What causes the clutch plate rivets to fail?

[..]

Amount of miles?

Hard/rough gear changes?

Poor maintenance?

High revving thru the gears?

[Bighead]

I would say a combination of all of the above. Except maybe the poor maint.

[gordonv]

I feel it is cause by manufacture failure. It can happen at any time. Not everyone has admitted to rough treatment. So they are most likely just the failure of a massed produced item, made at the cheapest cost to the company and sold for the highest amount of $ possible.

[wiggydotcom]

I feel it is cause by manufacture failure. It can happen at any time. Not everyone has admitted to rough treatment. So they are most likely just the failure of a massed produced item, made at the cheapest cost to the company and sold for the highest amount of $ possible.

I'd agree with Gordon on this. Originally, it was thought to be only the 97 and 98 Valks that had the trouble. My 99 interstate's clutch gave out last May. I never did burnouts or abused my clutch----just normal downshifting that was well timed to not engine brake too much.

Did yours go bad, Britman?

[BigMac (SoCal)]

I truly believe it is the way the bike is ridden. You almost never hear of a 1500 Goldwings going thru a clutch. Valk riders tend to perhaps drag race or due burn outs and such. My friend in Brazil has around 350,000 miles and is still on the original clutch. I have 145,000 with no issues so far.

Just my opinion of course.

[..]

I feel it is cause by manufacture failure. It can happen at any time. Not everyone has admitted to rough treatment. So they are most likely just the failure of a massed produced item, made at the cheapest cost to the company and sold for the highest amount of $ possible.

I'd agree with Gordon on this. Originally, it was thought to be only the 97 and 98 Valks that had the trouble. My 99 interstate's clutch gave out last May. I never did burnouts or abused my clutch----just normal downshifting that was well timed to not engine brake too much.

Did yours go bad, Britman?

No.

Reading a few posts about clutch problems made me wonder.

[F6Dave]

It sounds like a supplier sold Honda a bunch of damper plates with inferior rivets.  Those plates shouldn't fail.  The failures I've read about have been mostly in earlier production years which is consistent with a faulty production run, like the rear wheel bearing failures.

[wiggydotcom]

I feel it is cause by manufacture failure. It can happen at any time. Not everyone has admitted to rough treatment. So they are most likely just the failure of a massed produced item, made at the cheapest cost to the company and sold for the highest amount of $ possible.

I'd agree with Gordon on this. Originally, it was thought to be only the 97 and 98 Valks that had the trouble. My 99 interstate's clutch gave out last May. I never did burnouts or abused my clutch----just normal downshifting that was well timed to not engine brake too much.

Did yours go bad, Britman?

No.

Reading a few posts about clutch problems made me wonder.

Ok, good to hear yours is still functioning properly. They're not fun to change out while still on the bike.

[Hook#3287]

Is it possible it's a designed "weak link"?

[98valk]

It sounds like a supplier sold Honda a bunch of damper plates with inferior rivets.  Those plates shouldn't fail.  The failures I've read about have been mostly in earlier production years which is consistent with a faulty production run, like the rear wheel bearing failures.

my '98 last yr with only 42k miles went bad.  many told me it was bad supplier.
Goldwings are not know to have a problem. some owners of '98s have over 100k miles with no problems.

[..]

It sounds like a supplier sold Honda a bunch of damper plates with inferior rivets.  Those plates shouldn't fail.  The failures I've read about have been mostly in earlier production years which is consistent with a faulty production run, like the rear wheel bearing failures.

my '98 last yr with only 42k miles went bad.  many told me it was bad supplier.
Goldwings are not know to have a problem. some owners of '98s have over 100k miles with no problems.

My previous was a 98.

This one is a 98

So fingers crossed.

[wingrider02]

The clutch rivets have been a problem since the first Goldwing's rolled off the line.  It may have been earier, but that is what I know at the moment.  Seems it might be a different problem for them, but still the same end result.

[Valker]

No one has ever accused me of riding easy. My 98 Tourer has 144,000 miles and is fine on the OEM clutch. This includes a dozen 1/4 mile strip passes.

