Why premium motorcycle clutch repairs are so costly?
In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the clutch components and common problems that can occur and some precautions that can help with an early clutch replacement.
What is a motorcycle clutch and how does it work?
The motorcycle clutch works through a clutch assembly consisting of numerous components including primary drive gear, clutch basket, clutch plate, clutch hub, clutch springs, level, clutch cable and pressure plates.
Power is transferred from the engine through your clutch to your gearbox, which ultimately sends it to your wheels. When you consider that even at idle, your engine and, subsequently, the flywheel (the part the clutch holds onto), are spinning at 1,000rpm, you can see how the forces involved put the clutch under a lot of stress.
When your fingers are off the clutch lever or fully depressed, the clutch is at its happiest since it is either clamped between the engine and gearbox or spinning freely.
Holding the lever halfway through effectively causes the flywheel and clutch to rotate at various speeds, which wears down the clutch. When someone says you’re riding the clutch, they mean exactly that.
These components may degrade over time, resulting in the clutch slipping, shuddering, or failing to engage properly. The durability of the clutch system can also be impacted by other elements such as driving practises, weather conditions, and the calibre of replacement parts.
When should I replace my clutch?
Do you want to know if a clutch can emit a burning smell? Ride a motorcycle with a lot of kms on it up a long, steep hill in high gear, and chances are you’ll smell something burning. If there is even a little bit of slip going on, you’ll smell it.
Although new clutches don’t typically smell terrible, they still have a chance of slipping. A clutch slips, why? It takes place because the clutch plate is so worn that it is unable to latch onto the flywheel.
If your clutch is slipping, the motorcycle will either not move at all or will move but only very slowly and at a slow speed that won’t match the RPM. Since the clutch is the link between your crankshaft and your transmission, any slippage means that less of the power your engine is making is getting to the rear wheel.
Can I adjust my clutch?
Motorcycles that have a hydraulic clutch are self-adjusting as the clutch wears, so there’s nothing that can be done when it starts to slip apart from change it.
The majority are fitted with a clutch lever and cable. This allows for adjustment at regular intervals. In fact it demands it to avoid slippage.
So why is a clutch repairs/replacement so expensive?
The cost of labour accounts for a sizable amount of the total cost when fixing a clutch. This is so because the clutch system needs to be disassembled, and any worn or broken parts replaced. Additionally, the cost may increase if the flywheel/bell housing needs to be rebuilt or resurfaced or replaced.
In addition to the labour charges a clutch replacement job needs new clutch springs, clutch cover gaskets and motorcycle engine oil
A motorcycle manual will recommend replacing the steel plates, friction plates and springs all at once. It is critical to check the condition of the clutch basket and hub. If a bike has a jillion miles on it or it was ridden hard, these parts can end up feeling serrated like a steak knife from the clutch plate tabs hammering them so much. This can lead to the plates “hanging up” on the serrations and not ever releasing all the way. This causes a very sticky feel at the lever and will cause the bike to lurch and make it nearly impossible to get it into neutral when its running.
So, if your clutch does go, don’t get annoyed thinking the garage is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. It’s a labour intensive job that requires a lot of time inspecting and if needed replacing the many components of the clutch system.