Motorcycle Repair: clutches, clutch lever, clutch assembly

Question
I know you work on Honda's but I am hoping you can help me with a suzuki. I have a 1982 suzuki GS750T.  I changed the oil took it for a ride and parked it. After a week I got on it and the clutch was not working. The bike gave no warning at all the previous week that I had it out.  When you pull in the clutch lever and shift to first the bike takes off and it won't shift back to neutral.  Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.

Answer
Tom, I logged into the http://www.powersportspro.com/partsfish/login.asp site and pulled up your illustrations for the clutch and release parts. It isn't clear to me how exactly the release arm/shaft disengages the clutch assembly in the photos, but obviously something inside and/or the cable is amiss.

I can't think of any kind of oil that would cause the clutch plates to swell up, so either the clutch cable is failing internally or the release mechanism is broken inside.

Readjust the cable so you have just an 1/8" play at the handlebar lever and then watch the release arm at the clutch cover to see if the motion of the clutch lever seems to be directly related to the movement at the clutch release arm on the cover. Sometimes the cable strands inside corrode and fail, causing a stretching of the cable before it breaks altogether. If it looks/feels like the cable is still intact, then you will have to drain the oil out again and pull the clutch cover to see what's up inside.

I see that there is a pinch bolt on the clutch release arm so check to see that it is tight and not losing its grip on the release shaft assembly splines. If all the external parts and controls seem to be intact, then something has failed inside. Looks like there is a needle bearing as part of the release assembly.

For more specific help go here...
http://www.thegsresources.com/

Bill Silver