[98valk]

No one has ever accused me of riding easy. My 98 Tourer has 144,000 miles and is fine on the OEM clutch. This includes a dozen 1/4 mile strip passes.

maybe we can break this down to month of manufacture,
mine is 4/98.

[Valker]

Mine is 8/97

[gordonv]

maybe we can break this down to month of manufacture,
mine is 4/98.

Maybe start a new thread and do a survey post instead?

[Roadog]

  Hey Valker, what was the ET's from the drag strip ? Thinking about taking mine . Dont know what to expect out of it.

Roadog

[Bagger John - #3785]

One of my local friends bought the first GL1500 ('88) delivered to the area.

He didn't do burnouts or drag race the bike, but it was always ridden full-on from the moment he acquired ownership. Said 'Wing had 388K on it (original motor/clutch/heads/valves, etc.) when it was totalled at the Honda Hoot a few years back.

Our Valkyries are not making twice the horsepower of a GL1500 'Wing, with the exception of the forced-aspirated contingent or the bottle baby gang. I find it hard to believe that Honda only allowed for a 10% applied-power headroom before things start coming apart. Something else is amiss here, and that's probably a supplier-quality issue.

Without going 'fiching, has anyone compared the P/N of an '88-'00 GL1500 damper plate to that of, say, a '98 GL1500C part? 

[98valk]

it has been reported that Honda upgraded the clutch for the Valkyire and the Goldwing got the Valkyrie parts.
from my post after replacing the damper plate.
Some info, bought a complete used clutch assembly on ebay for $40, price ranges found $40-100+. this way I had a clutch basket, which greatly helped in assembly. This was from a '91 Goldwing 113k, mic'd the clutch plates and actually measured the same as my 42k plates and the two new ones. so basically the clutch doesn't wear out. I can see why GL1500 forums state clutch is good for 200-300k miles. From checking parts fiches ALL GL1500s use the same number of clutch plates, so basket and clutch center are all the same. what is different is the clutch plate design and materials. Up to '97 all the clutch plates are the same except #4 and #7 which are actually the same that all '97 and up clutch plates are thus the upgrade mentioned for valkyries and 97-00 goldwings. Embossed on the pressure plate states they are paper disks.
The 113k damper plate looked fine and had the same slight movement as the new one I bought.


looks like they discontinued the older friction disks.
97-03
http://www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/honda/HP-22322-MZ0-000.html

88-96
http://www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/honda/HP-22322-MN5-000.html

[Valker]

  Hey Valker, what was the ET's from the drag strip ? Thinking about taking mine . Dont know what to expect out of it.

Roadog

It's been a few years, but IIRC I ran 12.98 once (luck) and low 13s most of the time. This was with a bike tire on the back, windshield in place (Tourer) full saddlebags, and my 300# but on it. Amarillo Dragway is at about 3200 feet elevation. The day was cool, traction was good except when I spun a lot. ;/

[DK]

I may be completely off the reservation, but I swear I've read in this forum that you can dispense with the dampener plate by substituting an additional standard plate

Anyone else think this to be correct?

Dan

[The emperor has no clothes]

I may be completely off the reservation, but I swear I've read in this forum that you can dispense with the dampener plate by substituting an additional standard plate

Anyone else think this to be correct?

Dan

I have read that here also.

[98valk]

I may be completely off the reservation, but I swear I've read in this forum that you can dispense with the dampener plate by substituting an additional standard plate

Anyone else think this to be correct?

Dan

it is recommended against

Jeff K
Member
*****
Re: clutch problem... Help needed
« Reply #18 on: August 28, 2014, 10:34:45 AM »
   Reply with quoteQuote
I rode a valk with the damper plate removed. I did not like the clutch "feel" it was very unforgiving. Trying to load that bike into a truck was "different" slipping the clutch takes some practice.
I didn't like it.
http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,71364.0.html

good thread to read on dampers
http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,8292.0.html
jeffk
"I have had a bike in my shop that had the plate removed and replaced with the equivalent thickness of stock steel plates.
It was a bit "jumpy" at a slow take off. I'm sure you could get used to it.  "