Honda cg125 clutch issues.

[liamparkin]

Hi everyone.

I upgraded by a shocking 35cc's a around 4 months from a Honda c90 to a Honda cg125. The bike I bought was more or less mint; a 2000 model with 670 miles on it from new... full service history etc.

I do love it, but I have had issues with the clutch from the word go. At fist I thought the problem was with myself, having not ridden a geared bike much and putting it down to poor riding technique. The thing is though, after more than 2000 miles ridden, where I should know the feel of the bike instinctively, I'm still experiencing the problem, and I'm beginning to be convinced that it isn't to do with me.

Basically, everything is fine when the bike is cold. Lifting off from stationary into first is as smooth as it can be, as well as changing between gears. No problem at all. It runs how it should. It's when it gets hot that the issues become apparent, usually around the five miles mark when I'm nearing the end of my commute.
When lifting off, I cannot, for the life of me, stop a clunking sound from coming from the underneath of my bike. I can feel it through the foot pedals when it does. No matter how I try to play around with releasing the clutch lever can I stop it, unless I fling it out too early and make the bike jump forward. That's the only way I can stop the clunking sound. I've tried to practice on a private road where there aren't any cars around but still the same clunking sound happens whenever I lift off. Perfect when cold, predicatively faulty when hot.

Does anyone have any idea what it can be?

To add further details I should say that the clunk will happen around 2-3 seconds into me releasing the clutch lever. And also, another annoying trait is that sometimes, when I begin to release the clutch lever on its own without revving the engine, it will cause another clunking sound, like the release is causing something to smash into something. Again, this only happens with a hot engine.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

[Teflon-Mike]

Err... symptom description is a bit woolly...
First off, if it changes with temp, first port of call is usually oil.
Clunking would more usually be chain slack of cush drive rubbers.. which are a PITA metastatic bush i the hub, on them ISTR.. but that oughtn't be temp related.
Clutch flaking out and changing the bite-point with temp, is usually adjustment; on these though range of adjustment is limited to the cable, and if you are having this issue, t's tending to suggest that the clutch-plates have got thin, and you are on an over-centre point on the release cam in the casing; Fix would likely be new plates and springs; easy enough job, and only about £20 worth of bits, though you would be advised to invest a tenner in the castle-nut tool.
Photo-How2 here
Likelihood is that its a 'compound effect' of cumulative problems; so start with the simple and obvious and the service items ad work your way through.
Also worth spending a few minutes setting the gear-lever on the splines to where it's most comfy to work.. you've been used to a heel-&-toe shifter on a C90; on this you need to toe the lever up, and if its too high or too low, you can easily make sloppy shifts not lifting the lever far enough and holding it in the switch point until it 'latches' in the new cog, and 'clonks' when after shifting, it 'drops in'... or out.... if t was very sloppy shift!
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Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'