How to make your motorbike clutch lighter: 10 tips!︱Cross Training Adventure
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- crosstrainingen... 10 tips for a lighter clutch on your adventure bike or dual sport bike! Your 'clutch hand' can get a very tough workout, especially if your adventure bike has a heavy clutch. Or you have medical conditions like arthritis or tendonitis. So here are some tips for a lighter clutch pull. We begin with the cheapest modifications. Completely free dual sport bike mods? Maintenance! If you have a cable clutch, the 'pull' will slowly increase over time if you don't lubricate the cable. Welcome to Cross Training Adventure, we are into all things dual sport and adventure on the east coast of Australia. Also make sure the cable has no tight turns or kinks. Next? Clutch lever position. If you have long fingers, move the adventure bike clutch lever to the right. If you can reach the lever with your index finger, this provides a bit of extra leverage. So called dual sport riding reviews are just glossy ads nowdays. Everyone is trying to sell you stuff you don't need, convince you to buy the latest model with anodized coffee cup holders for your trips to the coffee shop. Of course if you are cashed up and into bling, go for it. All we are saying is there's also the budget option for adventure riding. Another free dual sport bike tip? Simply use the the clutch less for gear changes. Experienced riders often don't use the clutch for clicking into higher gears. It takes good timing and lots of practice. There's a lot of debate about whether it can cause gearbox wear. See our video discussing this. Our final free tip? If your clutch has six springs, remove two clutch springs. This needs a big disclaimer - try this at your own risk! But quite a few dual sport bike riders do this on motorbikes that have excessively heavy clutch springs. To date, I have not found anyone who caused damage with this technique. I suspect it would never suit aggressive adventure bike riders. The 33% reduction in clutch 'pull' will probably lead to clutch slippage at full throttle. But plenty of everyday riders say it has worked brilliantly, with no negative effects. Let us know if you tried this and encountered problems!Next? Spend $1 on a pile of washers to reduce the tension of your clutch springs. Use washers so your clutch bolts sit further out. If you use too many washers, the bolts will hit the inside of your clutch cover. I used 2mm wide washers without problems on my Beta Xtrainer. The clutch felt about 15% lighter. Search the adventure bike forums to see if other riders have tried this modification on your type of motorbike. Clutch levers that use extra leverage. These are usually for cable clutches. Manufacturers often exaggerate their claims about a lighter clutch pull, but you can get a 20% reduction. The problem? The clutch lever needs a lot of movement to work properly. It often needs careful adjustment to ensure the clutch full disengages. And riders with short fingers may find the clutch lever is too far out. There are plenty of options out there. Do your research. If you have a hydraulic clutch, you can use a smaller master cylinder to achieve a lighter clutch. However, you may have same issues as a clutch lever using leverage. Adjustment can be tricky. And it probably won't suit short fingers. Keen to spend more money? Lets backtrack to clutchless gear changes. A 'quick shifter' eliminates the need to use the the clutch when changing to higher gears. It automatically cuts engine power at the right time to change gears quickly and smoothly. But a 'quick shifter' will cost from $300 to $600. If you have a hydraulic clutch and love to spend money, we think the best solution is the Clake One Light clutch. It doesn't use leverage. It uses a mechanism to store the energy used when you pull the lever in. It uses that stored eneergy the next time you pull the lever in. You can adjust it to make the clutch up to 75% lighter. I have used this on various motorbikes for seven years. It's an amazing bit of kit. See our review. What if you have a cable clutch? There are hydraulic clutch conversions. A hydraulic clutch often has a lighter 'pull' but generally it's a very expensive way to achieve a slightly lighter clutch. However, there are other benefits to a hydraulic clutch which might tempt you in this direction. Have you tried any of these clutch modifications? Did it work well? Let us know in the comments.
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#crosstrainingadventure #adventureriding #adventurebikes #dualsportriding
#dualsportbikes #clakeclutch
Here's one thats quick, free and makes clutch noticeably lighter.
The clutch free-play adjuster has a notch cut in it, adjust it so the notch is facing towards the handlebars. This means the cable inner is not dragging against the adjuster. From there u will have to make freeplay adjustments from the inline cable sheath adjuster.
Also if u are riding a DR650 (maybe some others) move the clutch actuating arm back a notch on the spline to make the clutch initially easier to pull in. It will make it harder at the end of the pull but this portion is only really used when stationary and you can use more fingers.
My DR now has a 1 finger clutch with just these 2 mods.
Great to see a variety of solutions. Other options you’d be aware of are Rekluse clutch which will reduce the clutch work load and for select Honda bikes, the DCT which eliminates the clutch. Essentially it’s an automatic bike - great for arthritis sufferers or those missing fingers.
From personal experience, ASV levers on my cable clutch made a difference from smoother bearings and better ergos (10-15%). A slipper clutch (Think Hinson BTL or Suter, not Rekluse) in my WR450 made the pull ~35% easier.
