Really just sounds like another Gen3 with problems...
I wouldn't be suprised of anything at this point.
I hope the dealer sorts it out for you.
I wouldn't be suprised of anything at this point.
I hope the dealer sorts it out for you.
Clutch slip on new gen3?
- Thread starter DJJimGreen
- Start date
DJJimGreen
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Same, which is why I've been scratching my head. Like why this bike, and not any of the others I've owned. Perhaps that's the case then. Also, this bike is new new. Meaning I'm not even sure if everything is well mated together etc. It didn't happen once I got back down to "normal" elevation, and I couldn't reproduce it, but in the cold mountainside it was freaking out. As long as I have the reassurance I'm not slowly burning out my clutch by it being partially in, I'm happy. lol
I don't have a Gen 3, but on the Gen 2, you should have around 1/4" of play on the master cylinder push rod, before it starts engaging the clutch. There is a round dial, adjustable for more or less travel prior to engagement.
That is easy to look at, it feels like a little free play, or slight resistance only before engagement.
There is no other adjustment.
Check that and if there is no free play, it might be as simple as just having to bleed the line properly.
You have not perhaps changed engine oil with something meant for a passenger car?
They charged an extra $5K for the G3 because it’s an upgraded system but more so than that was everything, groceries, houses, cars, and bikes increased in cost. My G3 broke traction with full TC on. I run it with TC off now. I traded in my high mileage 2018 and paid $3K for the G3I thought it had traction control? That's why they charged an extra $5000 for itIf it has that on there is no way you could slip the rear like described.
Is that how it is then, makes you wonder how they can screw things up after 20 years but I know how, I saw it happen on the S1000RR forum when the sK1 was released, leaking forks, leaking brake calipers, testy electronics issues, cheaping out on parts basically. A lot of the guys over there accept that as normal and put up with it but the Hell I would! Reliability is #1 as far as I'm concerned.
I was down at the local Springwood Suzuki/ktm dealer a year or so back, renewing my insurance (cause they always get it lower) and while waiting for the finance officer to finish with a couple I wandered outside and started a conversation with a guy beside his flash new ktm 12xx adventure bike. It was all blinged up and he was clearly in love and I said "so you've had no issues with it like some others say they have?" Oh sure he said, it was in the shop there for an electrical fault, for a month! They replaced sensors, then the ECU, and finally replaced the whole wiring harness. Now it was going back in for another issue. "Doesn't that concern you" I said. Oh no, I have another one to ride he replied.
Shaking my head I went back inside and the finance guy was still busy so I sat opposite a salesman and asked him what the story was this ktm reliability. These were his words. "It's not about 100% reliability now, it's about backup, and ktm is 110% behind every bike they sell. If there is a problem they are right onto it." What could I say sixpak? I finished my business there and left with a strange feeling in my gut about the future of motorcycles. It's like we riders are Beta testers for undeveloped product now. Well if that's the case I'll stick with the older rides, the modern electronics means little to me, doesn't add to the quality of the riding experience and a dash layout like an ipad on steroids is a total distraction anyway. Sure if you're a phone junky it might be appealing but it's not a phone you're sitting on, it's a high speed machine that demands all your awarness, there's no time to admire pretty colors and constantly changing digits. I know what the LCD and TFT display is, it's a way for a manufacturer to save money, like switching from brembo to Nissan brake calipers. I'm sorry to hear the G3 has these sort of issues, I'll definitely be steering clear of it.
I've done about 1000k on my new ride now, 2012 busa, 18,000km. I put new pipes on when I got it and have been giving it some stick to clear out the injectors and any carbon the previous owner had let build up. Yesterday I wiped my finger inside the pipes. Totally clean, no residue of any kind. That's the Hayabusa I grew to love years ago, a super reliable Beast with bullet proof mechanicals.
Is that how it is then, makes you wonder how they can screw things up after 20 years but I know how, I saw it happen on the S1000RR forum when the sK1 was released, leaking forks, leaking brake calipers, testy electronics issues, cheaping out on parts basically. A lot of the guys over there accept that as normal and put up with it but the Hell I would! Reliability is #1 as far as I'm concerned.
I was down at the local Springwood Suzuki/ktm dealer a year or so back, renewing my insurance (cause they always get it lower) and while waiting for the finance officer to finish with a couple I wandered outside and started a conversation with a guy beside his flash new ktm 12xx adventure bike. It was all blinged up and he was clearly in love and I said "so you've had no issues with it like some others say they have?" Oh sure he said, it was in the shop there for an electrical fault, for a month! They replaced sensors, then the ECU, and finally replaced the whole wiring harness. Now it was going back in for another issue. "Doesn't that concern you" I said. Oh no, I have another one to ride he replied.
Shaking my head I went back inside and the finance guy was still busy so I sat opposite a salesman and asked him what the story was this ktm reliability. These were his words. "It's not about 100% reliability now, it's about backup, and ktm is 110% behind every bike they sell. If there is a problem they are right onto it." What could I say sixpak? I finished my business there and left with a strange feeling in my gut about the future of motorcycles. It's like we riders are Beta testers for undeveloped product now. Well if that's the case I'll stick with the older rides, the modern electronics means little to me, doesn't add to the quality of the riding experience and a dash layout like an ipad on steroids is a total distraction anyway. Sure if you're a phone junky it might be appealing but it's not a phone you're sitting on, it's a high speed machine that demands all your awarness, there's no time to admire pretty colors and constantly changing digits. I know what the LCD and TFT display is, it's a way for a manufacturer to save money, like switching from brembo to Nissan brake calipers. I'm sorry to hear the G3 has these sort of issues, I'll definitely be steering clear of it.
