General Chat

[OZinUS]

I also rode the FE450 that Ken borrowed which had the Recluse.
 I didnt like the lack of engine braking which I think is too much of a tradeoff to avoiding a stall here and there on a hill.
A Recluse wont get you up a hill, but engine braking will get you down.

I have to disagree with you Rob.  You should not rely on engine braking for anything. It is unpredictable and uncontrolable.  This why God invented the person who invented brakes.. Use your brakes to slow down. uphill or down hill. Your feet should always be on the pegs for rear brake and gear selection duties and your hands should be on the handle bars for front brake and throttle control Any of the riding classes available will teach this, the Yamaha class, Shane Watts Dirtwise school etc..

Remember that we are talking about an auto clutch, not an auto gearbox. If you have selected the correct gear for decelleration, there will be engine braking because the clutch is engaged by centrifical force. (RPM's) It does not freewheel even on decelleration, until idle speed.  You must still change gears and be in the correct gear at all times, nothing different here. While I do ride a 200 2 stroke which has less engine braking to start with. If going down a hill and the rear wheel is rotating it is turning the gearbox-clutch in excess of 1500 rpm then the clutch is engaged and whatever engine braking is available is working
I can see we have some misinformation amongst people, maybe riding a clutch not set up correctly..  AND there are other brands of auto clutch available and some work differently..
We are not talking slipper clutches either that is another kettle of fish more associated with road bikes.

I might have to make a trip back home and have a demo weekend. 

Over here in the US the average trail rider just loves the Rekluse auto clutch..  It has taken the Pro's a bit longer to warm up to it.. A lot of the newer stuff, EXP Core and such are where they are trying to win over the pro's. If you watch any USA pro motorcross and you see them crash, they just run over pick up the bikes and go.. Guess what, it had some form of auto clutch that was not engaged at idle.

Keep giving me you stories and opinions, good or bad.

Oh and Rob, not picking on you or anything. But a Rekluse will most certainly help a lot of people on gnarly uphills. I have had both normal and Rekluse clutches in my 200 and I wont ride without one now..


I am trying to help Rekluse and find a more economical way for you guys to have access to them.

[paul341]

I have been reading a bit about the rekluse and would really like to try one ,the one thing that concerns me is the lack of engine braking ,especially if having to bulldog my bike down the hill from hell!
I thought about adding the left hand rear brake but then you loose the clutch lever for spooling up the revs to lift the front wheel over logs etc.

[OZinUS]

My KTM 200XC is an 06 model. it still has the original fibre plates in it. Last time I had the clutch cover off to take care of an oil leak, I checked the clearances and it was still in spec..  The recommended oil for a Rekluse is Shell Rotella 15w40. Non synthetic.
Some people use a left hand mounted rear brake.  The clutch is still important for some people,.  Not everybody will like or want an auto clutch.

People who have burnt clutch plates with an auto clutch, usually are riding in the wrong gear for the conditions.

[OZinUS]

So what is the most popular bike we have within the Amtra ranks?

I think maybe the WR 450, what year models? There are different kits for 07-09 and earlier models.

Maybe we could have something set-up for the HCR ride weeekend

[difficult]

OK I WILL BE LUCKY 13

[stevec]

I had a Z-start Pro on my 06 WR450 and on the bikes demise, it was the first thing added to my 09 model.

It has advantages and disadvantages;

Much easier on the uphills, you can stop and roll on without effort, bounce over obstacles without stalling and is overall more controlled. When you get near the top of a hill where you would normally bog down, you don’t because the clutch will slip controllably without stalling. The only downside is if you loose traction or get stuck, you can’t kill the engine and hold your position, you need to keep the rear brake on.

Downhill isn’t as bad as reported, engine braking is the same as on any bike until you get to the stall point. The stall point is adjustable through the setup on installation and mine is currently set to drag slightly at idle. This means that you need to be almost at the point where you would be using the clutch on a normal setup anyway before it will fully disengage. It does get more difficult if you need to paddle with the right foot on a steep downhill though as you will loose rear braking completely.

Tight trails and stalling on logs is great. You can also still use it to lift the front on logs as with a normal clutch. Clutch pull is lighter at low revs but has normal pull as the revs rise which is a good thing on a cable clutch bike.

Overall the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages. My only question is whether it is worth going for the left hand rear brake and using a shorty clutch lever.

[Ken R]

On the FE450 I borrowed the clutch was dragging at idle so unless you select neutral "before" you stop there is going to be clutch wear. Is there any extra debris in the oil from the recluse or others?

Dave - you can flip the clutch lever with the recluse to lift the front wheel, and use it normally for up and down gear changes.

If I fitted one I would definately have a rear brake lever on the clutch side. When I gave up on the AE430 auto g'box I swopped it for a 6 speed manual but retained the rear brake on the bar. The clutch could be disengaged and then held with the two outside fingers while the other two reached over the clutch lever to the brake lever which was mounted inboard so you grabbed the end of the lever for max mechanical advantage. Loved it and still miss it, and I am looking at the 450 for a refit.

[OZinUS]

The advantage with the clake is that is a clutch and a left hand brake.  You can still clutch it to lift the front over logs etc but only really crap bits you can put both feet down yet Stijl apply the brake.  I reckon it's the best of both worlds.  It is hard to explain how you can have a clutch and a brake all in the one lever but trust me it works.

I have not heard of the Clake before, but it sounds intriging..  What if you wanted to fan the clutch out of a turn to increase revs.?  Sounds like the traction control side of it might work all the time.