Honda Motorcycle Repair Q&A

Honda motorcycle repair is a popular topic during our weekly live Q&A sessions with our own powersports expert John Talley, and the CBR and CRF models are amongst the most talked about with our viewers.

John goes live every Friday at 3pm EST to answer your motorcycle repair questions. In this edition, John addresses overheating issues with a Honda CBR1000RR motorcycle, as well as a clutch problem with a CRF80 dirt bike.

Honda motorcycle repair Q&A

Honda Motorcycle Repair

I have a 2007 Honda CBR1000 RR. When it gets hot, the engine cuts off. Once it cools down again, it starts again. Any advice?

John Talley: It sounds like you have a cooling issue. So, we really need to start looking into the water pump, make sure it has enough coolant in there, make sure it is coolant and not just water. … And beyond that, if you’re sitting still you should also have the fan, when it hits a certain temperature … it should cut on and help cool down the radiator. … As far as it overheating like that, my best bet at this point without actually seeing the machine, it’s probably going to be a water pump issue, because it sounds like it’s completely getting choked off.

Watch the video above to see how to do a coolant flush on a Honda motorcycle.

Honda Dirt Bike Repair

I put my CRF80 into first gear and it barely wants to start moving, and as I switch gears it gets worse, then it won’t accelerate at all. What do you think?

John Talley: Well, sounds like it’s time to take a look at your clutch. But before you go tearing into the machine, make sure that your clutch is adjusted correctly. … maybe the adjuster up top has a little too much tension on it. But when it does that, those plates aren’t fully engaged, they’re going to spin and you’re going to have to buy a clutch. Now if the adjustment is correct on the lever itself, well it’s probably going to be time for a clutch. When you replace it, go ahead and do an oil change because when you wear out a clutch, it is actually bathing, in most units, in the same oil that’s circulating throughout your whole engine. So all that debris from your clutch plates that are starting to break down, it needs to get it out of the engine and it needs to get it out pretty quickly because it can actually stop up the passages and do damage to your bearings, the valves, the camshaft, you name it.