Did not know if I should put this here or in Rubber side down. I'm sure someone will move it if required.

We had an unusually warm day today for November. Temp was in mid 80's on ride home. Traffic was horrible. It was stop and stop and maybe a little go. Took me about 30-45 minutes to go 5 miles or so. The heat from the engine was cooking my legs and I was having trouble finding neutral. Eventually I could not get neutral and the clutch remained engaged in first so that I had to pull over and let the engine die while in first. With the clutch lever fully pulled in the bike wanted to keep moving, when I braked to a complete stop the engine died.

Like I said, I pulled over into a parking lot and let the engine cool of for about 30 minutes. I adjusted the clutch at the clutch lever and then rode the remaining 30 miles or so trouble free. I was about 5 blocks from the HOV entrance when the engine died so after those 5 blocks I was moving at a decent pace providing ample air cooling for the engine.

I will be changing the oil as it probably needed it anyway. It feels like the clutch is working fine now. Just curious as to why the clutch did not want to disengage. By the way, the lock nut for the clutch cable down at engine level was fine (still locked) and and at the lever level also.

yes, change the oil, especially if it's conventional.
if you're going to get stuck in traffic often, get a radiator fan.
there's just not much else to do.  if it's not moving there's no cooling.

Clutch plates do expand when hot.  Back when I was young an skinny, I raced 125s.  One day I was practicing corners at my local sand pit not far from where I lived.  When I was done, I rode home.  Everything was fine and there were no signs of any issues with the clutch.  

The next day I jumped on the bike after school, popped the bike in gear and nothing.  The bike wouldn't move.  Tore it down and the aluminum drive plates were so worn down that there were ridges at the edges.  Friction plates were still perfect. Yet the worked fine the day before when the they were scorching hot.  

The drive plates were damaged from me slipping the clutch railing deep sand berms in third gear, but they expanded enough to maintain function throughout the ride and get me home. That's how much things can expand in there.

But our bikes have steal drive plates, so there is no way you could cause the damage I did to that old 125.  You should have adjusted the clutch play while you were having the issues and then adjusted it again after it had cooled down or before you next ride.

piedmontbuckeye wrote on 11/03/17 at 08:37:52:


Yep, I agree..........don't change the spark plug heat range.  It has nothing to do with the engine operating temperature.

The only reason I would ever consider changing the heat range is if you only rode at interstate speeds all the time.....and the plug was showing a white tip even with a good fuel mixture.

Thanks all for the input. I run the rotella dino in summer so that is what is in there right now. I will use rotella synthetic for the next oil change. I may try to go for a little ride before doing anything to the bike just to see if I notice anything weird.

I can understand the engine getting hot, I just thought it was so weird that the clutch started acting up. Specially since I put in new clutch fiber plates and springs at around 16k miles.

Heck, it may just be time for major tune up/maintenance. I was planning on waiting til I hit 30k miles but I guess it is best to play it safe.

MMRanch wrote on 11/02/17 at 21:34:33:


Small engines have huge fins on the flywheel that act as a fan forcing air across the fins on the engine.  Most also have a splash oiling system that soaks the cylinder and bottom of the piston with oil.

Anyway you look at it, our bikes were not designed for that kind of traffic.  Sometimes I just hang a U-turn, and take a different route, even if it is a lot longer.

springman wrote on 11/03/17 at 12:31:32:

Funny anybody would want to get a glimpse of a bus...
But anyway congrats on the champs.  

  I also pushed it rather than use the clutch for slow movement.  

I do that too , unless it on an up-hill slope !  

Some times I just change my direction and go to Wal-Mart and kill 30 min. till the jam-up is over , or call it a good time to have dinner and stop at the next food.

We all get stuck in them sometime ...