After the rebuild of my 2004 Honda CRF250R I took it for some test rides and noticed that the clutch felt either on or off with no easing it on. Tried new clutch plates/springs and noticed that the clutch basket was really notched causing the friction discs not to slide easily up and down when the clutch lever was pulled. So I decided to fix it, being that they are $200 minimum for a new clutch basket I was going to try to repair mine for the time being, knowing that it will fail again much quicker this time.
Tools:
-Torque wrench (one to do 9 ft lbs and one to do 54, optional in my opinion)
Removing the clutch cover it is pretty easy to see that clutch basket it notched.
Removed all the springs (10mm) and take the friction discs out. Set them aside. Using the clutch holder tool and the impact gun (if you have one) and remove the clutch basket. You will have to bend up the tabs from the safety washer to get the large bolt out.
Next I used an iron file to grind down the ridges. I would recommend using a iron file as opposed to a Dremel or other mechanical sander as the file keeps a pretty straight edge and does not gouge. There are several good YouTube videos on this process.
Should look something like this:
Use a caliper to measure and make sure the gap is consistent from top and bottom and with each other gap.
Make sure all sharp edges are smoothed out and reinstall:
Torque down the center clutch basket bolt to 54 ft lbs using the clutch basket holder and a torque wrench.
Torque the spring bolts (10mm) down to 9 ft-lbs.
Then reinstall the clutch cover. I was able to reuse my gasket, but it will depend on how it looks and if it rips coming out. Make sure to fill up the clutch/transmission with oil (650ml).
Repair was completed May-2020 and so far I have much more consistent and gradual clutch lever feel. Ill update how long this repair lasts before I cave in and buy a new clutch basket.