How to make a cable clutch lighter: 9 enduro tips︱Cross Training Enduro
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- čas přidán 24. 06. 2023
- www.crosstrainingenduro.com Nine cable clutch mods and tips to take the pressure of your left hand! A lighter clutch pull helps hugely with hard enduro... and any kind of riding. How to make a cable clutch lighter on your adventure bike or dual sport bike!Recently we explored how to make your clutch lighter. It focused more on hydraulic clutches. Now it's time to focus on the cable clutch, much loved by Japanese manufacturers. Need hard enduro training? Work through our video lists. It's important to remember most of these clutch mods use extra leverage. You usually need the full movement of the clutch lever to disengage the clutch. If you have long fingers, this can be an advantage because it provides more 'feel' to the clutch. But if you have short fingers, this may not suit you. A lighter cable clutch? If you have long fingers, simply move your clutch lever to the left. Hard enduro techniques are covered in our training vids. This provides extra leverage if you can still reach the lever. Also keep your clutch lever close to horizontal. Riders who stand on the footpegs a lot sometimes put their clutch lever at a 45% angle. But when you are sitting this will cause a lot of fatigue for your clutch hand and fingers. A longer clutch arm. Some riders just cut the 'clutch arm' and weld or screw in a longer section to provide more leverage. It doesn't need much extra length to make a big difference. Easy pull clutch levers for your adventure bike. Alternatively, source a 'clutch arm' from a different model that is slightly longer. Easy pull clutch levers for dual sport bikes? This DRZ400 part works really well on the DR650. Try our training vids for working on your extreme enduro techniques. Just loosen your clutch cable and remove the stock clutch arm. Stunt lever for adventure bikes? 'Easy pull levers'. These are sometimes called 'stunt clutches' and rely on extra leverage as well. If your clutch has six bolts, you can try either two, four or six lighter springs. It's easy to check for clutch slipping. Our dirt riding tips are great for developing your hard enduro skills. If you want extreme enduro training see our playlists of enduro skills to learn. Just accelerate at full throttle through all the gears on a sealed road and check for slippage. An extreme test is to pull the clutch in while in top gear, rev the engine, then drop the clutch and see if there is any slippage. The second method. If your clutch has six bolts, you can simply remove two bolts and springs. Your clutch will be 33% lighter. Again, this is completely at your own risk. Does it unbalance the clutch itself? Extreme enduro training vids are our focus. If you are enduro riding get into our enduro training vids. Some levers provide adjustment so you can adjust the lever to sit further or closer to the handlebar... but generally the lever will need a lot of movement to fully disengage the clutch so short fingers may have trouble. I've google around to see if anyone had problems, but nothing to report yet. The third method? Into enduro and dirt bikes? Check out our dirt bike videos. Add 1mm washers so that your clutch springs aren't as compressed. If a previous owner fitted a cheap low quality clutch cable it may have more friction than a genuine clutch cable. Ensure the cable doesn't make any tight turns as this increases friction. If you use too many washers, the bolts will hit the inside of your clutch cover. There are three methods that involve reducing the clutch spring tension. This can lead to clutch slipping so try these at your own risk. Ditch your cable clutch and fit an aftermarket hydraulic clutch. Personally, I don't think it's worth the expense when you only experience perhaps a 10% reduction in clutch pull at best. Maintenance! I used 2mm wide washers without problems on my enduro motorbike. I have not tried this on the DR650. Riders usually report a 10 to 15% reduction clutch pull. Generally it will just be safer to buy lighter clutch springs. The most expensive way to get a lighter clutch? Cable clutches become tougher as lubrication dries up, or dirt slowly creeps in. Remember we add useful information to our pinned first comment for other viewers to use! The potential problem? Google around and see if riders have found lighter clutch springs that can replace your stock clutch springs. You have a degree of adjustment available. If your clutch has four bolts, you can just try two lighter springs at first Generally you can only expect about 20%. Do your research. Some owners report certain brands were a waste of money. A similar mechanism is the 'Easy pull add on'. It's also called an 'easy pull clutch kit', or easy pull clutch system'. Again it's using extra leverage. These are usually mounted at the handlebar and personally I don't like the added complexity. Again, beware of ridiculous claims such as 80% reduction in clutch pull. Who are they kidding?
#crosstrainingenduro #enduro #hardenduro #extremeenduro - Sport
LONGER CLUTCH ARM MOD?
Kawasaki KDX200 220 and 250, fit the clutch arm from a 1992 1993 KX125 (part# 13236-1230)
Suzuki DR650 1996 to current, fit the clutch arm from any DRZ400
Since I'm a left handed male, I've been building my clutch hand strength since the age of 12.
