Clutch 'friction zone'

[tk338]

Not sure if friction zone is correct terminology, however I recently bought a cbr 600 fy (10 years old-ish, 21k on the clocks), after passing my full test, stepping up from a ybr 125.

I bought the ybr new, 0 miles on the clock (or very close anyways) and it ran beautifully, as does the cbr (minus a few issues).

One of my gripes with the bike is it seems the clutch is a bit vague, and by that I mean letting it out it engages halfway but it doesn't have the 'grab' the ybr used too. It might just be the fact I haven't had the bike long and don't have the revs up high for pulling off, but even with slow speed control its made a bit more difficult by the fact the clutch just doesn't seem to grab as much as my other bike.

I replaced my clutch lever on the ybr, so feel confident about that end of a clutch adjustment, or does this sound like I'll be needing a new clutch?

Thanks!

Also, as a quick question on oil, the cbr runs nicely, sounds ok, but the inspection window is impossible too see anything through. At the last attempt to see it definitely looked like there was oil in there but its difficult to tell. I fully intend on doing an oil and oil filter change asap although, but not for a week or so till I get paid :p.

To sum up, if there wasn't enough oil in there the oil pressure light would come on, correct? Or something wouldn't sound right surely!

Thanks again!

[Frost]

Provided within say 2/3 the span of the lever the clutch can go from fully disengaged to fuly engaged it's not a problem. a YBR likely doesn't have the power to wear the clutch down to remove the sharpness. The clutch plates on both bikes will likely move a similar distance, but the bigger bike will have bigger plates and stronger springs requiring a larger longer lever to give you enough leverage to squash the springs. This larger span of movement might just be something you need to get used to. If you can get someone whose used to bigger bikes to give it a try, they'll be able to tell you right away if its right or not. Communicating in text how it should feel is difficult.

[weasley]

Most bikes don't have an oil pressure light - tends to be an oil level light. Either way, waiting until it comes on is not a great idea!

[dragstaar]

Sorry, this may be a bit condescending, but it took me a while to realise when i first started, but why can't you see through the oil window?

Leave the bike on the centre stand for a few minutes (if it has one) and have a look. If the oil window is fully black, then it may mean that the bike has been overfilled. Either way, I like to do an oil change as soon as i get a new bike. I feel it helps it ride smoother and you give it a relatively fresh start

[Noxious89123]

To clarify, the bike needs to be upright when you check the oil level, not on the side stand. The oil shouldn't be upto the top of the window, but a few mm below the top. There are high and low marks on the engine asing next to the window.
If it's not "biting" enough, let the clutch out more! If it's bogging down when you do that, give it some beans...

Oh, and it's definitely an oil pressure light, not oil level


Also, pics!
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'06 Honda CBR125RW-6 ~ '00 Honda CBR600F-Y ~ '07 Honda CBR600RR-7 ~ Bikeless
'53 Ford Ka 1.3 ~ '03 Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.8 ~ '52 Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.2 ~ '53 Vauxhall Astra GSi

[MaybeGuy]

[c_dug]

Either way, waiting until the light comes on is a bad idea. Most bikes have a pressure sensor not level. My NTV tried killing itself within 2 seconds of the light coming on.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Kickstart]

Hi

If the oil level drops enough for the oil pressure warning light to come on (which it will eventually) then you have likely already killed the engine. Most 4 stroke bikes have oil pressure warning lights, but having plain bearings maintaining oil pressure is critical.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Robby]

You're likely being quite cautious with the power, having moved from a bike with 12hp to one with about 100, so low speed control and clutch could just be a factor of not using enough revs. They're quite wooly at very low revs, but can pootle along at 2000rpm.

If the oil level is too high this can make the clutch feel a bit odd, along with other problems. If the oil level is above the fill line with the bike standing upright you need to get some of it out, best way is with a vacuum pump if you have one. If not you can make a heath-robinson contraption using a plastic bottle and some plastic tubing to suck it out. Easier with the oil warm.

[tk338]

Sorry for the extreme delay in a reply, what with work and all...

First off I've finally posted a pic of the bike on this site here: https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=92493&start=1775

I'd say the clutch goes from being fully disengaged to engaged further from the handle than my last bike, although I thought I had got used to it. Lately however changing up and down I'm now getting on the power a bit too early so unless I really concentrate I'm on the power AFTER I've changed but before the clutch has engaged, resulting hearing the engine revving and then as the clutch engages a drop before the revs rise again, all in a few seconds... Weird!

