I have read other threads about a burning smell from the clutch (like
this one). What I would like to understand, having no experience with damaged clutches whatsoever, what's the consequence of that smell?
- Is it the smell of death: once it happens, better get the plates exchanged lest you risk a sudden break down in the middle of nowhere?
- Or is it more like: forget about it, just don't do it too often?
In my case, it's a just broken-in new Wee that I unwisely took out on a discovery trip down a trail with a nasty mix of sharp boulders, deep ruts, logs and branches left and right, sand pits, mud pits, water crossings. So the going was slow and I was on the clutch a lot, more often than not half-engaged.
The "killer" was a steep incline, felt like 45 degrees (and was probably not much less) plus two sharp switchbacks. I was scared s***less and the bike stalled halfway up. Restarted it, revved high (that's when I briefly noticed the smell) and crept up the rest of the hill with brute force.