GSX-R Problem Diagnosis (Competition?)

[Paulington]

Hey all.

I have had a problem with my GSX-R the past week or so and I am posting here to see if anyone has any ideas what could be wrong with it? Maybe you've heard something like this with my model/year of bike before or something along those lines.

My bike is a 2008 GSX-R1000 K7 with a Power Commander III with a custom engine map and a full titanium Akrapovic race system. I have tried changing the Power Commander III to the standard map by the way and it didn't make any difference that I could feel I don't think.

Also, the GSX-R is booked to go in next Tuesday so chances are I will know what the problem is on Tuesday/Wednesday but I just want to see if there are any common problems similar to this that anyone knows of.

Anyway, on to the problem..

When I start the bike, it seems to start and rev fine (not really checked static revving so can't remember too well). From then on, when I pull away I find I have to slip the clutch for a very long time as the bike feels as if it is going to cut out, it stutters.

Then, when I can/do let the clutch fully out I can then accelerate. However, if I try to accelerate, especially hard acceleration, it does the same kind of stuttering again, almost like the bike is hesitating.

Eventually it clears up as I rev, but it can come in intermittently at almost any point in the rev range or so it feels. It does it accelerating almost all the time no matter how hot/cold the bike is or what gear I am in, seemingly.

Anyway, it seems to feel worst during the initial pull-away, from the lights for example or when slowing to a stop, just before the lights, for example. This means I have to slip the clutch like crazy to prevent it cutting out.

It started doing this after a service and just seemed to come on suddenly.

So, any ideas guys? If one of you is absolutely certain or near-certain what it is I will try and sort it myself including pictures. If not I will just wait until Tuesday and post what the issue was.

Any help is greatly appreciated guys, cheers!

Paul.
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"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[Pockets]

Last week my K2 GSXR 750 was misfiring but not all the time, only at certain revs, once out on the road giving it plenty of revs it was fine but pulling away from junctions/traffic lights was a nightmare as it kept stalling.

I replaced the plugs and removed the power commander, jobs a good'un and it runs great now, I'd certainly recommend the plugs first though (I could have probably kept the power commander in but it seemed pointless for my bike), were they even changed on the service? if not has somebody not reconnected something like a coil properly or one of the small hoses or one of the sensors on the airbox? coil packs are known to break down on GSXRs but I'd start with looking at the plugs and then looking at the power commander, since you have a full Akra system I don't think it's as simple as my choice of removing mine (standard exhaust) but certainly re-load the correct map for the exhaust you have.

[lllN30lll]

easy answer, you're clutch is on the way out/gone.

Explain your problem to a local bike shop and they'll tell you the same and give you a price.

*edit, Pockets banging a random question in confused me.
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Turbo R1
CRF450R

[Pockets]

[Paulington]

[lllN30lll]

had a K7 1000 too mate, and it sounds like you're clutch is going, you didn't say what mileage service your bike is having, the norm is the mechanic will grease everything, change your oil, your plugs (depending) filter etc. I'm sure they won't take it out for a road test unless you actually tell them there's something wrong or they won't notice your clutch slipping.
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Turbo R1
CRF450R

[Paulington]

Hey N30.

Yeah I know you did, remember seeing pictures.

The bike had it's 11,000 mile service. It was oil, plugs, air filter, coolant plus a load of other small things like checking the chain tension/sprockets, lubricate things etc.

As far as I know all bikes having a service where I got mine done are road tested, even though it's only around the block.

Like I said, it just doesn't seem like a clutchy issue to me, although I will take a look see as best I can, will definitely find out next week though!
____________________
"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[Pockets]

Who did the service? the dealer? whoever it was, have you raised the issue with them? you really ought to since it seems to have issues after the service and it's not fair that you need to pay the dealer money to investigate.

If it had plugs then that sort of blows my theory out of the water however, when I did my plugs, two were loose to the point that I could unscrew them without using a ratchet on the socket, mistakes/piss poor workmanship does happen and there's a few pipes and sensors that need reconnecting when the airbox goes back on, I forgot to reconnect a small pipe and it ran, but not very cleanly. So I'd remove the plugs and do double check they have been changed.
When I removed my tank it was full of fuel so it won't leak once disconnected (you might get a dribble and theres a breather hose at the rear that might also dribble) it's very straight forward otherwise I think if you have the fuel tank stay/prop you might be able to do it without removing the tank.

I only mentioned that I removed my power commander as I felt no need for it since I'm not running an aftermarket exhaust or anything, but should you ever need to disconnect it you could just for testing as it's only two connector-blocks and you could leave the unit where it is on the bike.

[lllN30lll]

It could just be a coincidence that your clutch is slipping the same time you've taken it for a service, take it back and tell them your problems, a simple dyno run will tell you wether it's slipping or not.
____________________
Turbo R1
CRF450R

[Paulington]

Hey all.

Well Pockets the people who did the service were the dealer I bought it from and they are by far the best dealers in Bristol, cheaper than Fowler's but do a much better job in my opinion.

As for notifying them, yeah, of course. :p.

Yeah, I am fairly sure I have a prop so hopefully I can get around not removing the tank entirely! ! It may be a plug just not the actual plug itself, could be a loose HT lead or two? Like I said, will check everything quickly and if I don't find anything that fixes it off to the dealers it goes!

Well yeah N30, it could be a coincidence but I doubt it, sure correlation is not causation but it just seems too convenient and to me 11,000 miles just seems too small a mileage for the clutch to just suddenly start developing problems with no prior symptoms at all? I don't know. Like I said, it's going up Tuesday so will see then, just wanted to know if anyone had ever had a similar issue. .

Cheers!
____________________
"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.