With regards to the bite again it still doesn't have quite the same feel of the ybr, but then again I haven't yet done 500 miles on it (damn rain) so I'm hopeful, and it did have a lot more response when I gave it the beans... Lets just say things started going past me a lot faster than I expected! Brilliant fun!

Onto the oil level, the inspection window is very very misty, however as suggested I put it onto the centre stand, and then tried running it a bit before turning it off and I could make out a faint oil line rising but it was taking a while so I left it a coupe of minutes, came back and the line was gone again, I think it must be over filled .

That said I'm pretty sure the CCT has gone (don't think I've mentioned that?) and so I'm taking it back to where I got it tomorrow to get that replaced on warranty hopefully! Thinking about it though, the original one runs on oil pressure, correct? So having too much oil could have caused that to go? Just a thought. I haven't done anything to the oil yet, although I got my eye on a new oil filter and some oil which will be bought first thing payday!

Thanks for all your replies!

[Noxious89123]

CCT is totally mechanical, oil doesn't come into it. Also, they all rattle.

Mine rattled even after changing the CCT. The one I removed looked pretty new too. The CCT can't back off unless you wind it back by hand, so it's not as if the chain will become really slack and jump a tooth.

Does it rattle/tap/click/tick all the time, or just at tick over?
____________________
'06 Honda CBR125RW-6 ~ '00 Honda CBR600F-Y ~ '07 Honda CBR600RR-7 ~ Bikeless
'53 Ford Ka 1.3 ~ '03 Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.8 ~ '52 Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.2 ~ '53 Vauxhall Astra GSi

[Noxious89123]

Ah, it's restricted... Haha, It'll blow your mind when you take them out. I went from a CBR125 to a 600, and only had it restricted after a few weeks of owning it. Big mistake, as I then knew what I was missing, and whipped them out after just 3 months.

Compared to a 125, it still has a nice amount of shove with 33bhp, and will do about 100mph. The power delivery is softened so much though, it' unbelievable. First time you open it up with them removed will make you grin like a cheshire cat.
____________________
'06 Honda CBR125RW-6 ~ '00 Honda CBR600F-Y ~ '07 Honda CBR600RR-7 ~ Bikeless
'53 Ford Ka 1.3 ~ '03 Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.8 ~ '52 Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.2 ~ '53 Vauxhall Astra GSi

[tk338]

Oh right! I swear I read somewhere it had something to do with oil, but I guess it wouldn't make much sense that way anyways! Once its warmed up it rattles, not too loudly though, that said I have heard a rattling similar to it over the sound of the wind, engine and exhaust at 70mph...

So it does rattle most of the time once warm, maybe its just I don't notice it sometimes, but sometimes it does become a lot more noticeable.

I'd love to take the restrictors out, I really really would! However I'm going to wait as long as humanly possible to keep them in because I think like you say once I've experienced that power anything below it will seem gutless and boring.

To continue the hijacking of my own thread... It also doesn't like starting when warm, is that normal? I generally have to give it a bit of throttle, or else you can just hear the engine being turned over. Weird as I can get the bike to start easily, first time now in the cold (even when my seat was iced over last week), but if I stop for petrol or stop for a few minutes come to start it again and its a bit of throttle and ignition to get it going.

As a final note the fuel consumption on it is a lot better than expected! I've done 150 miles on this tank so far and still no fuel light, a fair few of those have been in the wet, so taking it easy but still, the ybr didn't have a tank for that!

[c_dug]

I thought the CCT was hydraulic on these? Or at least according to the CBR forum I am on it is, not that I would know either way
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Noxious89123]

c-_dug, on an F3 like yours, I think they might be hydraulic, but on an F4 like tk338 has (and myself) they are definitely not. I've dismantled the old one and had a look how it works you see. Really isn't alot to it, and nothing other than the spring looks breakable.

Regarding starting, mine doesn't like to start purely by holding the starter button. Requires a nanosquit (aprox 0.1 of a squit) of throttle and it fires straight up. My 125 was the same, started easier with a tiny bit of throttle.
____________________
'06 Honda CBR125RW-6 ~ '00 Honda CBR600F-Y ~ '07 Honda CBR600RR-7 ~ Bikeless
'53 Ford Ka 1.3 ~ '03 Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.8 ~ '52 Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.2 ~ '53 Vauxhall Astra GSi