Pocketbike clutch help

[Guitarest-biker]

Hi guys, can someone please tell me if that clicking noise you get when you move your back wheel is the clutch? Because i found out that its actually bad for the clutch for walk with the bike or run it at walking speed. Also to avoid this problem can i pick up the back of the bike and move the front wheel with no damage to the clutch?

[Junkers]

I'm fairly certain the clicking noise you are referring to is just the chain against the cog. It is NOT bad for the clutch to move the back wheel with the bike off or to transport it on the front tire, but it IS bad to ride the bike at a walking pace. This is because the clutch never fully engages and wears heavily on the clutch lining.

[CookMySock]

can i pick up the back of the bike and move the front wheel

Thats a bloody easy way to wheel the bike around anyway - wheelbarrow it hanging onto the rear of the seat.. Bugger holding onto the bars and pushing it along. Forget about hurting the clutch.

Steve

[Guitarest-biker]

So its sweet if i move it around normally without the engine on but with the engine on i should go faster then walking speed?

[CookMySock]

So its sweet if i move it around normally without the engine on but with the engine on i should go faster then walking speed?

no, you can wheel it around with or without the engine running but keep it under about 80km/hr.

Steve

[BigAl]

So its sweet if i move it around normally without the engine on but with the engine on i should go faster then walking speed?

Pocket Bikes only have two speeds, stop or full noise! Remember this and you can't go wrong

[Guitarest-biker]

no, you can wheel it around with or without the engine running but keep it under about 80km/hr.

Steve

So its ok if i just walk with it holding the bars? It wont stuff up the clutch?

[CookMySock]

So its ok if i just walk with it holding the bars? It wont stuff up the clutch?

yeah, just keep your speed under 80km/hr approx.

Steve

[Guitarest-biker]

Sweet thanks

[Guitarest-biker]

Guys today i walked my bike up to my friends house and the clutch disk was burning hot ILL NEVER WALK WITH IT AGAIN. Im going to have to wheelbarrow it... But one question, my bike has no gears on it. Why does it need a clutch? I watched a video on how an engine works and im pretty sure the clutch is only used for manual transmissions can someone tell me why i have a clutch on my 1 gear bike?

[racefactory]

alright dude- that clicking noise.... that will be your wheel/chain alignment fucked and the chain clicks as it goes diagonally over the teeth. I've fucked around with wheel alignment so much and there's a hell of a good chance its that. Prop the back wheel up and look at it from behind... you should be able to tell if the wheel/chain is skewed.

Secondly- it's called a centrifugal clutch or a stall clutch... it's attached to the engine and when the shoes spin fast enough and generate enough force the springs will stretch and the shoes will contact the clutch bell housing which then drives the chain...

don't know what you mean by walk with it... that wouldnt do shit though as the clutch shoes are not even engaged one bit. The clutch does run fucking hot and that's how it's supposed to be... that's why when you first start the bike off the clutch will grab at a different point than to when it's warmed up. only if you smell a real burn/revs slipping/bogging/engaging too soon, you wil have to do something about it. That's where adjusting the clutch spring length to A) the right length B) the exact same lengths comes in- another story.

[racefactory]

if you break it down- there are only 2 things you need to pay attention towards to keep these things running good:

Good oil/mixture.

Clutches.

[Guitarest-biker]

When i said walk with it i ment walk while holding the handle bars. Ill try and fix the chain problem you mentioned. Tradme900 so its ok if i walk while holding the handlebars? Theres a spinning disk next to the left foot pedal on my bike and when i was at my friends i touched it and it was really really really hot, im sure thats the clutch.

[BigAl]

Hey Guitarest, bring your bike down to the Mt Wellington track on Sat or call in and we can show you how the centrifugal clutch on all pocket bikes work.
Even better bring $20 and some protective gear and have a go on the track

ciao

[racefactory]

When i said walk with it i ment walk while holding the handle bars. Ill try and fix the chain problem you mentioned. Tradme900 so its ok if i walk while holding the handlebars? Theres a spinning disk next to the left foot pedal on my bike and when i was at my friends i touched it and it was really really really hot, im sure thats the clutch.

dude- it is certainly ok to walk with it... 100 percent. that thing you see spinning is the clutch bell housing which is spinning free as the clutch shoes have not yet engaged. Dude those clutch shoes will not engage until spinning at thousands of rpm- when you are walking it.. the engine is not even spinning at 1 rpm!!

Basically- if it's running fine it aint your clutch... again, to me it sounds like drivechain prob, and with these shitty chinese build quality and materials, alignment is one thing that has gone out of the window on these. look down your chain from behind you should be able to see if it runs straight without bends over the 2 sprockets and that the 2 sprockets are right inline with each other.

another possible cause of this problem as has been mentioned by someone else above is a chain that is too tight. Check to see if it's too tight... it should have as a rough guide, just about or over 1 cm of freeplay in the center of the run. If the chain is loose and the sprockets not aligned- it wil come off and possibly fuck your crank shaft so watch out. However if your sprockets are aligned and chain is straight... it will not come off no matter how loose it is- but it will yank on the crank shaft and contact frame of bike in addition to being harder to drive as it will jerk forward suddenly as slack is taken up.