😂 It was very hard to not make those sorts of references in the vid!
In thesameboat. I've never understood why people whined about stiff clutches
Wait till you get arthritis, tendonitis, a wrist fracture or any of the hundreds of physical issues you can get. Then you'll see exactly why these tips can keep riders on their bikes for longer.
@crosstrainingenduro absolutely! All joking aside, having a stiff clutch lever is never fun. I'm currently in denial about the building arthritis in my hands and wrists. I'm sure a cure will come around for something soon and make some problem all better
Yeah it runs in my family and I'm in the early stages according to the doc. So I'll take any mod that works lol.
One advantage of having small fingers is that it makes the clutch lever look HUGE!
I did the longer clutch actuator on my KDX220. Total game changer IMO. Lighter pull, wider engagement point, and an OEM piece that all work with my short fingers. You use one from a '92'-93 KX125 (Kawasaki OEM part# 13236-1230) on any year KDX 200 or 220 from 1995 and up. Hope that helps someone!
Cheers, I'll put that in the pinned first comment
I made something like clutch arm to my Honda 250 xl degrees back in the day. It is most simply mod to get lighter pull. But if you want something even lighter then ues car's break cable since it has bigger diameter or less friction. Another pro is you no need to worry about it's getting snap in the jungle. For those 2 mod it made about 50% or more lighter pull then my ktm 250 hydraulic clutch.
If I understood properly, you were making beefier cable using car brake components?
My friend, you are a genius!
@@cedricboivin9422 Yes I am.
Great vid, and all valid points. I will stand up for the hydraulic conversion. Yes there is little decrease on clutch pull pressure, but the massive increase on clutch feel is well worth the cost.
The best advice I can give is aim at reducing the clutch pull BEFORE THE CABLE.
The problem with cable is the friction. If you reduce the pull before the cable, you also reduce the friction. A 20% reduction in clutch pull before the cable can easily cut by haft the strength needed.
On the subject of leverage, one big problem is that if you slip the clutch a lot, the lever as to be adjusted way more often. Leverage increase the effect of clutch thickness change (this can only be completely fixed by hydraulic clutch)
Personally, I installed some washer on my clutch spring (1mm I think) and I extended the clutch arm with a cheap chinese bracket. I'd say that the clutch pull on my WR250R is about half of what it was, but my clutch is often on the edge of slipping at full power and I have to constantly do adjustment
P.S: seriously Yamaha how the f**k can you make a clutch for a bike with 18ft-lbs of torque so damn hard
Yeah the wr250r pull is doodoo and friction zone so small.
I ended up drilling a new hole for the cable in my stock clutch lever for better leverage. Similar to rsc clutch lever now but cheaper.
@@potatopobobot4231 I have drilled lever on many bike and it does work well. However, I suggest you try to increase the clutch arm length instead as it reduce cable friction
@@cedricboivin9422ahh i think i see what youre saying. If the pull is easier at the motor side theres less tension on the cable so less friction.
@@potatopobobot4231 Exactly
Do you have a link for the longer clutch arm that works on the WR250R, Cedric? I'll put it in the pinned first comment for others.
Great vid mate! I took your advice from a previous video and fitted a Midwest clutch lever to my Beta 300 just today and so far I love it! Keep up the great work with these informative videos, cheers.
Glad it helped, Julian! It's also a great way to start just keeping one finger on the lever instead of multiple fingers.
I converted my old pe175 to hydraulic using a slave cylinder and hose from clake. I matched it up with the leaver from my beta 300rr. To get enough pull on the clutch arm I had to redrill the arm closer to the spline. In doing this the hydraulic clutch was about 30% heavier than a new cable and Ballards pivot assist leaver. I could never quite get enough pull out of the hydraulic set-up.
I have a 93' Honda dominator. I had a cheap cable and couldnt believe the change that made changing to an original honda cable. 5x the price, but the change was amazing. Also the cable is way thicker so I think it will last for another 30 years
I'm still shocked how much stronger my left hand has become in just the past 3 years simply by riding a d bike with a good old cable clutch. I'm happy with what I have
I added a magura hydraulic unit to my old RM250 a few years back-trying to get better feel and lighter action. Not quite the same as with stock maguras of the same timeframe. I think the pull was actually stiffer with the hydro piece. I tried their “long” lever, and it still didn’t quite feel right. Back to the stock cable for me. My forearm pump (or lack of) was noticeable with the cable. All bikes I’ve had since have been hydro clutches (KTM and sub-brands). I really like the feel of my current TE300’s clutch. Very light pull, consistent actuation.
