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By: Anonymous: Kondiao ()  Saturday, 10 August 2013 @ 07:23 PM ICT (Read 5907 times)  

I bought my Honda PCX 150 in April, 2013, from Chiang Mai Gate Motors. I regret the impulse decison to buy it from these people as they are very unreliable and disorganized and are terrible at doing warranty maintenance.. My machine developed a problem early on. At low speeds the bike shudders and hesitates. Then it puts on a burst of speed as the rpm's climb a little. The lack of control at speeds of 1 -5 mph is a drag, as you do a lot of driving at low speeds in the traffic of Chiang Mai. I am a little worried when I have a passenger, as she might fall off when the bike clicks into gear and surges ahead.

At first the owner of the shop denied there was anything wrong with the bike and the mechancs claimed there was no problem when they test drove it.. But when I went back there with a Thai friend she argued with them and they agreed to deal with it. They sent the bike to a bigger Honda shop and after a couple days, got it back and told me the clutch was changed. It then ran more smoothly for a few hundred Km. Now the shudder and slipping is back.

I would like to know if anyone else experienced this particular problem. What is it about and what can be done about it? I would hate for the tranny to blow when I am out somewhere in east Isaan.

By: news (offline)  Saturday, 10 August 2013 @ 07:44 PM ICT  

Hello Kondiao,

If I was correctly informed, the warranty for your Honda PCX150 is not from the dealer, but from Honda, so if you're not happy, for what ever reason, you can always change to another Honda dealer.

You can check the status of your warranty at warranty.aphonda.co.th/ and after that you can contact Honda Call Center 02-725-4000 for information how-to change to another dealer and they can also inform you the nearest alternative dealer in your area.

With the Honda Call Center you probably need to wait a bit longer before they can find you an English speaking call operator. You maybe need to call a few times...

   

news


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By: Kondiao (offline)  Wednesday, 21 August 2013 @ 05:52 PM ICT  

I posted a question about my Honda PCX 150 and all I got in reply was some advice to try a new dealer. Does "News" think I am so retarded I could not figure that out myself. The website he offered me is of no use, since it is in Thai and I really don't have the years to spend learning to read it.
The dealer that I went to for the 4,000 km check-up did not test drive the bike, or do anything witht he clutch. And they charged me bt 130 for this "FREE" tune-up.
Now I still have the question about the clutch - does anyone who speaks English have experience about a slipping clutch on a PCX 150?
And a new question: does anyone know of an honest Honda dealer in Chiang Mai?

   

Kondiao



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By: news (offline)  Wednesday, 21 August 2013 @ 09:03 PM ICT  

Quote by: Kondiao

I posted a question about my Honda PCX 150 and all I got in reply was some advice to try a new dealer. Does "News" think I am so retarded I could not figure that out myself. The website he offered me is of no use, since it is in Thai and I really don't have the years to spend learning to read it.
The dealer that I went to for the 4,000 km check-up did not test drive the bike, or do anything witht he clutch. And they charged me bt 130 for this "FREE" tune-up.
Now I still have the question about the clutch - does anyone who speaks English have experience about a slipping clutch on a PCX 150?
And a new question: does anyone know of an honest Honda dealer in Chiang Mai?



Sorry Kondiao,

We not think you're retarded, but in a country like Thailand you cannot expect much from local motorcycle manufacturers when it comes to a foreign language.

I also give you a telephone number for the Honda Call Center, they actually have people answering the phone who speak English. They can, and will, help you. The Thai Honda distributor is much more customer orientated than most people would expect.

The website we specified has only one option, enter your VIN number, I personally had the idea that not much knowledge of the Thai language was needed for that.....

Again, if the service was a free “tune-up” why did you pay? Why did you not talked/complained to the Thai Honda distributor with who you in the terms of your purchase have a legal warranty agreement?

The clutch on the Honda PCX150 is what we call a centrifugal clutch, the clutch will enabled depending on the engine RPM. Personally I have not much experience with the Honda PCX centrifugal clutch and I can only tell that it's possible to tweak the clutch.

   

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By: Flying Squirrel (offline)  Wednesday, 28 August 2013 @ 11:20 AM ICT  

I'm a bit late hereEmbarrased As usual Laughing Out Loud

If riding at 1-5 mph in traffic on a manual clutch bike, it would not be absolutely smooth or jerk free. Even if it was it is a lot of work.
So the fact that an auto bike is so called not smooth is not altogether a surprise. There has to be a clutch engagement point. For PCX at about 1500 rpm for the clutch not the motor. If I am correct this is at about 12kph or about 7.5 mph which is exactly where the OP says. Add to this that the CVT also has an engagement point of sorts and the belt has a modicum of slack..
The OP could fit an after market clutch with a more positive engagement but I don't think that would help the low speed engagement per se.
Maybe the clutch lining is glazed with all the partial load operation? May I suggest a few spirited hill starts on the hill to Wat Doi Suthep to attempt to de-glaze the clutch lining? That and a slight change in ridding style to not follow the slow traffic but attempt to follow the locals to the front of the queue. When in Rome...?

   

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By: Anonymous: Kondiao ()  Sunday, 01 September 2013 @ 11:51 PM ICT  

Thank you Squirrel for explaining about the centrifugal clutch. I understand a little better now. But stilll.... I think it should be better. I know that when I had left the bike at the shop, C.M. Gate Motors, for a day, and I road their loaner PCX it was much smoother. It would go from zero to 1 km/hr. and then smoothly to 4km/hr., and then to 5..... My bike shudders and something slips, as the rpm's build up, until it jumps to 5 km./hr. (Roughly). I think an honest and competent mechanic should be able to make an adjustment to this - so the transmission is not damaged. But, I will do some fast riding up the hills, as you suggest and see it it helps. These guys

By: Flying Squirrel (offline)  Monday, 02 September 2013 @ 09:10 AM ICT  

Hi,

Whilst the clutch can be modified by a tinkerer there is no adjustment as such like there is for a Wave's secondary clutch. Most people would be complaining about lack of engagement! They could strip it down and rebuild it but they can't really adjust anything. It is remotely possible in this mass produced age that you are unlucky and your clutch drum is slightly out of round, unlikely and that can only be measured by machine shop type measuring equipment. So you could take the drum of and take it to a machine shop to be skimmed.

Give it a bit more welly when pulling away that will give the clutch more work to do and maybe drive it past the low speed stick that you encounter.

Send me a PM or a message and I'll suggest someone to have a look.

Please keep us up to date.

   

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By: Anonymous: Anonymous ()  Monday, 02 September 2013 @ 11:42 AM ICT  

Hi Kondiao,
in the case of an automatic vehicle I would not think about the clutch (only) since many problems like yours could depend on the o2-sensor misadjusting the fuel in lower rpms also.
So maybe this also could be a possible way to go?
Good luck.

By: SutusB25 (offline)  Tuesday, 03 September 2013 @ 10:42 PM ICT  

To understand this problem it may help to understand the entire transmission system.
‘Drive’ connects to engine
‘Driven ‘connects to rear wheel

On the ‘Drive ‘ side is an expanding /contracting pulley . Controlling this is the ‘variator’ . As the engine revs increase this ‘variator’ causes the pulley to change to ‘large’ diameter. The larger the diameter of this expanding/contracting pulley –the higher the ratio.
Starting from rest position.
The variator has within it weights- let’s say 6 weights . Each of these weights are contained within its own track. As the engine revs increase all 6 weights are subjected to centrifugal force and ‘throw out’ thus affecting the variator which in turn alters the ‘Drive ‘pulley diameter. More engine revs produces a larger pulley diameter. More bike speed.


At the ‘Driven’ end is a spring controlled expanding/contracting pulley assembly which connects to the rear wheel via a centrifugal clutch.

A fixed length belt connects’ Drive’ to’ Driven’ pulleys. A change on one pulley will have a corresponding effect of the other pulley .If one is at largest diameter –the other will always be at lowest diameter.

Consider the bike as it comes to rest.
The rear wheel speed drops and the clutch drops out before the bike comes to rest. The spring as part of the ‘Driven’ pulley assembly pushes that pulley such that it is now at highest diameter. This will ensure ,via the belt, that the ‘Drive’ pulley is at its lowest diameter .
This provides the lowest ratio-perfect for starting.
Starting position from rest action then proceeds.

With respect to your vibration problem I suspect that the weights in the variator are sticking at low revs.
Suggest that they are checked for specification and ensure that the tracks are clean and lubricated.


Alan Light

 

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By: Flying Squirrel (offline)  Wednesday, 04 September 2013 @ 10:06 AM ICT  

I agree one has to consider the whole system.

If we are looking for sticking stuff we might also consider the driven pulley as it has to also slide on a tube to change diameter but the OP problem is at take-off. But a sticky driven section would manifest itself in hesitation when down shifting during hill climbing where the counter spring has to move the driven pulley. I do not believe it is the weights sticking in the variator as the bike is quite new. It might be if the basic design is flawed and the weights are slightly too large for the channel. In which case the problem will solve itself with use.

I would also strongly recommend against form of lubrication inside the variator as it will attract rubber dust over time and exacerbate the very problem one is trying to prevent, if there is stiction in the variator is is more likely to be this. Whist on the subject of chemicals I have seen cans of belt dressing in scooter shops I also caution against the use of this. Belts in variators need to slide and by applying belt dressing causes the belts to adhere to the pulley halves and that causes more problems than it solves.

In the OP's case I believe some spirited use and a slightly more spirited take-off will eliminate the problem

The variator has within it weights- let’s say 6 weights . Each of these weights are contained within its own track.



Not all variators have tracks. Some have none and in the case of the PCX twelve weights. The combination of which makes the transmission much smoother and, as it is designed to do so, releases more performance from the scooter.. (see my avatar)

   

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