Hey guys, i have a 2004 gs500f  that i just changed the clutch and brake levers from stock to aftermarket adjustable ones, now i have two seperate problems that i just cannot seen to fix...

1- the bike only starts if its in neutral, clutch out. Neutral or 1st clutch in the engine doesnt even click or turn

2- the brake seems to stick, as in i have to literally remove the brake (push the lever back) or else it keeps braking . As if the spring  doesnt work anymore or smg.

I desperately need your help!

As far as the clutch goes there is a cut out circuit under the clutch lever that can get broken when removing the clutch lever. Could that be the issue?

Did you buy knock-off levers (imported?)

On the stock clutch lever there is a switch that is normally open and closes when you pull the lever in.  Sounds like the switch in the lever you bought is normally closed and opens when you pull the lever in.  I don't know which (if any) bikes are set up like that...

Anyhow if you are set on keeping these levers you can bypass the clutch switch by simply connecting the two wires together.  Some members on this board have done that to their bikes.  I did that to mine because I went to an aftermarket lever that does not have a switch in it.

If you bypass this switch it might be possible for you to start the engine with it in gear and cause it to lurch forward which is awkward and could lead to a low speed drop.

As for your brake lever sticking that sounds like you bought a defective (or poor quality) product.  There are no springs in the brake caliper, all that is handled inside the master cylinder, so if it isn't springing back it can only be one thing...

My advice is to get rid of these levers and save up for something that is designed by people who know what they are doing, not just people who are making levers based on pictures of other products and just making it up as they go.  I encourage you to stay away from these levers because you need to have full and confident control over your bike at all times.

As for the brake, make sure the pivot pin isn't binding the lever.
Sometimes an old lever with a worn in pivot can leave the pivot pin out of round.  If this is the case and they also made the pivot hole a little too tight, it could be twisting with the lever as you squeeze and thus binding.
Sanding the pin lightly while test fitting it in the lever could be a good idea. As could be some grease on the pin.

Another potential issue is if the lever is too fat you could be squeezing the perch onto the lever when you tightened the pivot pin.  In this case I'd advise backing the nut off an eighth of a turn or so from "tight" and using some BLUE loctite on it to keep it from loosening from vibration.
Sanding the top and bottom of the lever where it enters the perch could be advisable, but too much can make the lever fit loose and result in loss of precision and thus loss of confidence.  Do this with caution.

Could be a combo of both.


Or could just be bad, out of spec levers...

I remember getting some cheap chinese levers off eBay that seemed to work fine, but I could have just been lucky.

GS clutch perch is different from any bike ever made. So is its lever.
The closest perch I have found is a BMW F 650 one from the late 90's, nothing else will work.
Lever swaps are out completely, no other lever will work IMHO.
So you get it working, inspite of the quirk you have now, its still a huge achievement. Electrically the bike can be rigged to crank regardless of clutch - pulled in/out - don't even matter.
Yellow wire with green tracer (I think) in the headlight bucket on a 89-02 - just short those 2, they will plug into each other. That covers it.

Cool.
Buddha.