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Hydraulic Clutch Issues 1986 Suzuki VS700

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:17 am
by WindInMyHair
There are probably posts already about this so I apologize for starting a new post but when I search "hydraulic clutch" nothing comes up. I bought the VS700 last fall and the clutch went our immediately. I have bled it about 5 times and had a bike shop bleed it once. I also reverse bled it several times. Each time, it works fine for about 15 minutes, then stops working or works with difficulty. I had a friend bleed it with a one man bleeder device he had and he said a lot of air came out. This time, it worked well for about an hour of riding over two sessions before shifting became difficult. However, this time I noticed that if I pumped the clutch handle 3 times it would work fine. Scratching my head now...Do I rebuild the slave and master cylinders or replace the hydraulic line, or just do all three? Would like to start riding instead of tinkering. Any thoughts appreciated.

Re: Hydraulic Clutch Issues 1986 Suzuki VS700

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:23 am
by WindInMyHair
Also wanted to add that there is never fluid under the bike when it is parked. So there are no leaks so far as I can tell.

Re: Hydraulic Clutch Issues 1986 Suzuki VS700

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 1:52 pm
by navigator
Try this, then check back with results:
http://intruders-alert.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4

Re: Hydraulic Clutch Issues 1986 Suzuki VS700

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 5:51 pm
by Herb
Is it low on fluid when you go to bleed it?

if the navigators solution doesn't work I would check out the slave cylinder and at least rebuild it.

My 87 1400 had a similar problem but the clutch would work ok for 2-3 days and need bleeding again. Never saw any fluid anywhere. When I pulled the slave cylinder it was apparent that it was leaking fluid past the seal into the crankcase and sucking air back into the system. Since the oil level is below the clutch actuating rod no oil was coming back into the system, just air. I put a rebuild kit in and rode it for over 50,000 miles more with no more having to bleed the system every few days.