My mate changed my clutch with a new set,new cable etc.. But its so hard to switch gear,looks like it has not enough pull distance,now after changing the settings a bit its in gear and when pulling the lever it stays in gear..could it be that the plates are in a wrong order inserted? Its a Suzuki 750GS '78..

This is pretty easy to trouble shoot.
first off , assume it's a simple easy fix. it can be.
not 8 to 10 hours labor jerking the tranny and 4wd parts.etc.
hard to change gears can mean many things.
1: cant select. this is common, the shifter tip has 2 plastic parts
that cause the shifter to do 2 things, its loose as heck and
cause , SELECTION failure. that is ,you can not move the shifting
forks inside the tranny. is the reason, this is shifter failure.
Suzuki sells the parts, ,shown in link below.

2: hard to shift , #2 is , but you can not force any gears
reverse is the most difficult. and if you try hard enough
the transmission grinds. this is clutch failure. (1 of 2, ways)
3: if the clutch is failing, called DRAG. (not slip, no noise or chatter)
you can jackup the rear of car, at the axle place 2 jack stands
under said axle housing ends and now you can shift.
proving a bad clutch as it now shifts but in a clunky way.

ok, now we are in the Dragging bad clutch fails.
the first easy fix, is easy.
is called,a "bad clutch actuator"
on early cars this part is a cable (replace the cable)
on later cars the actuator is a MC/slave hydraulic pedal sys..
The cable clutch you do...the.. do the 1 inch test. see link.
on Hyd. do the 3/4 inch test. see the link.

this proves the clutch is good or bad , every time.
if the clutch lever fails to move the correct distance.
no clutch can work, fix the actuator first.
this page gets them all.

http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/clutch/clutch-on-kick.html

Are you sure you installed clutch plate facing right way? They are either stamped or have a tag says "flywheel side". Or might have wrong clutch kit.

I would have it towed to a transmission shop and checked out!

If, we're talking about your clutch cable, you need to regulate it, either by the bolts down to the gear box, or up at your left grip by the twisting distance screw.
The best way to do it right, is FIRST, spray down to your cable enough penetrating oil, that will help it slip easily. Locate the cable to the gear knee that comes out of the box, (there should be two bolts) and unscrew the one that's between the knee and the black protective of the cable, until the point that you pull your clutch grip, and you get a few mm, of "dead" motion and then gets tight. When you get that, tighten the bolts, and you're probable done. Remember, that the twisting distance screw at your grip, must be toghten, no space. Cause from there later you'll be adjusting the free space before pressing the clutch.
Quite easy. Should be done in no more that 5 min. Good luck

I cant remember if those still had a clutch cable, if it does, remove the cable and check the inner moves freely, or get a new cable, adjust it up until there is a small amount of freeplay at the lever, and see if it changes gears then.
The rod that is activated by the clutch arm can sieze up in the casing as well and may need cleaning and greasing

possible clutch cable or cluth itself, check the clutch cable first to see if its stretched, i didnt check and put a new clutch in ,and wasted £250 , try euro car parts for cheapest clutch cable.

How is the clutch adjustment?
Is it releasing fully?
If you have a hydraulic clutch....is the brake fluid level in the clutch master cyl beside the brake master cyl full?
If you have the cable clutch.....is there only 1/2 inch of play..... if you pull up on the cable at the transmission end of the cable?

Hi,

Had a recent similar problem. Fortunately, my replacement cable is adjustable. As the new cable stretched, I had to take a crowbar to the the throwout lever next to the battery and lever it back while pulling off the cable (towards the battery). I then lifted the fuse box (look out for the 10mm plastic nut that holds it in on the side by the driver's side fender) on the drivers side right in front of the windshield to reach down and pull the cable up enough to reach the adjustor. When it is high enough, release the locknut and turn the adjusting nut upwards about 4 turns (both nuts on my cable were 17mm and a "stubby" is handy but not necessary. Grab the end by the battery and, making sure it is seated on the groove on the transmission, pry the lever again with the crowbar and reseat tg
he cable end in the lever. I have had to readjust the cable twice more before it settled in a comfortableplace, but once you get the hang of it, it only takes about 10 minutes.

Hope this is helpful.

where it doesnt fully engage but I am having the opposite problem where I can not get my clutch to disengage. I have the top cable adjuster-adjusted so there is about a nickels (few mm) worth of play where i can pull the clutch lever that much before the cable really starts pulling. With it on the stand when i start it and put it in gear the wheel spins (enough that it is hard to stop the wheel and if i do the bike stalls) even with the clutch lever pulled all the way in and when riding it, the clutch doesnt actually seem to engage until the lever is almost all the way out. I adjusted the cable adjuster and unscrewed it as far as it can unscrew which was considerably further out then it is with the nickels worth of play and it changed nothing aside from the tightness of the lever/cable. On the stand the wheel still spins and stalls if i put enough force on it to stop the wheel and when riding the clutch still seems to engage and the same point (where the lever is almost all the way out). I think when I am on it and put it in gear, it doesnt stall becuase i keep the Rs up and my weight keeps the back tire from turning and slips the clutch?? Any comments, ideas, advice, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. ,well , the most obvious is a worn out clutch..BUT it can also be from the plates sticking together, or the springs are beyond their service limit. you can check and change all this at once.... 1) drain the oil 2) take off the clutch cover 3) loosen the screws that hold the pressure plate 4) check the springs (they should be a specific length , over time the length decreases) 5) take out pressure plate 6) check every plate , you can check thickness with a good caliper.( if the pads on the thick discs look worn or are not there the clutch is worn and you need a new set of plates) if they discs are still in good condition try cleaning them with a solvent like alcohol etc...but be carefull you do not use a aggressive solvent as the pads are made from cork and some solvents will damage the cork . If you change the pads the best thing to do is change the metal and the friction pads aswell as the springs. there's a trick to use a clutch that's worn down alot and that is to add another metal plate to the outside so your total stack height becomes higher , however this will only help you 1 or 2 heats after that the clutch is toast either way. hope thats FIXYA.,,,

sounds like to me your clutch is on th way out , try starting your car from cold and put it in second then try and pull off , or when u r driving about 35 mph put in 4th and put ur foot down on gas if it revs but dont go anywhere , when its cold it is taking the strain of the flywheel but as it heats up its starting to slip , u could try adjusting the clutch cable but sounds like u need a new clutch, but always take it 2 a trusted garage and tell them the symptoms and not what u think it is ,let them find the solution hope that helps daz