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Anyone Else with Weak Clutch Springs

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marylynn

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Dec 2, 2007
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Location
north bend wa
First Name
Marylynn
Last Name
downing
By the time I reached 25,000 miles on my 2007 Suzuki Bandit 1250 (with ABS), I noticed that the clutch springs felt really weak. By this I mean that the clutch lever was almost all the way out when the friction point was reached. I thought that maybe my clutch was fried.

My husband took the clutch out and measured the thickness of the clutch plates, they were WELL within spec. He measured the springs and they were within tolerance too. He put the clutch back together when installing the screws that go through the springs, he had to press the screw against the springs before they would grab. Just before buttoning it up, he realized that we didn't offset the last plate so he took it apart, reset the last plate, and when putting the screws in, he notices that the springs had retained their compression.

We replaced the springs with stock Suzuki replacement parts. That helped, for about 1,000 miles then the clutch was back to not engaging until almost the very end of the lever travel.

At that point we went with after-market springs that claimed they were 20% stronger. This has solved the problem. After 3,000 miles with the new springs, the clutch feels much better.

Anyone else notice this problem?

Lynne

P.S.
Yes we checked the rod that runs from the slave cylinder to the clutch, not broken. Yes, we bled the hydraulics (but bubbles in the fluid I think would have caused the opposite problem, not being able to disengage the clutch). :)
 
Did the clutch ever slip? If not then it was probably still fine.
 
No problems here....At 26,370 some miles the clutch feels just like it did at 0 miles.
 
Uuuuh,
I've got SOME'N going on with mine, and a buddy's 'Busa does the same thing (???).

I have about 41,000 miles on my '08, and if I try to feather my clutch out gently while downshifting from high rpm's, the clutch lever in my hand pulses along with the grab of the clutch. In addition, if hot from running hard, pulled over to discuss turning right or left, when I let the clutch out gently to make a U-turn the bike bucks and I hafta be on top of my game to prevent the bike from suddenly taking off with me (???)! Thing is..... it doesn't happen very often, and has been happening for about 20,000 miles now.
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(Oh and..... the local Harley dealer wants me to take EVERYTHING off my Bandit, bring it in to them, and give me as much money as possible toward purchase of a 2010 XR1200 they want credit for selling. He said the asking price is $9,995, but it can be had for much less if I want a steal of a deal on an XR. Note: most fun EVER on a bike, was on my Y2K XL1200'S' during every single one of the 30,000 miles I put on it)
 
Fittysom'n said:
(Oh and..... the local Harley dealer wants me to take EVERYTHING off my Bandit, bring it in to them, and give me as much money as possible toward purchase of a 2010 XR1200 they want credit for selling. He said the asking price is $9,995, but it can be had for much less if I want a steal of a deal on an XR. Note: most fun EVER on a bike, was on my Y2K XL1200'S' during every single one of the 30,000 miles I put on it)
Click to expand...

Ooooooh...I likey xr1200....That is one cool looking bike and my wife always points out that one when we go and look at them from time to time...Sorry Marylynn! Back to the clutch.:sun:
 
SOooooo.....

Is what I've got going on, weak clutch springs that can be resolved.....
or some'n else???
 
Take it apart and measure. Not a big job. Over 50K actual miles on my '07 and not a problem but then, I'm pretty easy on my stuff the last 15 or so years. I still have no problems in lock to lock u turns. Was practicing them a few days ago on some back roads.
 
No offense, but I'm finding it very hard to believe that a brand new set of clutch springs went bad in 1,000 miles, as it just doesn't make sense.

You did not mention anything about it, but between changing out the clutch springs did you guys bleed the clutch hydraulic system? and if not have you ever flushed out and bleed the clutches hydraulic system, and do you also have your clutch lever set to the closest position towards the bars, for if you do, that along with a system that had dirty fluid in it as well as air could have caused your problem.

If a brand new set of factory clutch springs went bad as you say in 1,000 miles, and that all of the friction plate were withing spec, and that installing some new heavier clutch springs has fixed the problem, I would say that there's something else going on that causing this problem. ;-)
 
Ditto: Thoughts. I've been running bikes with HYD Clutches for a bit over 180,000 miles and never had a problem. 3 BMWs, 1 DL1000, 1 1250S Bandit.
 
marylynn said:
....the clutch was back to not engaging until almost the very end of the lever travel... we went with after-market springs that claimed they were 20% stronger. This has solved the problem. After 3,000 miles with the new springs, the clutch feels much better.
Click to expand...


Which aftermarket springs did you go with? Linky?
 
Barnett has always had good stuff in my book. Used them MUCH in the 70's on GS750's I was racing then. The stock clutches just didn't live long on a full out 870 or 920 yosh set up with smooth bore carbs.
 
achesley said:
Barnett has always had good stuff in my book. Used them MUCH in the 70's on GS750's I was racing then. The stock clutches just didn't live long on a full out 870 or 920 yosh set up with smooth bore carbs.
Click to expand...

I also changed them out on my '80 GS850G, after about 10K I noticed a slight slippage, changed them and it was gone.
 
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