Firstly i should say how good these bikes are to ride. Coming off a 2009 yz250f, the bike feels light with very smooth power. Its very easy to ride, and the brakes are unbelieveable.

However, the clutch really is just a piece of crap! It has no feel, and after 30 hours the basket is trashed. I put around 80 hours on the yzf and the basket is still like new (and i abused the hell out of that clutch being a 250f).

Ive just purchased a barnett billet basket. I chose this as its got the replaceable inserts on the fingers. Ive also done the judder spring mod.
Im running sunline v1 levers (as i did on the yzf) and they are great. The pull is still heavy though. If I cant sort out the feel im going to get a 6 spring setup.

I knew the crf would have clutch problems before i purchased it, and IMO id rather have a light bike with awesome brakes and smooth power and have to spend money on the clutch, then have a heavy bike with too much power that doesnt turn. But please Honda, do something about the clutch for 2013!

Are you using the clutch like a 250? I am barely aware that the 450 has a clutch, becuase I rarely use it.

Honda did change the clutch in '09, and plenty of people have complained about it. I have faith that the engineers that build the highest quality bikes available knew something about the clutch, changed it for a reason, and didn't just decide one day to ruin the bike. A lot of clutch life is related to technique.

Your Barnett parts will fix it.

Leardriver, on 23 January 2012 - 05:00 AM, said:

If youve got the luxury of changing the clutch between motos like the factory does...maybe. Its cheaper and a little lighter. And a mistake. Bet on the old design coming back in the next model change.

I wouldn't be surprised.

But... I have to think that the engineers thought that they were on to something. It costs a fortune to re-tool for a new design, if they did it just to try to save a couple of bucks on parts costs. It is rare for Honda to just get it totally wrong.

The 9,10,11 also have differences. There a wired bevel washer half friction setup called an anti judder spring in th
e 10,11 or Maby its the 11 n 12. I have herd people remove this, its just replaced by a normal friction plate. And that puts it to 09 spec. Which I can tell you as well as anyone absolutely SUCKS.
I bought a adige aptc slipper clutch. And wow is it Awsome. It works on a twisted spline system in conjunction with ity bity springs. Pull is pinky easy. And the design puts more clamping load when u apply torque to it. When you apply back torque (engine brake) it slips. Personally I like that coming off a 2t.
The 10 11 and 12 are smoother motors.
The 09 is &%$#@!ey and jerky, just tiring offroad tugs too hard when u just crack the throttlr asking for a little it just punches you in the face then when you let off well just as well have stomped your brake. So much engine braking it made me miss my hunk a junk but loved 95 cr250. That all goes away with the adige aptc.
BTW its not an auto its more like a hinson slipper. But a much better design.
The hinson slipper is an astetically prettier piece that costsmore.
Sorry for the bad spelling grammar and typos.
Posted from my stupid phone.

englertracing, on 26 January 2012 - 03:03 AM, said:

I looked that clutch up and it looks like a pretty decent part. Where did you get it and what did it cost? The idea of the helix on the hub is pretty good. I wonder how it will wear over time.

Shawn_Mc, on 27 January 2012 - 12:23 PM, said:

Retail is like 600? I think i got it on flebay. 350 in "mint condition" one ride. More like one ride then raped by a homoerectus mechanic who's most advanced skills are hammering and prying.
Whoever worked on its a jerk. I discovered it had a mysterious bent steel plate. I.was like &%$#@! how do you do that. I told him he said he would replace i said screw it ill use myone of my old plates which i bent first try figuring this all out. It's ok I got more then I saw the hub had been pried on ouch... He was a Dick about that issue. Not cool. I made a trick setup for the lathe the hub bolted onto like it was the shaft. And I never pulled it outa thr lathe so it was dead on. I made it flatter than factory.

I think he screwed up the steel didn't realize. Tried to run it it didnt work and he ripped it outa the bike and it was hard on and off the splines off so he pried on it. Amature.

Time will tell with the durability. Lots of time broken.collar bone for now.
Also the clutch does have different preload spacers for 6 different amounts of engine braking. I have it set to low it feels like my cr.

Also on YouTube there's an assembly video. And a test video. Doing it there way you will bend a.plate. you gotta put the assembly screws.in while its upside down.

Quote

I watched all those vids. The guy they had doing it pushed it all together with two hands then turned it over and held it with one while he put the screws in it to hold it together. The whole thing seemed pretty friggin simple to me.

Its really hard to hold shut. If u flip it not holding it shut all the way the last plate gets between the two halves and you tighten the assembly screws it ruins that plate. If you had it in your hand you would see. Just holding it upside down while tightening eliminates the possibility of thr plate fslling in the gap. it doesn't mention this. He bent one and I did too. Watched the video and read the instructiones.

Just go to the 6-spring and don't look back... I don't understand why Honda wants to go with a 4-spring design anyway. It's garbage.

I saw a guy the other day that installed a Magura Hyd clutch on his 11' and he said it solved the fading problem... Not sure I understand how it could. Any input?

We took the judder spiring & that narrower fiber disc out & replaced it w/ a new 2006 fiber disc we had left over from the 06 CRF450r we had owned & the clutch now works fine. We had done the same thing to our 3 TRX450R's that had that judder spring/narrow disc set up as well.

dfesmire99, on 31 January 2012 - 01:27 PM, said:

A hyro clutch would have no effect on the fading correct?

motoscotty, on 31 January 2012 - 02:08 PM, said:

I wouldn't think so...it would just make squeezing the clutch lever somewhat easier I would think>

the hydo clutch does help with fade, it is self adjusting, so as your POS clutch gets hot and sloppy, the hydro clutch will take up the slack that would otherwise be in your cable. Ran one for the last couple years, works awesome.

DEGBTI, on 01 February 2012 - 07:13 AM, said:

Hey Thanks,

That would be cheaper than a full Hinson setup! Gonna check it out Thanks!