slipping clutch when cold - 15k

[skirecs]

15k miles and the clutch slips when its cold, is that common?

once it heats up fully its good but i really have to baby it before that

to fix it do i need to get new plates or could i get away with sanding the fiber and steel plates, cleaning and maybe tightening the springs a little?

i dont really want to put any money in this bike because it is an old beater that i got for cheap

[bassmechanicsz]

Did you check the oil level in the bike to make sure it is at the right level?  To much or to little oil will affect gear shifting.

[skirecs]

i did an oil change because I didn't know if the previous owner might have used oil with friction modifyers

i used some valvoline conventional 10-40, didnt say anything about energy conserving on the bottle but it isn't specifically motorcycle oil

[JAY W]

Did you change the oil because the clutch was slipping? or has it started slipping since.Bike oil is designed for wet clutchs and high reving.Clutch kit and springs EBC are like £50 here.(uk)Also check clutch cable.

[skirecs]

the clutch was already slipping

i changed the oil for two reasons, i didnt know how long the last owner went without a change also i didnt know what type of oil it was

i put in 1040 non energy conserving conventional car oil

i adjusted the primary adjustment to where there was no resistance... the packs are fully compressed and there is no drag in gear with clutch pulled so its adjusted correctly

[the mole]

i adjusted the primary adjustment to where there was no resistance... the packs are fully compressed and there is no drag in gear with clutch pulled so its adjusted correctly

Not quite sure what you mean by this? Is it adjusted as per the manual?
If so, it sounds like you need new friction plates and/or springs.

[skirecs]

loosen locknut tighten adjustment until reistance and back it off and lock it in

my orig is can i surface the old plates and tighten springs

id like to avoid paying 70 dollars for a new clutch on a cheap beater

[ohgood]

loosen locknut tighten adjustment until reistance and back it off and lock it in

my orig is can i surface the old plates and tighten springs

id like to avoid paying 70 dollars for a new clutch on a cheap beater

there is a method:

clutch adjustment CABLE portion, along with locknut, and HANDLE portion. loosen the HANDLE portion, and do it the right way. you'll also REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate a new clutch cable, as if yours is getting sticky / old it can seem to hang. this is incredibly unsafe if you think about it

as far as cold/hot, there shouldn't be a difference in grip. i've ridden from just freezing to 105F with the same oil (10w40, cheap) and never noticed a difference in gription (that's a word,i just typed it!).

yes, change your oil if you like. cheap crap that just doesn't say "friction modifiers" or "energy conserving" will work nicely. don't overfill, that's caveat #2. it will mean very hard shifting into/out of 1st gear.

oil. put it on your chain. buy it cheap. your gs was designed in the laate 70's. oil was really stupid simple then. now we have all this geewiz crap with syntho-titty-farkle to eat your money. money is for gas. gas = fun. doit.

[skirecs]

I'm not quite sure you guys are following

The clutch is adjusted properly, with proper free play under the cover and at the handle.

The oil is non-energy conserving 1040.

the clutch slips under power when the engine is cold, not the ambient

when the engine is hot, it holds tight

I would like to know if anyone has tried resurfacing their clutch plates and tightening the clutch spring retaining bolts.

[Firewalker]

... now we have all this geewiz crap with syntho-titty-farkle to eat your money. money is for gas. gas = fun. doit.

This is going to be my new sig!  Hahahahahaha

[the mole]

As i said before, if your adjustment is good, then you need new plates and/or springs. If you pull it apart you can check plates and springs against wear limits in the manual and decide what to do. If you are desperate not to spend money and don't mind the risk of your clutch failing suddenly and leaving you stranded, you could add a washer or two under each spring to add a little tension.
IMHO, if you go to the trouble of dismantle/reasssemble you might as well spend a little money and get it right, just my 2cents!
Good luck.

[skirecs]

aight that sounds like a plan thanks

[JAY W]

To answer your is there a cheap fix;i once added an extra washer to each clutch spring to stop clutch slip,it was on a 125cc though and it did work.(i was only 17)

[Stanfield]

I know this thread is a bit old, but I just noticed this issue riding my wife's bike around today.  When it was cold the clutch slipped if I got on the throttle.  After it warmed up, aka after riding about 5 miles, the slippage is gone.  I could give it all the throttle it had in any gear and it held tight.  I was curious if this might be a common problem, but apparently not. 

I don't mind spending the 70 bucks for a new clutch kit, is there a specific option that is recommended?

[yurtinus]

I really have nothing to add here, except that "gription" is my new favorite word.

[Suzuki Stevo]

loosen locknut tighten adjustment until resistance and back it off and lock it in

my orig is can i surface the old plates and tighten springs

id like to avoid paying 70 dollars for a new clutch on a cheap beater

Loosen lock nut, back out adjustment screw a few turns, tighten adjustment screw until resistance is felt then back it off 1/4-1/2 of a turn and secure the lock nut....you left out the good part.

[skirecs]

some say back it off a quarter turn, some say 2-3 turns

im pretty sure it affects the engagement position along the throw, you just have to make sure it has no pressure at fully out and it isn't dragging at fully in

[Suzuki Stevo]

The 2-3 turns CCW is to initially unload the linkage, then you tighten it till resistance is felt, then you back it off 1/4 turn and tighten it. I used 1/4 because that is really all you need, even though the Service Manual says 1/4-1/2 turns.