Clutch Failed Right After Warranty

[John4852]

Hi All,

2021 Honda Rebel 300. 13000km. Four clutch adjustments under the warranty period. Each time they adjusted it but did not open it up.

Right after the warranty period it failed-burnt out completely. $1500 to fix.

Honda says that the clutch is an expendable item and so is not covered by the warranty. When I told them about the four visits they told me that this was a dealer problem because they had failed to diagnose the issue.

I want to go to the dealer and convince them to charge me cost to repair it. They are good guys-they could do that if I politely present the situation to them.

How do you all suggest I go about it? How long should the clutch have lasted?

Looking for advice,

John

 

[Wingboy]

How many km's? A Honda clutch with "normal" use should last many years.

 

[John4852]

13k.

Will edit post.

 

[Wingboy]

Some info is missing. What were the symptoms you experienced each of the 4 times?

 

[Lightcycle]

A clutch should last way more than 13K. I've only had to replace two worn clutches in all the bikes I've owned, wife's bike at 140,000 km and mine at 175,000 kms - and that was a dry clutch at that!

 

[John4852]

Symptoms:

Gear shifting always slid into being too loose. Gear-shift handle had way too much play and always slipped into way too much more play. They tightened the nut up on the engine so it was 1/2 way off the thread at the final visit.



Their argument is that the bike at highway speeds of over 120km/hr burnt it out but don't clutches burn-out from use? Unless the plates were brazing and not fully in contact, which I think is the issue. Could speed affect it?

 

[Wingboy]

Did your clutch lever always have adequate play in the adjustment at the lever?

 

[Lightcycle]

Their argument is that the bike at highway speeds of over 120km/hr burnt it out but don't clutches burn-out from use? Unless the plates were brazing and not fully in contact, which I think is the issue. Could speed affect it?

Speed is only one factor. More relevant factors are high RPMs and how much work the clutch has to do to move the bike (quick acceleration, as well as heavy deceleration from engine braking).

If you're doing 120 km/h on a 300cc bike, then definitely that engine is spinning up pretty fast and your clutch will burn in no time if it's already slipping.

Did you feel a lag from when you cracked open the throttle till when the bike started accelerating?

 

[John4852]

Slipping into too much play was the issue.

At the end yes, a lag.

 

[Wingboy]

Symptoms:

Gear shifting always slid into being too loose. Gear-shift handle had way too much play and always slipped into way too much more play. They tightened the nut up on the engine so it was 1/2 way off the thread at the final visit.

Your gear shift lever is NOT adjustable.

 

[GreyGhost]

A clutch isn't normally that hard or expensive to replace. The last one I did took an hour or so and used a few hundred in parts. If your baskets are hurt, parts cost goes way up.

Road speed has no bearing on clutch wear. Either it's slipping and it will die quickly or it's not and it should last a long time.

Gear shift handle? Do you mean clutch lever? It kept getting looser as you were riding and required a cable adjustment four times? The last time they found the basket was loose? That will be a crappy fight and I'm not impressed at the work they did so far. In essence, there is a good chance that the clutch was slipping (possibly due to a manufacturing error) and now it has worn out. It is a wear item and not normally covered. It would be interesting to see the documentation (if there is any) on this loose nut.

 

[Lightcycle]

Slipping into too much play was the issue.

At the end yes, a lag.

I don't want to put too much blame on you, since you did take it to the dealer 4 times. But if you notice it slipping, you should have babied it back to dealer a fifth time, not keep riding it.

 

[TK4]

I help service a bunch of learn-to-ride school bikes, including the Honda 300s.
The 2021s use a slipper clutch which is quite different from previous years.
The stock 300 springs are fairly wimpy - we found the springs from the CBR250s to be better.
We did a couple with all Barnett or EBC springs but the clutch pull was a fair bit stiffer.
If it were my bike I'd rebuild it with stock friction and steel plates and half stock CBR250 and half EBC springs, it'll triple clutch life.
Unfortunately, clutches are considered wear items and not warranty.
BUT - it's a $500 repair at most, not $1500 as you were quoted.

 

[John4852]

I don't want to put too much blame on you, since you did take it to the dealer 4 times. But if you notice it slipping, you should have babied it back to dealer a fifth time, not keep riding it.

True.

 

[regder]

In the dealer's defence, a clutch is a wear item and there's not much that could cause a clutch to be defective (maybe deformed clutch basket, or super weak springs). Even under warranty I would be very surprised if they were able to warranty it.

 

[TwistedKestrel]

This definitely isn't normal.

First thought is a defective clutch cable that is fraying at one end - does everything look normal at both ends of the cable? No loose strands of wire poking out?

 

[Lightcycle]

Wear item or not, still though, four visits to the dealer and then a failure? That's not a good look on them.

I think OP has a good case against the dealer for them to fix the issue on their dime. Not his.

 

[TK4]

Wear item or not, still though, four visits to the dealer and then a failure? That's not a good look on them.

I think OP has a good case against the dealer for them to fix the issue on their dime. Not his.

Unless he has documentation to back up the claim and Honda Canada steps up to help I doubt it'll happen.

 

[Lightcycle]

Unless he has documentation to back up the claim and Honda Canada steps up to help I doubt it'll happen.

If that were the case, I'd go Full Karen on them.

 

[Aens]

I'm still not even quite sure what the described problem is by the op. If the clutch is toast at 13k, and the lever free play needed to be adjusted at the dealership 4 times, I have no idea what it could be besides user error. The nut on the engine is probably referring to the coarse clutch cable adjuster and the user described issue is that there was too much play.

How can the clutch get burned after being adjusted unless you were pulling in the clutch and slipping it all day long. If anything, it should make it impossible for you to burn the clutch out without having the bike also a) never come to a complete stop or b) never start up/go into gear(clutch sensor) or c) shoot out from underneath you when you turn on the engine. No matter how bad the dealership, clutch cable adjustment is something even an apprentice can do and is easily checked.

Did you keep tightening the cable when it 'came lose'? Did you always allow for several degrees of free play as specified in the manual? I just don't see how a clutch cable needs to be constantly adjusted and results in a burnt clutch absent user error.

or maybe its two different issues at the same time. What motor oil did you use on the oil changes?