Killerkins

Good man! Hope it's an easy fix!

http://www.lambland.co.uk/item/2594/gen ... d-in-black

Interesting read! Well this is embarrassing. Adjusted the clutch cable at the gearbox end and replaced the oil with the leftover halfords stuff. No noticeable change (well apart from a much smoother feeling cold running and easier gear change). Went on ebay, 30 quid on new clutch plates and off to Halfords for the 32 quid Castrol stuff. Sat in car park had a quick fiddle with the clutch cable at handlebar end.... ...needless to say I had a very red face the drive home. That will teach me to jump the gun and not adjust the most obvious thing first, runs fine now!!! DOH!

Cheers. Got a checklist of things to do! Will get her running lovely again

Hang on. I oiled my clutch control cable yesterday too whilst I had the oil out.... Could that have changed setting with all the pulling and tugging? If it's incorrectly set that would cause clutch slip at high revs wouldn't it?!

That's the thing. The clutch slip only started as soon as I changed the oil. I'm glad you said that about the motorbike (snake) oil, does seem to be a bit of a con but one I was starting to buy into after getting this slip. I've got half a bottle of Halfords car semi synth lying around will try that today. Failing any improvement I suppose it's time to replace the plates and bung in some Castrol with it. The Haynes manual makes it look too easy, which makes me nervous Cheers chaps

Having done a few hundred miles on the old GS550 I thought it might be time to change the oil. Previous chap mentioned he used fully synth, bit overkill for a 33 year old bike I thought. After scanning the Haynes manual and guides online there seems to be a confusion over 20w50 and 10w40. So, thinking "hey its an old bike, probably chock full of gunk and crap anyway", I change the oil with Tescos finest car mineral 10w40 for pittance. Lo and behold a few miles the clutch is slipping all over the shop! All gears and getting worse. Coincidence might say that the clutch has had it and needs replacing (it's history is unknown). But you just know it's that oil don't you. BUGGER! From what I gathered online its normally the fully synth, ultra thin, full of additives oil that causes this? Plan of action is to shoot to Halfords today, get some Castol semi synth MOTORBIKE oil and bung it in as well as changing the filter. If I have no luck with that then change the clutch friction plates. Anyone experienced this before?

Jesmond, Newcastle