dickard37

IDk about that honestly It just seems to me that the Hawk should let out way sooner than ALL the way at the end,,, I mean it doesn't engage until the very end

I reckon I could just take it apart and find out huh!

I haven't bled it but I need to that though and was going to that and the clutch at the same time.....

1971allchaos

I would take the suggestion of bleed'n the clutch res- before you really consider going into the engine- Being if you refer to the manual, - Coolant, water pump, then the cover for the clutch basket.
I have read (on this forum), and have met other (very hard on the equipment ) riders that have had a LOT of miles on their bikes, before needing to replace the clutch.
Simple resolves first, cheaper(time wise,money).

VTRsurfer

Is it slipping? With it in 2nd or 3rd gear with the clutch engaged (don't pull on the lever) at low RPM (2000 to 2500), whack the throttle open to see if it's slipping.

Stumpy

Question
1. Does it slip ? put it in a higher gear and let the clutch out with the front brake on to see if it will stall or slip or pull the front end off of the ground dont hurt yourself.

2. Did you take the clutch slave cyl off and see if the rod is sticking for some reason very easy to do just time no parts if ok clean it all up.

3. I would think that if the clutch had air in the system it would not disengage as the fluid would not have enough piston traval to release, that said it is not a bad ideal to blead and flush the thing once a year i do in the spring.

4. when I changed mine I only did becouse I went with the heaver springs when I did the star wheel for better shifting. would not have to done it looking back now sitll have a good set of Stock plates, disk and springs at home.

5. change the oil and filter, cut the filter and look for anything bad iin it. before you fill it back up make up your mind if you want to do the clutch as the oil will be out of it already. I also change mine 500 miles after the new clutch just to make sure it is clean or at least change the filter and add to the right level.

Jmho

Stumpy

smokinjoe73

Yeah, I would first attempt doing the bleed. You can just wrap a rag around the banjo bolt at the lever (make sure its the highest point) and crack the bolt open while your assistant slowly squeezes the lever to pressurize the system & squeeze out a bit of fluid (it will push past the loosened bolt). Just be sure to put a trash bag (or other plastic covering) over the fairing to prvent hating yourself later for the ruined paint job. This proceedure helped my clutch. I eventually replaced the clutch plates but they didnt look all that worn when I removed them. But with the bike open (you dont have to drain the oil, just tip the bike) I figured I would just put the new ones in. Also check catalogs like chapparral since the VTR shares the same plates with other hondas you may find a good deal on a clutch pack from another bike. I wanna say a 900rr but I cross referenced the part # & got a steal on a barnett clutch for a different honda. (just be aware the # of plates may vary). Hope this helps.

comedo

If you don't have a shapely assistant to squeeze the lever, a rubber band on the lever and grip will do the same thing. I also have a spray bottle filled with water handy in case some Dot 4 gets spilled.

dickard37

HMMM,,,, very interesting.... I will try the bleeding and see what I get.... I appreciate all your guys' help... Thanks, I'll report back with the results.

VTRsurfer

If you had air in the system (which would require bleeding), it would be crunching when shifting into 1st, or it wouldn't go into gear at all.

I just checked the friction point on my clutch and it's pretty much out at the end of lever travel. Measuring from the far inside end of the grip, and not counting free play, there's only 3/16" of lever travel left after it hits the friction point.

On the other hand, my wife's SV has a cable clutch. She likes the cable adjusted so the friction point is real close the the grip. If I rode her bike all the time, I'd adjust it out a lot more.

nuhawk

All of the Superhawks engage at the very end of the travel. Most all Honda products with hydraulic clutches do. My Interceptor does the same thing. One of the mechanics that since will never touch one of my bikes thought the travel as wrong and replaced the stock clutch with a Barnett kit. Now the clutch engages more gradually but the stock clutch turned out to be just fine. I only paid cost for the parts and the labor was free but I was still out for money needlessly spent.

As is said above - if it's not slipping - it's not broke.

dickard37

Thanks for that info. My next question was indeed gonna be "where does everybody elses clutch engage?".... But you guys beat me to it,,, thats why I love this forum......

I decided to just do a fluid change and really glad I did it,,, that crap was NASTY!!!! like really STRONG coffee lmao

I took it out and it doesn't slip at all I was only concerned because of where it engaged..... thanks again for the vast amount of knowledge the people on this forum have and are willing to share......
(did I get any brown stuff on my nose)