Hawk 250 clutch issues?

[Piglife]

I am having a clutch issue and hoping that I can get some help as I now nothing about clutches. For some reason they have always been a point of contention for me. My 2020 Hawk 250 is shifting very hard and when it is warmed up it's also extremely difficult to go from 1st to neutral, it typically will very roughly go straight into 2nd. Usually though I will have to turn off and wait a couple of minutes. I "think" my clutch plates are sticking? I have adjusted the cable on both ends with no success. My bike has 650 miles, assembled and broke in appropriately. I'm not new to riding, just new to china bikes. I'm also not an expert mechanic, more of a moderate knowledge level. The only modifications I have completed are the typical new owner mods such as:

Rotella T4 15-40
new carb/re-jetted
Grease/lube everything
locktite all bolts
chain adjustment
replaced fork oil
replaced brake fluid & bled

Do you think I need to pull my clutch cover and inspect the plates? I did not get an owners manual so I do not have access to part numbers/torque settings and so on...
I am at a loss and hoping for any ideas someone might have?
Thanks for any help or suggestions!

[TxTaoRider]

Sounds like you just need to adjust your clutch cable.

[Bruces]

You need to adjust your clutch when it’s warm .

[Piglife]

Thanks very much.
I didn’t consider adjusting the cable when it was warmed up. I will give it a try and sure hope that’s what it is.
Thanks again!

[CHIMOT]

Originally Posted by Piglife

I am having a clutch issue and hoping that I can get some help as I now nothing about clutches. For some reason they have always been a point of contention for me. My 2020 Hawk 250 is shifting very hard and when it is warmed up…

I’m only going to reply to your posts once and you choose what you make of this. Because apparently I had some times to browse this forum and feel bad for you it’s back to the dark ages with guessing games with bunch of members that knows nothing about bikes problem or even how to troubleshoot them.

I go by the name of CHINA Motorsports. Motorsports is spelled with an “$” for plural because I specialize in all type of Chinese bike but chooses only 2 of the highest end that are the best in the market.

If your clutch is shifting hard, the likeliness of a clutch disk to shift hard by a rider is not the assembly rather outside the assembly. Because if there were anything wrong with your clutch assembly you would have heard noises and wouldn’t be able to shift. A common cause that does hard shifting is loose engine mounting bolts. Specially in Chinese bikes as they are always strip upon first assembled in the warehouse with over-torque impact wrench. That’s only for “shifting hard” and because you mentioned you have a Hawk 250, the chain sprocket cover may be installed wrong. Depends if your set-up has a longer shifting rod that needs something in the middle or anything out of the ordinary, remove it, then check your shifter pedal. The spring should release freely with any up or down movement and as you are installing it constantly check your pedal to see if it moves freely as when it was without cover. There shouldn’t be any difference and the cover should only serves the purpose of protecting your feet from getting chain grease. Or the rider if in case your chain snap, in that case the damages will be contained and you will have a broken engine, but you will be protected.

Once you can detect which variable I mentioned above that made you shift hard, change your bolt and tight them without impact, or the chain cover, then check your clutch free play. It should be noted that having a Penny and measuring the gap of your lever is the right amount of distance that you should use if you can’t determine the difference with a metric ruler trying to find 20mm.

Also please do not open your Hawk 250cc engine because there are no gasket available to order to seal it back up, and you will have to find me which is not cheap. So for your sake, try to enjoy your bike and not acting like a pro. Because acting like a pro means you got your shit together with tools, materials and equipment, whoever you may be of whatever job you do daily. You are still a newb if you starts a new project without all the essentials so instead of starting, don’t start at all. A common practice I use, I always service my bike when I know what’s wrong and I buy all the parts even if I overbuy parts. But once I start the job, it gets finished with only timing and not waiting on helps or scratching my balls what to do next.

[CHIMOT]

As for those people that says adjust your clutch when it’s warm for the CG230 Transmission as quoted by Honda since I follow manual and not what “he says she says” old school kinda thing, you adjust your clutch when the engine is dead ass cold.

When your bikes gets warmer, there is a greater gap than when it’s warm but that’s only if you are shifting improperly and heating up your clutch friction disk. That’s what that gap tells you. Meaning stop whatever you are doing and let the engine gets cold again, then ride again. It doesn’t necessarily means for you to have a overheat engine and a cool down clutch, or you would think your clutch being overheated is because your engine is overheating. Your clutch can overheat without affecting your cylinder walls or chambers.

