Update clutch problem

[l0ckman]

Got it back everything seem good. $900 +, and they still say it's my fault.

Michael

[Bob Denman]

(If I may ask... )
What did they say you were doing to it to monkey it up?

[Chupaca]

How did you mess it up..??

[l0ckman]

Keeping the rpm's to low. They say even when the clutch lever is all the way out, it does not fully engage until 3 to 4 thousand rpm.

Michael

[Freddy]

Keeping the rpm's to low. They say even when the clutch lever is all the way out, it does not fully engage until 3 to 4 thousand rpm.

Michael

I find that hard to believe. I'd like someone from BRP or elsewhere to explain precisely how that happens and what components control such an arrangement.

[NancysToy]

Keeping the rpm's to low. They say even when the clutch lever is all the way out, it does not fully engage until 3 to 4 thousand rpm.

Michael

Total BS! Clutch springs are clutch springs, and there is no centrifugal engagement mechanism on the SM to bring the clutch in harder. It would not be covered anyway, as the plates and discs are a named exclusion in the warranty, but to spread crap like that as an excuse is just not right. I hoped they checked your clutch assist solenoid. That is the most likely cause of premature clutch failure for an SM, other than abuse.

On the plus side, if they put in the new clutch pack with the extra disc, you should have smooth sailing from here on out...if your clutch assist solenoid is operating correctly..

[Jeriatric]

Time to find someone else to care for your Spyder if they are that out of touch, or even worse. If they know better and are simply lying to you. just my 2c

[Bob Denman]

Scotty's right; they're feeding you a line of hooey!
The ESSEM's clutches lock up fully once you let go of the clutch lever; unlike the ESSIEs, which do need some rpm to lock up...

[l0ckman]

They did show me a print out from the "BUDS" that showed that I spent most of my rpm's below 4500 (60% of the time).

Not sure if that is good or bad (they say bad), to me that sounds like I do not speed, 4000 rpm is 55 mph.

So I will shift at 5000 rpm or above and see how that goes, it does seem high to me now I guess I will get used to it. I do not want to replace the clutch again, and besides it seems not to be a big problem out there so it must be my problem not the spyder's.

Thanks for all the input and good will, I will try to do better.

Michael

[CatsJ35]

You should shift higher than that these motors love rpm and you're not going to hurt anything by revving it. If your worried about speed keep it in a lower gear.

[Jeriatric]

You should shift higher than that these motors love rpm and you're not going to hurt anything by revving it. If your worried about speed keep it in a lower gear.

Well said

[Sarge707]

They did show me a print out from the "BUDS" that showed that I spent most of my rpm's below 4500 (60% of the time).

Not sure if that is good or bad (they say bad), to me that sounds like I do not speed, 4000 rpm is 55 mph.

So I will shift at 5000 rpm or above and see how that goes, it does seem high to me now I guess I will get used to it. I do not want to replace the clutch again, and besides it seems not to be a big problem out there so it must be my problem not the spyder's.

Thanks for all the input and good will, I will try to do better.

Michael

On the RT I use 3rd gear on secondary roads right up to 50 MPH- More than that 4th gear- 5th NOT until 60 MPH?
Try it and you will notice the engine will be happier!!!

[jthornton]

Keeping the rpm's to low. They say even when the clutch lever is all the way out, it does not fully engage until 3 to 4 thousand rpm.

Michael

"They" may be talking about the SE5 transmission and it locks up at 3200RPM but it doesn't have a clutch lever...

John

[ARtraveler]

The upside: try driving with the rpm's higher as suggested. The spyder seems to like that 4500-5500 "happy spot". You are always at the power point. It takes some getting used to. Around town in 2nd or 3rd. Highway 55 mph in 4th gear. Not going to 5th until you are on the highway at 65 mph or so.

[MouthPiece]

The upside: try driving with the rpm's higher as suggested. The spyder seems to like that 4500-5500 "happy spot". You are always at the power point. It takes some getting used to. Around town in 2nd or 3rd. Highway 55 mph in 4th gear. Not going to 5th until you are on the highway at 65 mph or so.

"Or so" would be 70 mph for me.

Chris

[Can-Am Poogs]

When I ride 2 up with my wife on the back, I tend not to rag it. I drive conservatively. Real smooth acceleration and shifting. I probably shift around 3500-4500 rpm. spend most of my time in 3rd or 4th gear round town. Never thought I would be hurting the bike. Even when it's just me on the bike going through residential areas I tend to keep the rpms lower than normal and run at lower rpms. I don't like sounding like I am going fast when I am not. I have my moments when I accelerate and shift aggressively at higher rpm usually on shifts between 3 and 4 or 4 and 5 gears. Hate to think on days when I am feeling mellow and like being a Sunday driver, I am actually hurting the bike. This may make me consider the way I ride. My wife made me promise her I wouldn't drive hard core. She had no sense of ha ha, when see caught me doing 160 kmph on the highway (100 mph). Still find it hard to believe that shifting at low rpm can lead to premature clutch burn out.

[BikerDoc]

When I ride 2 up with my wife on the back, I tend not to rag it. I drive conservatively. Real smooth acceleration and shifting. I probably shift around 3500-4500 rpm. spend most of my time in 3rd or 4th gear round town. Never thought I would be hurting the bike. Even when it's just me on the bike going through residential areas I tend to keep the rpms lower than normal and run at lower rpms. I don't like sounding like I am going fast when I am not. I have my moments when I accelerate and shift aggressively at higher rpm usually on shifts between 3 and 4 or 4 and 5 gears. Hate to think on days when I am feeling mellow and like being a Sunday driver, I am actually hurting the bike. This may make me consider the way I ride. My wife made me promise her I wouldn't drive hard core. She had no sense of ha ha, when see caught me doing 160 kmph on the highway (100 mph). Still find it hard to believe that shifting at low rpm can lead to premature clutch burn out.

The rotax engine was designed for a racing bike, not the Spyder.. What is hard to believe about something being damaged if you use it in a fashion other than the way it was designed to be used for?

[Can-Am Poogs]

The rotax engine was designed for a racing bike, not the Spyder.. What is hard to believe about something being damaged if you use it in a fashion other than the way it was designed to be used for?

I just find it hard to believe when I don't abuse a motor an clutch system and pamper it, I am causing damaging to it. I can go hard core on a bike just like the next guy. Looking forward to it. I agree with what has been posted. The Rotax has a sweet spot between 5000 and 8000 rpm where it just purrs.

[ARtraveler]

RE: Hard core--I don't think anyone would call me hard core when it comes to driving the and trying to eke out performance and speed. The ranges I was suggesting are more than what I did at first--around 3800 rpms or so--just above the point where the semi auto is supposed to catch. As mentioned before, it took a little getting used to, but, I do feel the performs better.

There are also some earlier posts about running the at redline continuously. Not recommended by all--but adhered to by some.

[2 Cruysyn]

"Or so" would be 70 mph for me.

Ditto MouthPiece.

I start thinking about fifth gear when I'm above 65 headed for 70, or whatever.