Tao Tao Hellcat Shifting hard

[benhonda]

So I bought a taotao hellcat 125 for the low low price of $225 with only 800 miles because it shifts hard.
Upshifts while the bike is running are fine.
Downshifts are a bit rough, clunky.

Shifting while the engine is off...1st is hard, neutral to 2nd and back isnt bad. Basically not possible to go higher than 2nd.
Right now the battery is on the charger, so I push-start in second to get it started...pushing with it in 2nd and the clutch engaged there is still drag...while it doesn't seem like the motor turns over it is still hard to push!
But as soon as I let out the clutch, the motor turns over and it starts up.


Not sure if this means the clutch is the issue, or if shifter linkage is the problem. I tried adjusting the clutch cable (which is new) but that had no effect.

[RedCrowRides]

First things i would do is : Lube the clutch cable ,trace it from bars to clutch and make sure it is not being bound anywhere .

Change the oil with a good oil that SAYS on the bottle it is approved for use with wet clutches ,synthetic or non - synth as long as it is wet clutch approved.
There is an adjust net up on the handlebars ,maybe another on the engine where the actuator arm enters the clutch /crankcase. Adjust the engine one, fine tune at level or bars, but if that does not work there is an adjustable throw arm inside the clutch cover ,as a last resort i'd try adjusting that ,there should be an access cover with two bolts in it iirc .
If all that fails you can get new clutch plates /discs and all that from Kronik racing for pretty cheap ,or from partskit.com. , if all you have in the bike is $225 and otherwise it is basically all there and sound, a $50 or less complete clutch replacement isnt that hard nor expensive if you have the know how to tackle it .

[benhonda]

First things i would do is : Lube the clutch cable ,trace it from bars to clutch and make sure it is not being bound anywhere .

Change the oil with a good oil that SAYS on the bottle it is approved for use with wet clutches ,synthetic or non - synth as long as it is wet clutch approved.
There is an adjust net up on the handlebars ,maybe another on the engine where the actuator arm enters the clutch /crankcase. Adjust the engine one, fine tune at level or bars, but if that does not work there is an adjustable throw arm inside the clutch cover ,as a last resort i'd try adjusting that ,there should be an access cover with two bolts in it iirc .
If all that fails you can get new clutch plates /discs and all that from Kronik racing for pretty cheap ,or from partskit.com. , if all you have in the bike is $225 and otherwise it is basically all there and sound, a $50 or less complete clutch replacement isnt that hard nor expensive if you have the know how to tackle it .


The clutch cable itself is new, and I've adjusted both it and the throw arm inside the cover. Adjusted it so far one way that the clutch just slipped and then backed off until it felt right. But it still feels like it wants to grab just a bit, making downshifts rough and it wanting to move when in first with the clutch handle pulled.


Then last night while testing something got into the carb and it stopped running. First cleaning didn't work (would start but not rev past 4k) and after a second, more thorough cleaning the battery died. And it is 100 degrees inside the garage, so I won't be working on it today.
If I can get the carb back into shape so the motor runs right, I may buy a new clutch assembly as you suggest. Though before I do that I may pull the side cover and check for any obvious issues.


I did notice that the oil level was low and topped it off. The whole engine was rebuilt by a shop a month ago, so it being low on oil is worrying. Still unsure if I got a sweet deal, or someone else's basket case/money pit.

[RedCrowRides]

I hear ya on the 100 degree heat factor, that exact issue has me currently stalled on

doing some more parts installs on mine, it runs fine just some aftermarket goodies but

it is so hot here in FLA i just cant seem to get it done.

[benhonda]

I hear ya on the 100 degree heat factor, that exact issue has me currently stalled on

doing some more parts installs on mine, it runs fine just some aftermarket goodies but

it is so hot here in FLA i just cant seem to get it done.


I ended up doing some work, got the bike to run well enough (bogged at midrange) and once warmed up I drained the oil and popped off the trans cover.


The nut that holds the clutch basket on was loose, only 1 tab of the star washer was engaged on the nut. This is the only obvious issue in there. Nothing looks broken or bent. But I'm new to clutch/shifting trans...only worked on mowers/scooters so far. So I don't know if the clutch basket nut being loose would cause the issues it is having or not. I guess it could cause it to be slightly engaged even if I have the clutch handle in and the cable adjustments right. Not sure why it would cause hard downshifts.


I tried shifting the bike with the clutch off, it gets stuck at the points of the star. But I don't know if it should shift smoothly with the bike not running or not anyway.

[benhonda]

For the hard shifting problem there is a bolt on the left side of the engine under the shift indicator switch. Remove the counter shaft sprocket cover then loosen the bolt that holds the switch in place then pull the switch out then you can see the bolt. You might have to remove the sprocket to get to it.
Are you saying that bolt may be loose? what does the bolt do/hold?

When I got the bike the shift indicator switch was missing, and that side cover is currently off.

[benhonda]

I checked the bolt (hex head, under where the shift indicator switch would go) at the other side of the shifter shaft and it is tight.
I made a video showing what it does. Note that the bike will shift up just fine when running, but downshifts are rough or require the engine/bike speed to be just right. Some of that may have been due to the clutch basket nut being loose, but I doubt it was the only issue and I believe the bike should be able to shift without the motor running (correct me if Im wrong!) You can see in the video that the shifter arm moves as far as it can, but the star/cam doesn't fully rotate and so it gets stuck at one of the points on the star.


https://youtu.be/iNpBuZ8OJiY

[benhonda]

well, I thought i had learned this lesson before but apparently not...
I shouldn't work on stuff when it is 90 degrees with high humidity!


I reassembled my clutch, put everything back together, cleaned the carb, got the bike running and as soon as I put it into 1st gear it died. You guessed it, the clutch no longer disengages! I either assembled it wrong or forgot something. So I get to drain the oil and do it all over again this weekend. :doh:

When sweat is pouring off your forehead, so much that you look down and think your bike has sprung a leak, that is a good sign that you should just quit working!

[RedCrowRides]

I wear glasses, so in about 10 minutes i literally cant see a damn thing from the sweat having dripped onto the inside of my lenses ,if i take them off i can't see anything cause my eyes are that bad without em lol.


I'm in FLA and it's so hot & humid here now the only time you can " pleasure ride" is very late afternoon and evening like after 6pm , or very early in the morning ( before 10 am) other than that it's just your skull being baked inside the shell of your helmet and best to just take the car if you have to go somewhere.,assuming it has working AC .


Hope you get the clutch back to functioning as correctly as possible, it's pretty normal for these bikes to have very notchy shifting up to around the 500 miles mark but if the bike has 800 on it , it should be beyond that and smoothed out. I don't know why it seems to not be moving enough to actuate properly all the time as far as the mechanism goes, i mean these are all standard parts so they should either all work or none work, i still think it's just a question of getting it all adjusted correctly ,which admittedly can be easier said than done if you don't have a ton of motorcycle clutch experience .