I've done about 1000k on my new ride now, 2012 busa, 18,000km. I put new pipes on when I got it and have been giving it some stick to clear out the injectors and any carbon the previous owner had let build up. Yesterday I wiped my finger inside the pipes. Totally clean, no residue of any kind. That's the Hayabusa I grew to love years ago, a super reliable Beast with bullet proof mechanicals.
There are good Gen3's out there, but there seems to be a growing number of bad, and new problems.
It seems that post covid built anything is plauged with problems.
I know we tend to hear about alot of the bad on forums too, and that the number of bikes with certain issues is hopefully a very low percentage of the total produced.
Until recent years, I cannot remember very many recalls for Japanese motorcycles that were what I would consider to be a serious issue, and the recalls that were, were usually for one bike, or something the factory thought they needed to fix just in case.
Japanese dependability was a real thing.
I had planned on Gen3, sat on one a couple years ago(thank God is wasn't black...or I'de have brought it home, lol), but after their problems started showing up, I changed my mind.
I do all my own work, always have, and I would have been replacing alot of the Gen3 faults with aftermarket parts anyway, but that was aside from the point to me, especially at $21k+ otd.
And that Suzuki has basically turned a blind eye to all of it, even though they were kind enough to recall their failing front master cylinders...after a year or so, and 2 model years.
Suzuki as a company doesn't seem to care anymore either, like so many others, it's a shame.
So, I am happily building my '03 Gsxr1k into what I want.
Old with no ABS, TC, or invasive electronics.
DJJimGreen
Registered
Wait, it has an adjustment dial? I thought the hydraulic clutch had no adjustment options. It currently engages WAY far out on the lever (which seems normal from what I'm reading)... but when I went up in altitude it definitely felt like the clutch engagement had moved all the way out on the lever.. if I had the option I'd move the engagement down the lever a bit. I'm not sure this is an option on the gen 3's.
DJJimGreen
Registered
There really isn't play in the lever. When I start pulling it in, it's actuating the rod at the lever. How did you shorten the push rod?
The lever has a dial on top of it that allows a rider to adjust how far the lever travels...the brake lever has it as well....
That lever travel is in/out to the bars for rider preference of what rhe lever position is for when the clutch engages/disengages.
I think the OP thought he was told that there was a lever adjustment like you have on a cable clutch, so you have some needed slack before engagement, and there is no adjustment for that on a hydraulic clutch.
As far as shortening the pushrod goes, I would like to know it's specs first, overall length and +/- allowed in that.
It was mentioned above as being shortened by .010"
If that was needed, there are quite a few ways to do that, but I would use a fine tooth file, and measure often.
To remove the pushrod, first remove the front sprocket cover, then you will see the pushrod, and you can just pull it straight out.
As for an out of spec/too long pushrod to be the problem, it would most likely be a consistent problem.
Normally, I would be looking at other things first, but given all the quality issues that we have seen everywhere in recent years, as well as several Gen3 problems, nothing would suprise me at this point.
But, to me it sounds more like air in the system, below freezing temperatures, and increasing altitude causing gremlins.
I think the OP thought he was told that there was a lever adjustment like you have on a cable clutch, so you have some needed slack before engagement, and there is no adjustment for that on a hydraulic clutch.
As far as shortening the pushrod goes, I would like to know it's specs first, overall length and +/- allowed in that.
It was mentioned above as being shortened by .010"
If that was needed, there are quite a few ways to do that, but I would use a fine tooth file, and measure often.
To remove the pushrod, first remove the front sprocket cover, then you will see the pushrod, and you can just pull it straight out.
As for an out of spec/too long pushrod to be the problem, it would most likely be a consistent problem.
Normally, I would be looking at other things first, but given all the quality issues that we have seen everywhere in recent years, as well as several Gen3 problems, nothing would suprise me at this point.
But, to me it sounds more like air in the system, below freezing temperatures, and increasing altitude causing gremlins.
DJJimGreen
Registered
Ahhh yes that.. I know those lever adjustments, but that doesn't really adjust the friction point like adjusting a cable clutch. You know all this, I don't need to tell you. I think you're right, maybe air, maybe temp, maybe altitude, put em all together. Who knows. lol
And what's a good one, a bad one where some of these parts in question haven't failed yet? That's the glass half empty viewpoint and valid I believe. You are quite correct about the timeline, it was post covid, but sales over covid were up for things like bikes. Were the factory disruptions that extreme that they lost so much money and the bean counters needed to take action? I don't know and I don't care lol.
As for that glass half full, it's actually a BS term created by the investment community to sucker people into buying shares etc. "Don't be a glass half empty type, you'll lose out, so buy buy buy" But in the real world a glass is either half full or half empty. It all depends on whether someone has it under the tap or under their nose. The glass of quality and reliability in the motorcycle industry is not under the tap getting filled I would say. I wouldn't be all surprised if OP's problem turned out to be some issue in the clutch basket? Only time will tell. Hope you get the issue resolved @DJJimGreen. Not the sort of thing you expect on a spanking new bike.
DJJimGreen
Registered
Thanks man. Yea, I'll be sure to keep the thread alive if I get updates, see more issues, etc. I'm hoping it was just a weird one off, but I'm only a few hundred miles in on it... so everything is new for me, good and bad. haha
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