Hi there. So I had this slight clunk and grind sound when pulling away from first gear (not the clunk when putting it into first gear). It lasts normally for about 1 second if that, then goes as the gear engages. I adjusted the clutch adjustments under the front sprocket cover etc, put on a new chain and sprockets (they were due anyway) and changed the oil and filter. The noise did seem to get better, but is still there. I'm a noob btw and two months into owning my first bike, a 2007 GS500.

Almost pulling my hair out I decided to put her in for a service, explaining to the mechanic (Sydney City Motorcycles - Kogarah, NSW) everything as above. He put her through a 'full service' which without the oil change (valves, plugs, brake and clutch adjustments, chain etc) He reckons it came to 3 hours of work plus parts. Sadly/annoyingly, he reckons the grind is coming from worn clutch plates, so it needs to be replaced. He also mentioned some clutch slipping at high revs - I never noticed these but I never rev that high.

I guess my question is, does this seem like a reasonable rate for what he's done, and is it reasonable to assume the problem can be fixed by replacing the clutch system? I'm thinking about taking her back after paying him his $409 then getting a second opinion. I have another mechanic who says he will give it a spin for free and see if he can work out what the problem might be.

As a noobie I'm just not confident to make the calls at the moment, and wish I had the time and knowledge to do this all myself.

Any advice most welcome, cheers in advance.

Worn clutch plates would usually slip when you are in the high torque region - 4-6k and in a high enough gear to put a good load on the engine. AKA 4th or 5th gear roll on.
Also a burning clutch smells very distinct. Like burning rubber, but worse.
Try that. I've had a bike that did grind on the first take off of the day. It was a Vulcan 750 though, and I never figured it out, I sold it long before I had to.
Cool.
Buddha.

Replacing your clutch plates is dead simple.  Cheap too.

Buy a set of plates and next time you change your oil, swap the new clutch in.  If you're price sensitive you can inspect the plates yourself, that means opening up the case twice or leaving it open while you wait for the plates to post.  The service manual has the specs, instructions, procedures, and photos of how to inspect and replace.

By the way, brake adjustment?? How does one go about adjusting hydraulic brakes?? Sounds fishy to me.

Being a noob you deff need second opinions.  They can mark you as you walk up.

I think the optimal course of action is to start servicing your own bike and become self sufficient.  When you have someone else wrenching on your bike you always have that suspicion that they left something loose or forgot some critical step.

To be fair to your mechanic, I would expect to pay at least that much just to check and adjust the valves, assuming it is actually done correctly. If I ever paid someone to do the valves I would ask for a list of all the valve clearances before and after and all shim sizes before and after, to make sure it was actually performed.

I didn't see a mention of how many miles are on the bike. That would give some indication if a bad clutch was possible.

$409 seems reasonable;but u can't beat doing the work yourself.
Take the bike to the second mechanic and if his diagnosis is the same decide what u wanna do with the clutch.Tear it down first and inspect everything for minimum specs....buy the parts beforehand and replace the clutch outright.....compare the 2 mechanics prices for one doing the work....get a third opinion.

Appreciate the comments lads.

It's done 43,000KM.

I got the bike back today. The gear changes now seem even clunkier!! Before she went in, it was just the pull away from first gear that clunked. Now it seems unless I'm really carefull with the clutch release, even changes to 2 and 3rd gear have a rough connection. Hmmm.

I think I'm going to get this second opinion then see if I can do it myself. The first mechanic said I need to change the 'plates, gasket, springs and steel'. Some of that means nothing to me so I'm going to spend some time on youtube and the service manual shortly. You're right though, you can't trust anyone better than yourself.

Are you letting it warm up for a bit before riding? Any difference when it is warmed up?

I second learning your way around the bike a bit, especially with a bike like the GS - straightforward mechanically and most parts can be come by fairly cheap.

A couple other places I'd look would be confirming the chain is not too loose (should only have 1-2" of play without you on the bike, on the kickstand), also maybe worth looking at the clutch cable adjustment to ensure it's engaging correctly and not too early/late.

Worth getting a second opinion, getting your hands on a service manual, and checking into all the advice you get with your own testing/etc.

Good luck! Let us know how things progress.

Yes, a loose chain can cause clunking and grinding sounds when it is loose.  Particularly when taking off, changing gears, and while coasting

Also... low rpm changes... ie under 3k before shifting, drop you into lug and clunk territory after the shift. ..

Not sayin you are doing this but quite a number of new riders just putt putt around and are hesitant to rev the engine much above 5k. .. which is actually where the bike starts to come alive!

Where on the planet are you? .. a long term owner may be nearby and can also give you a "seat of the pants" report on how it feels compared to theirs?! ..

Also not saying the mechanic workshop is incorrect. They may be giving you an exact assessment of the situation. ..

But it has been known to happen that a rider reports a 'problem' ... and sure enough the workshop 'finds' a problem!

Cheers guys. Janx101 I'm in Sydney, near Maroubra. Would be great to get a second opinion from a wiser GS head, give me a shout if anyone is nearby!

I took her to the second garage today, A1roadandrace in Arncliffe NSW. Really nice lad Mark took it for a spin and had a look at the chain/sprockets/clutch (free). He confirmed the clutch needs changing, worn/burnt plates, but he didn't reckon that was the cause of the clunkiness. He couldn't actually work it out, but did think that some of it was simply because it was a workhorse type bike and after 43K wouldn't exactly be a smooth machine.

His advice was to change the clutch plates, steels, springs as a minimum as that needs doing. I'm thinking about researching that process and doing it myself. Had a look on youtube and there are a few clips on generic plate changes. I just need to read my Haynes manual for the other details, as I don't have a clue what 'steels' and 'springs' refers to!

I have my MOST (Provisional rider) test on June 10 so this is not ideal as I need to get it done quickly otherwise I've got nothing to practice on! Pre-emptively booked one of the Honda CB125s at the test centre in case I'm still in clutch change mode come test day.

Endless fun this bike malarkey! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUgg2UN3gC4

Found this beaut of a clip, so now on the search for all the parts then will give it a go, will let you know how I get on!

Well there ya go... I'm from the Illawarra area.... drive past that shop every day to and from work as well!

Small world

Check your cush drive. Clean and light lube.

You can also buy low mileage clutch packs on eBay and swap the whole thing, often for less money than replacing the parts with OEM new stuff.