GSX1100 clutch

[TonyGee]

18 minutes ago, coombehouse said:

Unfortunately any solution that changes the ratios, whether it's the dodgy Chinese box, a longer lever at the clutch pivot or modifying the bar lever pivot, all result in less travel at the clutch plate lifter. Physics is a pain.

its a shame their isn't a fix for the heavy clutch  its the only thing that spoils the riding, my hands/fingers will not get any better over time only worse so I don't have many options !!!!  only sell the bike or change the engine 

[coombehouse]

2 minutes ago, TonyGee said:

its a shame their isn't a fix for the heavy clutch  its the only thing that spoils the riding, my hands/fingers will not get any better over time only worse so I don't have many options !!!!  only sell the bike or change the engine 

I have a similar issue having broken both wrists in the past.

I believe the clutch can be improved but only by very small incremental amounts but they all add up.

Make clutch basket inner & outer as free from burrs & notches as you can. Blend & polish as necessary.

Assess the condition of the spring spacers under the bolts. Mine were all chewed where the springs had rubbed away at them & they were shorter than they were supposed to be ( I probably messed with by me in the past). Replace with new bits, with 3 genuine springs & 3 uprated. 

Look at cable routing. I did the cable around the front mod with a Dr650 cable from wemoto. 

Clutch is now easy to pull 

Further possible changes, longer clutch release arm, maybe move the hole by 2mm. Reposition cable position in bar lever by 1 or 2mm with a bush.

[E T]

Only slightly longer but makes a masive difference 

[TonyGee]

1 minute ago, E T said:

Only slightly longer but makes a masive difference 

whats the longer arm off ? ive been looking for one for a while now. 

[E T]

It was on a Katana when i got it , they're on eblag for about £45 think its grumpy thats selling them

Edited January 11, 2023 by E T

[E T]

@TonyGeehttps://www.Eblag.co.uk/itm/364041752257?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=FdZ-WIosQCa&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=WZQlKv3IROO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[TonyGee]

2 minutes ago, E T said:

@TonyGeehttps://www.Eblag.co.uk/itm/364041752257?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=FdZ-WIosQCa&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=WZQlKv3IROO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

yeah i already found them but thanks anyway ET  

[clivegto]

I just cut my one in half and welded a bit in 

[TonyGee]

did you loose much clutch arm travel with the longer arm Clive ? 

[clivegto]

57 minutes ago, TonyGee said:

did you loose much clutch arm travel with the longer arm Clive ? 

No, I extended it as much as I dare to keep it something like inline with the cable mounting point. You can hardly tell it's extended with the lockup spacer plate fitted.

[TonyGee]

15 minutes ago, clivegto said:

No, I extended it as much as I dare to keep it something like inline with the cable mounting point. You can hardly tell it's extended with the lockup spacer plate fitted.

nice one, thanks Clive 

[TonyGee]

5 hours ago, E T said:

Only slightly longer but makes a masive difference 

on the longer arm do you remember the hole centres ? 

[rodneya]

1 hour ago, TonyGee said:

yeah i already found them but thanks anyway ET  

I have one of those arms and it is the same length as stock. Just more blingy

[TonyGee]

1 minute ago, rodneya said:

I have one of those arms and it is the same length as stock. Just more blingy

I was wondering that !!!  couldn't tell if it was longer or not 

[E T]

10 minutes ago, TonyGee said:

on the longer arm do you remember the hole centres ? 

I'll measure it tomorrow,  think its only 8 or 10mm longer 

[TonyGee]

Just now, E T said:

I'll measure it tomorrow,  think its only 8 or 10mm longer 

thanks bud   I found an old ally arm in a box of bits today that i can modify 

[clivegto]

1 hour ago, TonyGee said:

   I found an old ally arm in a box of bits today that i can modify 

Have seen some people make a perch to sit on the arm to extend it. Some arms are aluminium some steel and other models use them like the gsxr750j,k. I used a steel one which is now about 55mm I think, if I do it again I would extended it a little further 

Edited January 11, 2023 by clivegto

[johnr]

On 1/10/2023 at 8:25 PM, TonyGee said:

its a shame their isn't a fix for the heavy clutch  its the only thing that spoils the riding, my hands/fingers will not get any better over time only worse so I don't have many options !!!!  only sell the bike or change the engine 

the very last model of kat (iirc the millenium edition although the fe may have had them too) had an electric servo assisted clutch under the tank. ive actually seen this in operation. clutch is just as heavy as the stock clutch with the ignition off, but turn the ignition on and the clutch feels like the cable has snapped, its super super light. so there is a solution. its just a question of whether they used the electric servo on anything else.

[TonyGee]

40 minutes ago, johnr said:

the very last model of kat (iirc the millenium edition although the fe may have had them too) had an electric servo assisted clutch under the tank. ive actually seen this in operation. clutch is just as heavy as the stock clutch with the ignition off, but turn the ignition on and the clutch feels like the cable has snapped, its super super light. so there is a solution. its just a question of whether they used the electric servo on anything else.

cheers John, ive heard about the servo clutch, it would be great to have one of them fitted but i bet they are pretty dam hard to find !!!! 

[johnr]

thats why i wondered about suzukis lazyness. as theyve got form in simply using stuff from the parts bin on different models, surely they didnt use this servo on only one year of a pretty niche model for a single year. im guessing that they fitted it to the kat fe because they had it for something else. its just a case of finding what that something else actually was!

[E T]

@TonyGee8mm longer,  sorry didn't reply yesterday got side tacked on another build cos parts turned up, you know what its like . My Katana had the servo clutch but it has been removed,  servo mounted where the coils normally are. 

[Reinhoud]

On 1/8/2023 at 1:25 AM, TonyGee said:

I love riding my GSX11 but one thing that I don't like is the heavy clutch pull.  I have R.A. so its a real struggle to pull when in traffic and just ruins the experience !!!  if it wasn't for the R.A. i'd live with it.   ive fitted new plates and standard springs, a new cable and even a needle bearing at the clutch lever pivot bolt and its no better. so I thought about using one of them clutchlite things, it only the cheap Chinese one but its made a difference, its about 30% lighter which i can live with , the only draw back is it looks shite on the bars  

 

Didn't read any replies...

Can't you make the lever on the engine/clutch longer?

[TonyGee]

3 hours ago, E T said:

@TonyGee8mm longer,  sorry didn't reply yesterday got side tacked on another build cos parts turned up, you know what its like . My Katana had the servo clutch but it has been removed,  servo mounted where the coils normally are. 

thanks ET, will extend the ally one I found  

ive done an internet search trying to find some info on the servo setup on the kat's but can't find anything !!!!  its as if they have tried to keep it a secret  not looking to get hold of one as the chances are pretty slim but just interested in how it works really.  what year was your Kat ? 

[Gixer1460]

2 hours ago, Reinhoud said:

Didn't read any replies...

Can't you make the lever on the engine/clutch longer?

Maybe if you had, you wouldn't have asked that question!

[Mike711]

What measurement do you have from the lever pivot bolt to the cable nipple centre/centre? There are clutch lever assemblies available down to 24mm, they use more lever travel but do give a much lighter feel.