come loose, the starer won't work at all. If the wires are connected to each other the clutch dosen't need to be pulled in for the starter to work.

[Kaizer]

So should I disconnect the swtich? How? I know I put it in exactly as the broken switch went.  I tried to read about it in the manual, but they didn't have any advice on that particular problem. Let me know. Thanks.

[Kaizer]

Okay, my mechanical genius installed the clutch switch ASS-BACKWARDS, hence it bypassed the clutch safety mechanism, and that is why I didn't need to pull in the clutch to start it. Whew! Thanks for all your help. My vandalized motorcycle is now fully operational and seems to work well. However, is it NORMAL for it to weep a little bit of oil from the engine seals? My mechanic said yes, it will sometimes do that. What do you think?

[ducati_nolan]

A little seepage is fairly common, generally it isn't a problem untill it starts making a mess and/or you're loosing a significant ammount of oil. The only critical gasket is the head gasket, that should be replaced ASAP.

My bike has weeped a little oil from the oil pan and the oil filter cover for a while, causing an oily underside of the engine, but just recently it started making a mess on the garage floor so I got another O ring and oil pan gasket and plan on replacing it in the next week or so when I'm due for an oil change.

some gaskets are more of a pain in the ass to replace than others, so it just depends on how annoyed you are.
Where is it leaking?

[MarkusN]

The only seals I would not worry about some seepage are the valve cover and the clutch pushrod.

All the others are bound to get worse over time.

Just my $0.02

[Jace009gs]

you can also add a bit of the oil addative for automotive applications that aid in oil leak/cyclinder scoring...


@ about 15kmiles yea the seals are "worn" and it will leak a bit. You'll see some dirt start to cake onto the engine around the leak. Not a big deal....It's a big deal when you park the bike and you get some drips on the floor/driveway. That's the point where you need to install some new seals.

[Kaizer]

I found it to leak a tiny bit  on the left side where the clutch is and then down the front bottom of the engine casing. I noticed that right after when my bike got vandalized. They dropped it on the left side, so would that have anything to do with it? I figure that it may have been down on the left side so long that a little bit of oil may have gotten out.  I wiped it off and it hasn't returned. This motorcycle was also involved in a low speed crash by the previous owner. Apparently he didn't notice anything, but then you never know if anything is wrong with the engine until it has been operated for over 100 hrs. It only has 8200 miles on it. When do I need to replace any of the gasket seals and such? It sounds like a pain.

[MarkusN]

Under the sprocket cover there is a lot of gunk flung off the chain. Wen the MC lies on its left for an extended time some oil may seep out, especially along the clutch pushrod. The chain fling acts like a sponge, storing that oil and slowly releasing it.

If the seepage has stopped you are probably fine now. But you can always take off the sprocket cover (leave it dangling by the clutch cable) and clean out the mess under there. Be warned, depending on where you work have lots of Newspapers underneath, this is going to be messy.

And a grannys trick to get the black gunk off oyur hands afterwards: Butter, to dissolve the gunk, then soap.