Returning rider, newbie 6th gen owner with a question: I've had a 2003 VFR for about a year-and-a-half and recently the clutch seems a little softer. Last year, I dropped the bike in a parking lot practicing hard braking and pulled it right back up. Bent the clutch lever a bit but once I got it home I hammered it right back but it was still a bit off. Bought a replacement level about two months ago and it immediately felt better. Now, it seems that a) the clutch feels a little softer or b) I'm just getting used to it more. I'm sorta paranoid about this and I suspect the quiz answer is (a) since it is much easier to take off and when I am getting into it and the VTECH is kicking in, I have the impression that the bike isn't going quite as fast as it should. The engine isn't running away from the rest of the bike like it's really slipping - just an impression. I'm not a mechanic by profession but I can get my way around things okay. I installed my own frame sliders, fender eliminator and changed the oil and lube the chain, etc. One last thing, Seems like the bike makes more noise in neutral and it sometimes won't start with the clutch pulled in. Discuss??
Hmmmm... Well lets cover the basics. Are you using Car Oil in your motorcycle? If so that can cause clutch slippage. Are you the original owner and have traeted your bike pretty easy, or do you pull wheelies and holeshots? (Please be honest) Did the previous owner treat the bike well? I can say I had to replace the clutch plates in the 97 because I saved it from a squid in New Jersey. The 97 had 10,022 miles too. My mechanic just shook his head. Since then the 97 has 23,XXX with track days and I've had no issues. Just some Q's. BZ
Pull in the clutch lever and no start just means that the wire going to the handle bar switch or another place has been disconnected thats all. Or the switch. That wire goes to the start relay solenoid. The reason for that switch is so that if you are at a stoplight and the bike dies, that you can start it without putting it neutral first. A modern invention after 1980 something. As far as the clutch....If you are in any gear cruising along and you give it the gas and the engine revs up- but no acceleration, that means the clutch is slipping. time for new plates. After it starts slipping it will be undriveable in a few days.
I'm not the original but I think the guy before me took good care of it. I bought it with 14k on the clock. I changed the oil to the Rotella synthetic raved about on this forum and elsewhere at the end of last season. I'm a 47 year-old returning rider with fully functioning self-preservation instincts. So no wheelies, stoppies, holeshots, triple lutz, etc. The only thing I can think of is that when I dropped it last year it got some air in the lines. Otherwise, the change over in clutch lever. I'm not a mechanic. Called what is reputed to be a reputable Honda dealer/service shop and they said to take it out on the road, get in 5th gear and open the throttle wide. If the engine "flares" the clutch is done. If not it's okay. I'm not able to do that today, but I'll try it and report back. It's a $400 repair BTW. I may attempt this myself if in fact the clutch is gone. What the hell? If it doesn't work, the dealer is about a mile away. I can get it there in a borrowed pickup. I have a Haynes Manual and it looks moderately involved (three of five wrenches by their system). :unsure: Thanks all, David
floydz, just like bubba asked, has it accedently had car oil in it? if so it would not take long to kill a clutch pack. It has a hydralic clutch,uless your one of the ones that got converted to a cable system, so has the oil been changed in the last 7yrs of its life, the oil wears out and can go spongey if moisture gets into it, this leads the question, does the clutch kinda feel like its not fully disengaged? since you bent the lever id say the seal on the resevior may not be seated anymore, or possibly the release valve in the handle assembly is stuck and your not fully releasing. worst case is that the assembley is warped. To fix this you will need to at least download the 2002 vfr shop manual : http://vfrworld.com/forums/specifications/3161-downloadable-parts-catalogs-service-manuals.html ****WARNING**** its a huge 215MB and will take days on dial-up! This is just a place to ctart, who knows, you may be doing a clutch rebuild including the hydralic actuator system. hoping for the simple Zen
It is an easy repair to change clutch plates. get a manual. also when the plates are out lay the metal plates on a flat surface like glass and check for warpage. If they have turned colors replace the metal and fiber disks too.
Well David, I'd say try replacing the clutch fluid first. There are few tools that do not cost much and many good tutorials online on how to do it. The oil you use shouldn't be a problem (as long as the engine case in not overfilled with it). So we can rule that out. If the bike hasn't been beat on I would be a bit suprised the clutch plates would be shot at this point but who knows. Start with the easier maintenance then move to the more complex and part replacement stuff. BZ
I might change the oil. I used the Shell Rotella Synthetic and it's only got 1,800 miles on it, but it's not an expensive thing to do. About $20 bucks total. Also, I took it out today and couldn't get it to "flare" in any gear. Just smooth go. I also adjusted the clutch lever so it pushes the plunger a bit more when I pull the lever. That immediately fixed the starting in first gear issue. I gave the master cylinder a good visual inspection and saw no cracks, chipped or cracking paint or visual evidence that anything was warped. Bubba, Donald and Zen - I appreciate the advice! For now I am just going to keep an eye on this. After a quick look at the Haynes and Honda Shop manuals, I can see now that replacing the plates is probably within my skills. Thanks, David
