Why does my clutch-lever free play reduce?

Here's another non-Bandit-specific question.

I've had my GSR 750 for one year and done 8000 km.  During that time, the free play at the clutch lever (cable clutch, not hydraulic) has disappeared twice.

Cable stretch would increase free play so it's not that and it can't be plate or thrust bearing wear can it?  Because we are talking about a centimetre of adjustment here!

So what's happening?

as your clutch wears you lose your free play, where is the 10mm measured from?
do you clutch it to wheelie or get on the power?

Hi Rick,

The 10 mm is measured where it says the thing about a nickel in this pic (not my bike obviously):

I'm not sure which way round the nickel is meant to go but if it's edge-in, surely that's not enough free play?  I usually run about 5 mm there.

I never clutch it to wheelie but often to get on the power.  Also, the GSR will not run uphill in first gear without clutch below about 20 km / h so, in hilly, slow-traffic Hong Kong, I'm often running on the clutch for extended periods.  That's a thrust bearing killer for sure but that feels OK to me.

There is your problem, Clutching it to get power. consider lowering your gearing so your not on the clutch so often.

Yeah, I was going to go -1 on the front and +2 on the back sooner or later but I didn't want to mess up my warranty.  That's finished now so I reckon I'll try it; Renthal do the sprockets in those sizes I believe.

The standard gearing is idiotic: I think it's the same gearing as the 05-08 GSX-R that it's derived from ... which might make sense on a race rep, but on an urban bike??

I agree, they are tuned to have more torque at the bottom end compared to the gsxr but you can only get so much from a 750. My mate has one they are a blast on song in the hills, with no traffic

That's a fact.  My old Bandit 1250 was incredibly good at going very fast with no warning and that is great fun for trashing Porsche Turbos etc on the freeway.  And it was very good at just going fast: quiet and smooth at 170 kph and, even without a fairing, it somehow managed to punch a massive hole in the air so you didn't "need a neck like a birthday cake"* to ride it.

But I was never confident that it was going to stop in time in an emergency or go round a corner; and even that high-speed poise was so good it was almost boring.  The fact that you have to thrash the GSR within an inch of its life, and the fact that it screams blue murder when you do so, makes riding a lot more exciting.

Mind you, if I ever have to do more than 100 km in a day, I'll be crying out for that old 1250 for sure!

*Quote stolen from one of the first FZ1 reviews - it's so visual I've never forgotten it.