Clutch worn? After 35K?

[Sparky Mark]

Can anyone tell me what the lifespan of a clutch on a 900 hornet should be?

I've had the bike from new, about 28 months ago, and done about 35000 k's on it.

The bite on the clutch is way out on the leaver and there's no adjustment left, so I don't know how long its got left. This seems unusual to me since I've had heaps of bikes with way more K's on them than that and never had to worry about a clutch... EVER!

Yes, I've ridden the bike pretty hard at times but most of the time I'm commuting, about 100ks a day, so there shouldn't be much wear on the plate at all...

Any ideas???



Mark.

[R6_kid:Me]

Take them out and check them. Could be springs or worn clutch fibre plates. Either way it's a fairly affordable fix and only takes 2hrs tops to swap it all over if you know what you're doing.

[YellowDog]

35k from a 100k per day stop start commuter bike seems pretty good.

[The Stranger:Me]

Can anyone tell me what the lifespan of a clutch on a 900 hornet should be?

I've had the bike from new, about 28 months ago, and done about 35000 k's on it.

The bite on the clutch is way out on the leaver and there's no adjustment left, so I don't know how long its got left. This seems unusual to me since I've had heaps of bikes with way more K's on them than that and never had to worry about a clutch... EVER!

Yes, I've ridden the bike pretty hard at times but most of the time I'm commuting, about 100ks a day, so there shouldn't be much wear on the plate at all...

Any ideas???



Mark.

Not familiar with the hornet, however many bikes have an adjustment at the clutch end as well as the lever end that needs setting/adjusting from time to time also. Some (K3 GSXR 1000) it's not so obvious that it even exists.

[Henk]

Before you tear your clutch to bits, have you checked that the cable isn't on the way out?

[meowmix]

Before you tear your clutch to bits, have you checked that the cable isn't on the way out?

+1, first thing I thought it was. Moments away from a snap?

[AllanB]

There is a adjuster nut on the lower end of the clutch cable that you, well, adjust when you are out of adjustment at the handlebar lever adjuster. That's a lot of use of the word adjust in one sentence.

If you have run out of lower adjustment, I'd try a new cable first. I have noticed on the Horny 900 that there is not actually a lot of adjustment in that cable - I gave mine it's first lower adjustment a month or so ago and it took up maybe half of the available lower adjustment. Almost like the cable is a tad too long. Having said that it may never need adjusting again until the cable is replaced

I've not read anything indicating the clutch wears within the kms your bike has, in fact I've heard of very high km Hornets with absolutely no engine parts replaced at all.

[MarkW]

And I'll go along with the others - check the cable first for stretch. I haven't managed to wear out a Honda clutch ever. And that includes the 145,000 miles that the Revere had on the original cable and plates. The Hornet is a robust engine and the clutch shouldn't be stuffed with only your mileage on it.

[CookMySock]

Take them out and check them. Could be springs or worn clutch fibre plates. Either way it's a fairly affordable fix and only takes 2hrs tops to swap it all over if you know what you're doing.

Even if you don't know what you're doing, its still one of the easier "engine" fixit jobs to do, if not the easiest, Theres not a lot to fuck up, unless you put a bolt back in the wrong hole and strip it.

But yeah, see what you can get out of the lower clutch cable adjustment first.

Steve

[Sparky Mark]

Thanks for all the replies.

My commute is pretty much a straight line so there's very little stopping and starting.

I checked the lower adjuster but I don't think it's that. Any more adjustment just leaves slack on the clutch leaver.

The lever on the casing going to the clutch has movement if I let the cable out any more. I'm assuming this means that the problem is in the clutch and not the cable.

I'm not a great mechanic these days and don't have a great toolset any more but I'll try and get hold of a manual and see what it takes.

Cheers,
Mark.

[CookMySock]

Have a look on youtube - there is likely to be a video of it being done.

No visitors or distractions. Turn the music off. No alcohol.

If you slip, strip, or round a bolt off, the STOP and don't touch anything. Get someone experienced to take over.

Use a little 1/4" or 3/8" drive socket set, and make sure you have the correct socket, and that it fits nice and firm. Hold the tool on firm and square when cracking and retightening.

Loosening to be done in small torque increments in a criss-cross pattern. Crack the first time around, then loosen, then spin free. Leave the bolts in the holes and slide the cover off.

Have new parts doused in oil, ready to fit. Slide clutch plates out and reassemble immediately with the new parts.

Fit the cover with bolts in the same place they came from. Check they all protrude the same amount before starting the tightening sequence. One-handed wrist tightness only, or use a little torque wrench.

And lastly, don't take advice from a know-it-all bullshit idiot you read on the Internet.


Steve

[Sparky Mark]

Have a look on youtube - there is likely to be a video of it being done.

No visitors or distractions. Turn the music off. No alcohol.

If you slip, strip, or round a bolt off, the STOP and don't touch anything. Get someone experienced to take over.

Use a little 1/4" or 3/8" drive socket set, and make sure you have the correct socket, and that it fits nice and firm. Hold the tool on firm and square when cracking and retightening.

Loosening to be done in small torque increments in a criss-cross pattern. Crack the first time around, then loosen, then spin free. Leave the bolts in the holes and slide the cover off.

Have new parts doused in oil, ready to fit. Slide clutch plates out and reassemble immediately with the new parts.

Fit the cover with bolts in the same place they came from. Check they all protrude the same amount before starting the tightening sequence. One-handed wrist tightness only, or use a little torque wrench.

And lastly, don't take advice from a know-it-all bullshit idiot you read on the Internet.


Steve

Nice one! Thanks Steve.

[The Pastor]

you might find you need a special tool to undo the clutch basket.

You will need some calipers to measure the spring length.

Its a pretty easy job to replace a clutch so i cant imagine it costing more than 1hrs labour + parts from a shop.

Just out of intrest, how often did u change ur oil?

[AllanB]

I'd still be very surprised if it is the clutch that's stuffed.

Drop it into your local Honda shop for a peep. It may be something simple like the little spring on the arm by the clutch has gone on Xmas Holidays early or something under the cover that just needs a tweak.

[Toast]

Sorry if this sounds dumb, but is the clutch actually slipping? I can't actually see in this thread that you mention it is.

Or is it just that you've got no lever adjustment left?

If it's just a lack of lever adjustment then buy a new cable, screw pulling covers off.