I think the Austrian models changed to a diaphram clutch in recent year which is quite a bit lighter
Just done the extreme clutch slip test on my Maico 1000cc 2 stroke and the bike got stuck in a tree and my arms snapped off
😂
PTFE spray. Lock lube also reportedly good as it doesn't attract dirt.
Nice info as always Baz 👌
Cheers mate. You know how much that means to me... you being a pro level rider AND videographer. 😎
@@crosstrainingenduro
🤣🤣🤣
I would recommend people to experiment with taping levers. Try medical tape for cuts, for example. You can adjust grip friction(using different tapes) of lever and reduce fatigue in long run. Useful for wet conditions when all metal levers are slippery. Moreover, you can make levers fatter and see if it feels more comfortable.
For 2 stroke or engines with separate transmission and engine oils, you can use more "grippy" oils in transmission, like ATF. It can help if you remove springs in clutch basket and it starts to slip. Also, some people like grabby feeling of clutch.
Lever thickness is interesting. I've used the short stubby Midwest clutch lever before and loved it. Others had the thick lever and grind it down.
Here in Cannucastin we tried sealed roads but found that if we didn't get all the pelts laid in the same way we only got traction in one direction .😁
Didn't get the seal of approval then ?
@@spatchist We rely on the Walrus of approval - NEVER trust a seal .!!!
Like I've always said... club sandwiches, not seals.
Severe danger of the 'blowing a seal' joke being repeated.
I cut and drilled a broken lever then insert it in clutch arm. It extend the arm around half inch. Now i can do 1 finger clutch on my xr400. But 2 finger is much comfortable
I don't think that hydraulic conversions will lighten the clutch on all bikes. Apples to apples the magura system for the DR pulls about the same as a newer OE cable. I had the change to grab one of the original procycle kits for cheap and brand new and while it's some cool bling I don't think I would do it again on a DR unless Suzuki stopped making cables for the bike.
At one point I had a motion pro cable and brand new it had a pull that could be measured in tons, I didn't notice it till another rider pointed it out and I fitted a new OE cable and it reduced pull effort by over 60%. As for the hydraulic, it pulls about the same as the cable but just more numb and it almost feels a bit less precise than the cable strangely enough.
Damn! That would be disappointing to put all that money into the Magura and not actually lighten the clutch pull.
Excellent video! My wife has a hard time reaching the clutch lever with her short fingers. None of the mods that make the lever easier to pull address the reach from grip to lever for small hands. What’s the best mod presented here for short fingers that still allows the clutch to fully open and close? Love the channel ❤
There are levers for short fingers, I'd already shown them in our original hydraulic clutch tips vid. There's a link to that vid at the end of this one.
Make clutch cables great, I mean light again
The part that turns and pushes on the rod wear out and create heavy clutch. I replaced mine and clutch was considerably lighter
All I know is my 2003 kx250 clutch is making my left arm bigger than my right and making people look at me funny😂it's quite the workout so I rarely use it.. Only to stop and take off
😗🤣
Look i have small fingers i know the best advice is just work your fingers more so you get used to the heavy clutch cable
Assuming you don't have pre-existing issues like tendonitis, arthritis etc. Definitely exercise can help then.
Maybe off topic, but another tip; are you using the clutch too much? I use it a fair bit in the rooty wooded stuff and carried the habit out into the faster going, using it to coast in and smooth delivery out of bends, when I didn't really need it. Try deliberately riding the more open stuff by just rolling on and off, the clutch is effortless when you don't use it! And it saves those finger muscles for the gnarly bits.
It's a good point. I use it so much on our hard enduro tracks I do occasionally find myself slipping the clutch on adventure rides. E.g. into a slower corner I'll just feather the clutch sometimes instead of changing down a gear.
Here’s a tip, train in a bloody wheelchair.. it keeps me rider fit.. if anyone says anything tell em the angry cripple told ya ta do it! Bloody hell!
Lift weights and the clutch will get 100% lighter!
😂
Cable clutch is better than hydraulic for me Everytime.
Or buy a bike from the 21st century.
It's not always possible for everyone to be able to update their bikes.
I'm currently using a wr400f so kick start and cable clutch until I can afford to replace it with a newer model bike
Or play video games, kinda same advice but much cheaper
Just be rich. Follow Luke for more advice.
Serious riders can sell their kids off for scientific experiments to buy a new bike.
Mate listen to Barry, sell organs if you're serious!
In all seriousness, totally agree, nothing wrong with an old girl. You have a bike and it works. My comment was more in reference to people buying 2023 YZ250X's.
Best clutch is no clutch. Surron Ultrabee is starting to find success in expert level enduro races.
All people on trial scene want electric with clutch. Same with hard Enduro. 90% riding techniques are clutch related, it doesn't matter if you have electric or ic engine.