Clutch Failure - Clutch will not disengage.

Hello All, this is my first post here so thank you for your time!

I purchased my R3T August '08 (VIN#8J344024) it has 2603 Miles. When I received the bike I took it for a ride and found it hard to find neutral and it didn't seem to want to downshift from 2 to 1. Occasionally it would drop out of 1st when shifting from neutral. I also felt a vibration in the floorboards and handlebars that didn't seem right. I called my dealer and was told that "they act-up during the break-in and after the oil change at 500 it would smooth out." When I brought it in for the 500 mile check, I let the mechanic know I was still having problems with downshifting and neutral was hard to find. I felt like the clutch was not fully disengaging. With the clutch engaged in any gear you could pull very lightly on the clutch and it would eliminate the vibration I could feel in the floor boards. The dealer adjusted the clutch so that there was no slack in the cable and slightly pulling the clutch in. With the clutch engaged in any gear you could pull very lightly on the clutch and it would eliminate most of the vibration I could feel in the floor boards. At 670 mile I got a screw in my rear tire and brought it into the dealer tot be replaced. I let the mechanic know that the vibration was still there and had not changed much. I also felt like the adjustment was going to be bad for the clutch if it was slightly pulling on it. He then adjusted it back to the way it was originally. At 2600 miles I was riding with my wife and pulled in the clutch to shift and I felt the resistance of the clutch drop off and the clutch re-engage. The only time I could shift was when there was minimal load on the engine and I could power shift. I played hell getting it home trying to time lights and just rolling through 4 ways. I stalled it on my lawn and slide to a stop. I am so happy that nothing happened to my wife or myself. Except for the vibration which until recently, I attributed the 2.3L engine, the bike has been great until this failure... I have them picking my bike up on Tuesday. Hopefully it is a simple fix in the clutch basket. What kind of contamination will this failure send into the engine and what should be cleaned during the repair. This is the first new motorcycle that I have bought and believe a total failure like this at 2600 miles is unacceptable let alone the unsafe nature of such a failure.

Thanks,

Bukwas

This is the 1st time I've heard of this problem occurring on any new Rocket and by the way welcome to the site that will give you the right answer if mine isn't. . Sounds like to me you have a clutch that is out of balance bad. Definitely a warranty issue and should be fixed by the dealer without question.

Bukwas said:

The dealer adjusted the clutch so that there was no slack in the cable and slightly pulling the clutch in...

I also felt like the adjustment was going to be bad for the clutch if it was slightly pulling on it...

This is the first new motorcycle that I have bought and believe a total failure like this at 2600 miles is unacceptable let alone the unsafe nature of such a failure.

Thanks,

Bukwas

Click to expand...

Welcome Bukwas! IMO you have snapped your clutch lifter shaft, and I think you are right on both accounts.

An improperly adjusted clutch causes extreme wear to the clutch lifter shaft:


Eventually the shaft gets worn enough to break... then you have no clutch:


Fortunately, the debris from this failure is "caught" in a sump directly under the affected parts, so a good flushing and solvent wiping of all engine sumps is in order.

Thanks Hombre! Your analysis seems very plausible. My only problem with it is that it doesn't account for the vibration. But, the vibration could be normal for the bike. I had the mechanic ride it twice and he said he didn't feel anything wrong with the bike.... I would normally take it apart myself (and I still might) but being a brand new bike I don't want to be playing games with the dealer. I just wish the mechanic would have taken the clutch cover off and checked it at the 500 mile check, when I asked about it.... As for the broken clutch lifter shaft, is there a trust bearing on the back of the shaft it pulls and could it also be worn? I just want to get it fixed right so it doesn't happen again. With my wife on the back I can't take the chances I normally would, if I was flying solo... My dealer mechanic said he might come over last night if he was in the area and would call me ether way. No one showed and I got no call. We didn't even setup when they would pick it up... Thank you all for the help, it's more than my dealer has given me...

Don't know what to think of your vibration, but if the lifter shaft is broken you will have no resistance when pulling the clutch lever. The clutch lift piece (actuated by lifter shaft) rides on a ball bearing in 2006 models (thrust washer in earlier models, don't know about 2008). If the bearing fries (been there, done that) the lifter piece spins on lifter shaft, grinding it in half. IMO, your bearing should be replaced even if not fried, as it will have contamination.

I could tell you how to disconnect the clutch cable at the lifter shaft arm, and feel to see if it's "floppy" (broken), but since you're under warranty I'd let your dealer figure it out. Don't FCK with it, and possibly give him excuses for mis-adjusting your clutch!

I have to tred lightly here. I've sent you a PM.

Yup, I agree with Hombre's deduction... but you're right; it doesn't address the vibration.

If it were a car (or other single/dual-disc dry clutch), I'd suspect a faulty release bearing, bearing support, or pressure plate. I had a similar issue with my MG Midget just last year - Evidently when I pulled the transmission last to repair a few leaks and install a new front seal, I managed to break the throwout bearing support, which caused a vibration (due to the bearing simply flopping around off-center to the flywheel and clutch) until the clutch pedal was applied lightly (whereupon the bearing found its center again). That part was a real ***** to find and replace, I can tell you... I eventually had to have one made by my machinist.

I'm not precisely sure how the clutch in our Rocks operates, though I presume them to be standard multi-plate wet jobbies like most other motorcycles. I'd guess at a faulty or improperly torqued clutch basket - it would wiggle about a bit with no pressure against it, untill one applies pressure to the release mechanism that lifts the pressure plate away from the clutch pack. Did you feel any distinct vibration through the lever (would have been felt as a pulsation)?

Mine had similar problems at 3k miles. Took it to the dealer. They found that one of the clutch spring bolt towers had broken off of the outer basket. It stayed in large chunks which made it easier to clean out. Triumph gave me a whole new clutch assembly under warranty.

I called Triumph customer service and they said they would contact the dealer to "try to help them out." I called the mechanic Friday and the shaft snapped clean at the cut out. Hombre called it, the shaft looks like the picture he posted with the red background. They had the part in stock(???) and replaced it. The mechanic road the bike and noticed the vibration. He said he noticed it after trying to adjust the clutch cable. He's said we was still working on it and was calling Triumph about the problem. According to the what I have read, it could be the front bearing on the TDU, clutch basket unbalanced or balance shaft timing. I am just glad that they are feeling what I was talking about....

Thank you all for your help on this! :bch: It gives me a sense of calm when I can get questions answered...

I always find it 'amazing' how a dealer will assume that a customer complaining about something like an odd vibration is basically full of ****......Then, they 'mysteriously' discover the vibration or the defect and then say....duh, your right, there is a problem.......

I have a problem with that attitude.

That is the main reason why my Rocket is going to Iowa. I have no trust in any of the dealers in this state.

Any manual clutch without freeplay is going to destroy the actuator mechanism in pretty short order. That's just common sense. If you took the freeplay out of your clutch in your car or pickup (presuming that you have a standard transmission), you are either going to destroy the throwout bearing or weld the bearing to the actuator fingers...real quick.