4 stroke bike clutch wears out after less then 10miles!

[Mynameis]

Hello everybody,

I’ve recently bought a 4 stroke 49cc engine kit for my bike. Everything went well building it, but after my first ride, which was less then 10miles, my clutch completely broke down(I’ll attach pictures). I replaced the clutch with a brand new one, but after taking another ride with the new clutch, the pads wore out again in less then 5miles.

What could be causing this? I do kickstart my bike to 6 miles/hour before i apply gas.

That’s the photo of the first clutch, after riding less then 10miles. Two springs were found unattached.

 

[Mynameis]

Update

I’ll attach pictures of the new clutch I replaced before and after taking a 5mile ride.

First photo is taken just after replacing the clutch. Second one after taking 5mile ride.

 

[curtisfox]

Something is amiss here. Can you explain more, is it getting hot, what your gear ratio, is it slipping? There is different springs you can get to help. And there is past discussion on this if you search............Curt

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

You need to pedal the bike up to speed every time you start from a stop... & if you ride too 'slow' the clutch will always be slipping.... try riding at a faster speed so the clutch is engaged harder.

Also... did you add a aftermarket rear sprocket to the wheel for higher top speed? (because that will also cause this).

 

[jeffpas]

I am totally wondering about this also though I have a 2 stroke engine....it also has a clutch.
Is the normal riding position of the clutch lever supposed to be parallel with the engine and bike, as in pushed in a little bit under tension, or all the way out? The instructions said it should be parallel with engine- and my clutch lever all the way out kind of sticks out a bit where your legs are. So I pulled the clutch wire in some. But I wondered if that might wear out the clutch more quickly riding like that, with it parallel? It only pushes it in a little.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

I am totally wondering about this also though I have a 2 stroke engine....it also has a clutch.
Is the normal riding position of the clutch lever supposed to be parallel with the engine and bike, as in pushed in a little bit under tension, or all the way out? The instructions said it should be parallel with engine- and my clutch lever all the way out kind of sticks out a bit where your legs are. So I pulled the clutch wire in some. But I wondered if that might wear out the clutch more quickly riding like that, with it parallel? It only pushes it in a little.

There should be ZERO tension on the clutch cable while riding! (If the lever on the engine is a little out, that's ok)... The main thing is that the clutch doesn't slip while riding & cause it to wear out too soon.

 

[jeffpas]

ah good thank you

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

High gear ratios and the wrong springs as the others have mentioned can cause this. The other factor to consider is all pads aren't created equally. Just like cheap brake pads can quickly wear out cheap clutch pads can also wear quickly

 

[Mossy]

A small 4 stroke with a heavy load is burning the clutch... Bike berry junk... A predator build is something else that would handle the load like a mini bike... 2 stroke is the same difference if you're trying to take off from a dead stop... Same thing as taking off in 5th gear and complaining the clutch is defective... I've done smoke shows going through the gears once the tires loose traction and not hurt the clutch because the tire was essentially the clutch... Something has to give... Trying to pedal with wide cranks to get a little 4 stroke up to speed enough for the engine to take over is the trick... The 2 stroke China doll is better with the pedaling with the stock pedals... Plus you start it from pedaling

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

If you plan to keep using this engine consider a shifter build.

 

[jeffpas]

High gear ratios and the wrong springs as the others have mentioned can cause this. The other factor to consider is all pads aren't created equally. Just like cheap brake pads can quickly wear out cheap clutch pads can also wear quickly

Its like this in everything I've ever done. You put down $400 in all on a kit and "cheap" bike and extras which I consider quite a lot and they all say you have junk you get what you paid for and you should have spent $2000. Its good to be rich!
Anyway I haven't even got my kit finished I'd at least like to take it for 1 ride before everyone tells me I should upgrade, and I can feel bad because I can't afford it lol

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Its like this in everything I've ever done. You put down $400 in all on a kit and "cheap" bike and extras which I consider quite a lot and they all say you have junk you get what you paid for and you should have spent $2000. Its good to be rich!
Anyway I haven't even got my kit finished I'd at least like to take it for 1 ride before everyone tells me I should upgrade, and I can feel bad because I can't afford it lol

I'm on a fixed income, so I of all people understand limited funds. What I've discovered over the years is a low-quality, low-priced parts will end up costing you more than initially spending a little more for a higher-quality part.

I'm 240 lbs, my bike weighs a 100 lbs and my pull-behind trailer can hold 200 lbs. Where I live there are 30% grade hills. My engine is a 4-stroke 33cc RS35; it's also 13 years old with close to 5000 hours of use on it. I did replace the non-adjustable carburetor with an adjustable one. Other than that all I've ever replaced is spark plugs and fuel filters.

The reason my clutch has lasted so long is it's a has high-quality pads, I also have a shifter bike and use a tachometer. That way I'm never in a gear ratio that'll puts strain on the clutch.

I'm just trying to let you know ways you can fix the problem.