Brand new rider, question about clutch and throttle

[shaykane]

Hey, the clutch on my '97 GS500E is really tight. I have decent sized hands for a girl, but I'm seriously cramping up during in-city rides. I watched the clip for adjusting the clutch, but how loose is too loose? I don't want to compromise function.

Secondly, I'm having some trouble getting the bike going from 1st. Now, I'd be first to admit that it could be user error, but I'm well-accustomed to manual transmission, and I rode my buddy's Ninja 250 last night and had 0 issues. As I ease out the clutch and go to give my bike a little throttle, she sort of lugs down and if I don't rev it up (it feels/sounds almost too high for me) she stalls. I just had a valve adjustment done, so I don't think that's it. Could this just be an issue of an older bike? Or do I just really suck at shifting?

[shaykane]

I want to add to my post. When I re-read it I realized I made it sound like I am just not giving it enough throttle to get going from 1st. That's not the issue. The problem is that when I start to give it throttle, the RPM drops, then when I give it a hair more, it leaps up to 5-7 k RPMs.

[J_Walker]

Well shay, I've myself been trying to have been trying to get the right amount of clutch without loosing performance.. You can try to open the side of the case where the clutch cable connects to.. there are two Philipshead screws holding on a small piece of metal over a clutch adjustment screw/nut. You'll need a size 10 wrench and a flat head screw driver. use the wrench and turn the nut in the direction of your handle bars. be very careful its really hard to turn, and once it comes lose your clutch handle will swing out. and the nut will pop. so hold a good footing, once its out. that was the hardest part. unscrew the nut all the way as far as you can get it on the screw. than unscrew the screw until its loose than, with your FINGERS. Tighten up the screw till it can't tighten up any further with your hands. than go about 2/5ths back and loosen it. Tighten the nut back down, make sure you tighten it really hard. other wise it might come loose. Now this worked for me.. On an 2005 GS500f but I stripped my screw trying to move my nut back.. So be careful. If you do this. Replace it with another nut and a screw with an allen head, if you can't find an allenhead screw that's the same size, GO slightly bigger if you can. I actually had to go about 1/4th of an inch longer with my allenhead screw than the one that was on there, also, People say use lock nuts, trust me.. you don't NEED THEM! they are also bigger than a standard nut so they didn't work for me.

You could also adjust the clutch handle itself, if you haven't already. there is 3 places to adjust the clutch start from the handle, than go to the case, than after that. go to what I just had wrote. ^

ALso to your edit: I'm actually having the same problem with the throttle thing, and RPM dropping. When I figure out what exactly it is, I'll let you know. Was your bike left outside for 1.5 years in a parking lot like mine was? Lol