Hi,
I bought a new 2003 GS 500 the middle of May of this year. It had around 500 km on it and was still in the show room. I haven't had a problem with it at all, but last night I was out for a ride with a friend and something strange happened. I had been riding for a while and then we stopped for a minute on the side of the road. I turned the bike off while still in first gear. When I tried to put the bike back in neutral while off it was like the gear shift was stuck. It wouldn't go up or down. I rocked the bike forward and back but it still wouldn't shift. I pulled in the clutch lever in and it felt really easy to pull. It felt like the clutch lever was in and when I released it and pulled it again it felt like there was no strain. I first thought the clutch cable broke or something. I kept pulling in and out on the level and nothing. I started the bike with the lever in and it started to take of on me. I turned the bike off quickly and the gear shift now worked and the clutch lever seem to be back to normal. I found this very strange and it kind of worried me since it is a new bike and I was wondering whether I should bring it to my Suzuki dealer, even thorugh the warrenty is up. Does anyone know what could have happend or what caused this? Is it possible the bike got too hot and the clutch stuck? Any suggestions? Thanks.
I don't have a lot of experience with rice bikes but I do remember with some sportster models the clutch can be adjusted too far so that when you pull the lever all the way in it stays in. Dunno, bikes do weird things sometimes, I'm still wondering what kind of bizzarro things the Great Snowy Owl is going to do to me :lol:
Cernunos
Adjusting the clutch tighter will help. Start at the lever by pulling back the rubber piece down the clutch cable to expose the knurled adjuster and lockring. Loosen the lockring and tighten by turning towards the seat.
Hope this helps.
Does anyone else find the term "rice bikes", a little derrogatory? :dunno: