Scootnfast's Scooter Center

Tuning and Modifications: Learn How To Change Your Clutch Springs

Basics

1. Let me first start with the fact that I am NOT a mechanic. I have been working on motorcycles and scooters for a long time and know a little about what I am doing. I simply take pictures for other people to use as a guide line to help them modify their own motors. Any modifications you perform are done completely at your own risk and liability.

2. Tampering with your motor in any way may void your warranty. Make sure this is a sacrifice you are willing to make before you begin working on your own vehicle.

3. Before you begin, make sure you have a nice clean area to work in. A small amount of dirt can be a big problem when working on the innards of your motor. Keep your hands, motor, and any other parts you are handling very clean.

4. This example was performed on a 2002 Aprilia SR Ditech. If you own any clutch driven scooter, the same steps will apply.

5. ALL bolts and socket head cap screws are in metric! Don't try to work on your vehicle if you don't have metric tools, you will just end up messing up the heads.

	First start by removing your transmission cover. Once the cover is removed, you need to remove the nut that is holding you rear pulley and clutch assembly.
	Once the nut is off, pull the bell housing and the entire clutch assembly off the drive shaft.
	You will then need to use a pair of channel locks to get the large nut that holds the clutch and contra spring off the rear pulley. The clutch is spring loaded by the contra spring. So be very careful when removing this nut.
	Once the large nut is removed, the clutch is ready to come off.
	Once the clutch is off, you will now be able to see your clutch springs. Some stock clutches have 2 or 3 shoes. The number of shoes that the clutch has will determine the number of springs. This clutch only has 2 pads and 2 springs.
	Use a pair of needle nosed pliers and pull the spring off. The heavier the spring, the harder it is to remove them.
	Once you have the spring off, just replace it with your new springs. Heavier springs are sometimes a real pain to get on. Insert one end of the spring into the slot, the pull the other side and stretch the spring until it falls into the hole. A screwdriver is sometimes easier to use to pull the spring into place.
Once you get the new springs on, simply re-assemble the clutch and rear pulley assembly and re-install it on your scooter. In my opinion, heavier clutch springs are a real pain to install. If you plan on making modifications to your clutch often, I highly recommend getting an adjustable clutch so you don't need to change springs.
	Here is what an adjustable clutch looks like. As you can see, the arrows are pointing to little nuts. If you want more tension on your clutch springs simply tighten them. Less tension, simply loosen them. The other nice thing about an adjustable clutch is that you don't have to take the rear pulley assembly apart to adjust it. All you need to do is remove the bell housing and you can get to the nut with a small wrench. You don't even have to pull the pulley off the bike.