When do I need a new clutch?

**lil-Vulky** · 25th March 2011, 15:53

How do you test when you need a new clutch i think i need a new one but not sure how much life mine has left. am to poor to just buy one on the chance mine still has 6months left.

and how hard is it to replace a clutch urself? and how much would it cost to get done?

is a honda cbr250rr

oh and how do u adjust the clutch properly?

**AllanB** · 25th March 2011, 15:59

Adjust it first - it may be fine. Depends on the bike, may be as simple as tightening up a cable.

Once a clutch is stuffed it will start to slip - you'll be riding along in a high gear - give it a handful of throttle to go quicker and revs will increase with little increase in speed.

**george formby** · 25th March 2011, 16:07

Originally Posted by AllanB

Adjust it first - it may be fine. Depends on the bike, may be as simple as tightening up a cable.

Once a clutch is stuffed it will start to slip - you'll be riding along in a high gear - give it a handful of throttle to go quicker and revs will increase with little increase in speed.

Mine does that when i'm cruel, has done for 4 years. Mineral oil improved it a lot but time for new springs me thinks ( cheaper than a new clutch.. ) & go from their.

**lil-Vulky** · 25th March 2011, 19:30

it doesnt slip that i know of but there is like little that it grabs when releasing the leaver only starts grabbing like the last cm.
im not sure how to adjust it because if i wind the bit out by the leaver it makes the lever grip sooner but not sure if the clutch fully re-engauges. not sure if winding the leaver cable adjustment out makes the clutch grip better or makes it worse.

**Spuds1234** · 25th March 2011, 19:45

Sounds like your clutch is fine to me.

All the bikes I've ridden have done that.

**lil-Vulky** · 25th March 2011, 20:01

i just paranoid cz when giving it some i think it sometimes slips for like a second before fuly gripping and taking off. like from 1st to 2nd it has a soft spot for a second like it clutch rides a tiny bit then grips and boosts like it should.

does tightening the cable. adjusting at the lever turning it out make the clutch better or worse? not sure if i should leave it all the way wound in or wind it out to make it tighter.

for arguement sake, if my clutch was slipping would winding the adjustment out (tightening the cable) make it slip less or more? because i thought adjusting it out would make it slip more as it pulls the cable which opens the clutch. but im not sure....

my bike has done coming upto 100,000kms and not sure when the last clutch was put in

**hayd3n** · 25th March 2011, 20:39

Originally Posted by lil-Vulky

i just paranoid cz when giving it some i think it sometimes slips for like a second before fuly gripping and taking off. like from 1st to 2nd it has a soft spot for a second like it clutch rides a tiny bit then grips and boosts like it should.

does tightening the cable. adjusting at the lever turning it out make the clutch better or worse? not sure if i should leave it all the way wound in or wind it out to make it tighter.

for arguement sake, if my clutch was slipping would winding the adjustment out (tightening the cable) make it slip less or more? because i thought adjusting it out would make it slip more as it pulls the cable which opens the clutch. but im not sure....

my bike has done coming upto 100,000kms and not sure when the last clutch was put in

you should have a little play in the clutch lever and you should be able to ease it into gear whilst slowly releasing the clutch
when was the last time the oil was changed???
the oil in the engine also is for the clutch gearbox etc
you need to have a suitable motorcycle oil , as it contain's friction modifiers, this is to prevent the clutch slipping

**FJRider** · 25th March 2011, 20:49

Originally Posted by lil-Vulky

my bike has done coming upto 100,000kms and not sure when the last clutch was put in

I'm guessing ... 1991 ...

**lil-Vulky** · 25th March 2011, 21:12

did an oil change about 3months ago. so that's algood. bike well looked after not a normal 250cbr that everyone else has, use to be a show bike by the looks of things.
think i uploaded pictures in another thread somewhere can't remember though

might have a play around with it tomorrow, and see what i can sort out with the adjustments. want it to be a nice firm gripping clutch because i have have troubles slowly accerating

just sounds oh so sexy when the throttle opens has a screamer pipe so it sounds like beast raging at the world.

**CookMySock** · 25th March 2011, 21:27

Originally Posted by lil-Vulky

did an oil change about 3months ago.

Which engine oil exactly did you put in it?

**tigertim20** · 25th March 2011, 22:17

there are TWO adjustments on your clutch. The first is the one on the clutch lever itself on the handle bars, that is your fine adjustment. There is another adjuster that has two nuts on it (usually about 13 or 14mm) which gives more adjustment than the one on the clutch lever.

Get on your bike. find a straight road. Put it in first, then take off and bing it up to about 5000rm. sit at 5000rpm in 1st for a hundred metres or so, then, Whack the throttle wide open and let her rip. Keep an eye on the tachometer and the speedo. If the tachometer is going up really fast, and there isnt a noticeable increase in speed, you may have an issue.

If you think you do have a problem, try again, but this time, increase the throttle very slowly. If the positions of the tach, and the speedo are at equal points on both runs, your clutch is fine.

Youll know for sure staright away when your clutch starts to get fucked, so I wouldnt worry. Easy way is to go to a local trusted mechanic, or a person you know who knows bikes well. They will be able to tell you with a 30 second test ride up the street.