Fewer springs made a nice difference with no downsides on the dirt, but on tarmac oh dear was the clutch slipping under hard acceleration :D
I just use both hands on the clutch
I added a generic "Moose Racing Easy Pull" system to my DRZ. It reduces the pull significantly, and I like the wider friction zone for slipping the clutch when off road. It would be difficult to use with small hands. It was MUCH cheaper than the hydraulic conversion I was considering.
2 ideas: the hand calipers are great. The strength you gain is useful for opening cans and impressing the missus. And use graphite powder rather than a liquid to lube the internals length of the clutch cable. But like someone suggests - I never had these issues when I was a young fella with really strong clutches and bad hydraulic brakes (used to lock the Commandos brake with 2 fingers when I was 19, sigh). The solution obviously is to get an old bike and ride it lots...
Love the Clake One Light Clutch on Beta 200rr, and the ProLever on 300rr. Went for OLC on 200 because i wanted a bike that would allow me to stay familiar with normal bikes that don't have the Left hand rear brake capability of Prolever. I had a few "scares" when riding friends bikes and the left lever DID NOT hold the bike when i stopped on hills. 😁
Current stable includes '75 XS650, '94 Wideglide and and '05 YZ450 set up for enduro. No further clutch hand strength excersises nessesary!!!! FEEL THE BURN
DR 650 - I installed the slightly longer DRZ400 clutch arm and it must require less effort with the longer leverage but I can't tell any difference. It's not a hard clutch to start with and I only installed the DRZ arm because a recent ride on an extremely tight and twisty trail through the trees had me using the clutch constantly in first gear. After a few miles my hand was so tired I ran into a tree when I just couldn't modulate it well anymore.
I have Warp 9 three finger levers and I usually only need two fingers but that ride had me needing three fingers after a while, then four fingers before I made it out.
Bummer. I wonder if the cable needs lube perhaps? I found the difference very noticeable. And I've had a pile of guys try it then compare to my brother's stock DR clutch and they all said the same thing. 🤔
@@crosstrainingadventure I am a VIP (Very Insensitive Person) so it is probably just me. I didn't even notice the throttle spring on the TM40 on one of my (2) DR's is stiffer than on the CV carb on my other DR until I read about it on ADV and went out to twist both to compare. Sure enough the TM takes more effort. Huh? How many years have I been riding both and never noticed? More than 10. I also can't hear, taste, smell, or touch things anything like my wife can who is the opposite, an HSP (High Sensitivity Person). I don't find the clutch difficult on the DR, I just thought I'd give the DRZ arm a try. I am installing the Clake One Light Clutch on the other DR today so that should be a huge difference. One finger clutch. Hopefully I do notice the difference with it!
I rode a friends 790 DR a few years ago and saved myself about $1,000 because I couldn't feel enough difference between the 650 and 790 to justify the price.
It's probably like me with vibrations through the handlebars. I just don't notice it. But then other riders will say it drive them crazy and their hands go numb. I might be a vibration VIP lol.
Just put a cable RHK clutch lever and perch (bearing) on my WR 450f and new cable, lubed, adjusted. The anodised blue bend back lever is great probably 20% lighter pull as described here..
$125 AUD
I'm surprised you didn't mention the Midwest Mountain Engineering clutch lever for hydraulic clutches. I've used their lever on my last 3 bikes. All 3 became 1 finger clutches.
My drz400 had six springs and now has four, since I saw the dr650 had four I figured wth.20,000 miles later it still works great, no slippage or anything.but I don't climb mountains or race it either.shifting up I use the clutch for first to second and after that I don't touch it until it's time to shift from second to first.20,000 miles later and it still shifts smooth as butter until it needs an oil change.the shift pattern for the drz is 1-N-2-3-4-5-5-5-5.
I took two out on my Sherco, it only slips if hitting the throttle hard in higher gears... which I never do.
Buy a Postie bike!
Ya get 3 speeds and no clutch lever.
Fit some knobbies to it and take off( or leave on to carry spare fuel for your Mates) the b i g rack on the back.
Not as good in the bush, but it means you’ll go slower so all your extra “offs” won’t be as hurty.
some tip for ktm 640 Adventure please?
All the tips are in this vid
And if all else fails... get a DCT I suppose.
I would not due hand strain just simply lazy.
Any experience with the Camel ADV modification??
I put Camel's one-finger clutch lever on my T7.....great mod!! Was not a terrible clutch pull to start with, but this made it much nicer...one-finger for sure!
@@allenhuling598 Thanks Allen I put one on order!
Note that the camel adv clutch arm is incompatible with OEM crash bars.
@@Wintersdark got it, thanks!!
@@Wintersdark Thanks Derrick, I forgot to mention that! I did have the OEM crash bars and took them off for three different reasons, 1st - difficult get the side plastics off as you can't get to the screws. 2nd - don't like that the bars are attached to the engine block at the back. 3rd - blocks access for the one finger clutch mod! Now I'm looking for a good Lower only, set, or maybe an enduro style (only one I know of one so far, and not available in the US). Cheers!
I just don’t use the clutch 👍😂😂😂