And even if you are a pro rider like me, riding for 30 minutes or longer, you will see the difference in your clutch free play wearing down with a much wider gap. Not necessarily a problem to shift but a problem when the engine responds. Why you always need to have the gap that is cold correct instead of gapping when it’s warm as these newb above mentioned is because if you do that, and it works for you, doesn’t matter how long, you are slowly damaging your transmission. Then any any given time one of your gears will be unaligned or the rod itself from your countershaft will be damaged.

Normally something like a CG230 engine is able to withstand heat wear and movement for 45 minutes. After that you will see the side effect if you can tell. Like Rev getting higher and slower. Or high idle. Then the clutch is part of it.

[krat]

Anyone else been coming here, reading this, and LTAO for the past 4 days?

[IXIRoninIXI]

My new TBR7 D does the same thing. It doesn't like to go into neutral. It will go into neutral when I am coming out of first sometimes and that is ANNOYING. I have an easier time going into neutral from second gear when I am stopped. I am pretty sure you shouldn't be able to do that in the first place. It has been doing his since I got the bike.

[IXIRoninIXI]

From what I am reading this is actually normal..I think.

[Piglife]

Originally Posted by IXIRoninIXI

My new TBR7 D does the same thing. It doesn't like to go into neutral. It will go into neutral when I am coming out of first sometimes and that is ANNOYING. I have an easier time going into neutral from second gear when I am stopped. I am pretty sure you shouldn't be able to do that in the first place. It has been doing his since I got the bike.

That is essentially my issue. Add to that if it is hot my Hawk does not like to go from 1st to neutral, skips it and goes to 2nd. I just replaced my shift lever and in general it has helped some but its certainly not a big enough problem to keep me from loving the Hawk!

[Magician16]

My Magician clutch was similar until I changed to synthetic oil. It got markedly easier then.

[Sullybiker]

I'll tell you my experience with the TT250. If you can find a manual from Honda for the Zongshen 229cc variant of the CG 125 engine you're a better man than me..it's similar, but it's not the same.



So, my first Spring ride (about a 70F) day on the TT was characterised by terrible clutch performance when hot. It became like a light switch; very sudden grab and if you did manage to slip it, terrible judder.



I changed the clutch cable. I tried different oils. Nothing made any difference.



In the end, what fixed it was installing new plates. Now, I don't know if the old plates were bad (they looked fine), or if the simple act of reassembling by-the-book (spring torque, I'm looking at you) fixed it, but it's done.



If you choose this route, it's not a hard job, but you will need:

• 2 gaskets, one for the clutch-side cover, and one for the centrifugal oil filter (I made one from gasket paper after tracing the part, but you can find them all over the 'net)
• A special socket (THANKS, HONDA) to remove the centrifugal filter castle nut (you can make one from a 19mm deep socket if you're good at that sort of thing)
• A way to stop the engine turning when you do the above, it's quite high torque, iirc.
• Don't forget to drain then oil before you start, haha.

The entire procedure is written up by CSC in their manual for the TT250/SG250, which are freely available from their website.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Sullybiker

In the end, what fixed it was installing new plates. Now, I don't know if the old plates were bad (they looked fine), or if the simple act of reassembling by-the-book (spring torque, I'm looking at you) fixed it, but it's done.

I honestly think most of it is just poor assembly, because on my current Hawk I simply took the clutch apart and re-assembled it and it improved a noticeable amount. It still didn't quite solve the clutch fade issues fully, but it did greatly reduce it in the extreme circumstances. I also agree with you that I think a lot of it has to do with the pressure plate springs. Either insufficient or uneven torque values. What is left now I contribute to lower grade materials, but the oil cooler helped sort a lot of that out by simply keeping my oil temps more consistent.

[mgmaniac45]

You list a 21" front rim. Is it a stock one? If not stock, what kind is it, where did you get it?

[stewbrash]

CHIMOT,
I'm sorry, for someone who readily admits to be the supreme "know-it-all" concerning Chinese motorcycles...eBay sells gasket sets that perfectly fit my Hawk like 229cc motorcycle, so sorry...you don't know everything!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/253539666887

Also, taking your clutch case off is seriously easy!