Rekluse-Slipper clutch reviews

[craig hammon]

I like my CR500 for dual sport, but it is hard to ride it really slowly, without stalling. Would a slipper clutch solve this.

What other benefits are there

What are the disadvantages.

Thank's Craig.

[XRandWRRider]

The Rekluse isn't a slipper clutch, it's an auto-clutch which basically replaces your pressure plate and it is activated by centrifugal force. You haven't exactly described the problem you're having very well, but it would probably help you with stalling. Lower gearing might help you too, and that's much cheaper to try first!

[LILBIT]

Yes it will do wonders.

Downsides-pain to adjust, $, clutch feel is bad if you want to keep the lever, ... Thats it.

I had one on my 525MXC. Took it off when i replaced the tranny with an EXC. For offroad only i would have left it on. For your bike i'd consider it a have to have for DS.

[craig hammon]

The Rekluse isn't a slipper clutch, it's an auto-clutch which basically replaces your pressure plate and it is activated by centrifugal force. You haven't exactly described the problem you're having very well, but it would probably help you with stalling. Lower gearing might help you too, and that's much cheaper to try first!

I ordered one today, it's much cheaper at 18.36$ with tax.? But want to hear more from people using the Rekluse.

[craig hammon]

Yes it will do wonders.

Downsides-pain to adjust, $, clutch feel is bad if you want to keep the lever, ... Thats it.

I had one on my 525MXC. Took it off when i replaced the tranny with an EXC. For offroad only i would have left it on. For your bike i'd consider it a have to have for DS.

Clutch feel, I had a Magura Hydraulic clutch, but it failed so I went back to stock. Cutch is hard to pull in. It's a 500 with heavy duty springs.

If I didn't have to pull it in I could prolly ride better.

Thank's for your input.

Craig.

[CodeMonkee]

A slipper clutch controls loss of traction when you shift down or decelerate hard with the engine. Mostly I have seen them used on pavement, but I suppose they might be useful in MX coming into a corner.

A Rekluse does the opposite: it slips the clutch on acceleration or load as you start out or when you engine is about to stall under load. If you approach a hillclimb in a gear too high, the clutch may slip as you climb the hill to keep the engine from stalling.

You do give up bump starting, so if you have a bike like mine that has no kick start, this is something to be aware of. Some versions of the Rekluse allow you to still use your clutch lever, but the lever pressure is *very* light.

I love mine. I think it is the best mod I made to the bike and the best money spent so far. Everyone else who has ridden it also loves it. It makes the bike so much easier to ride at slow speeds or to get over obstacles and up hills. I set my idle down until the bike just idles easily about 100 RPM above an engine speed where it will die while in gear but idling and then set the clutch to engage about 300 RPM higher. I've only stalled the bike once, that was when I suddenly hit a tall tree across the trail with the frame and came to a sudden stop.

Last weekend I rode a bike just like mine, but without the Rekluse so the owner could ride mine and try the Rekluse. It just reminded me of how much better my bike is with the Rekluse.

You can set the Rekluse to slip a lot, or to engage hard, or somewhere in between. Mine is set moderate hard - I think I might like it a little softer, but most of the time I don't notice it. You can also set it to engage at whatever RPM you want. Generally, once engaged, it is engaged just like a regular clutch - unless you are about to stall the engine and then it slips enough to keep the engine running. You don't even notice it. This kind of clutch action is less wearing on your clutch than manual slipping because it is automatic and precise.

It does not act like a slipper clutch and it does provide all the engine braking you want until you get down to the RPM where it disengages. The only time I have a problem with engine braking is when I stop on a decline and the clutch disengages, then I have to rev the engine slightly to make it re-engage. I love it for downhills because I can lock up the rear wheel with the brake and not have to think about the engine dying because it is in gear.

I also have a LHRB (Left Hand Rear Brake) which is very convenient - sometimes it can be awkward to get to the rear brake pedal, and the brake lever gives more precise control IMO.

[craig hammon]

A slipper clutch controls loss of traction when you shift down or decelerate hard with the engine. Mostly I have seen them used on pavement, but I suppose they might be useful in MX coming into a corner.

A Rekluse does the opposite: it slips the clutch on acceleration or load as you start out or when you engine is about to stall under load. If you approach a hillclimb in a gear too high, the clutch may slip as you climb the hill to keep the engine from stalling.

You do give up bump starting, so if you have a bike like mine that has no kick start, this is something to be aware of. Some versions of the Rekluse allow you to still use your clutch lever, but the lever pressure is *very* light.

I love mine. I think it is the best mod I made to the bike and the best money spent so far. Everyone else who has ridden it also loves it. It makes the bike so much easier to ride at slow speeds or to get over obstacles and up hills. I set my idle down until the bike just idles easily about 100 RPM above an engine speed where it will die while in gear but idling and then set the clutch to engage about 300 RPM higher. I've only stalled the bike once, that was when I suddenly hit a tall tree across the trail with the frame and came to a sudden stop.

Last weekend I rode a bike just like mine, but without the Rekluse so the owner could ride mine and try the Rekluse. It just reminded me of how much better my bike is with the Rekluse.

You can set the Rekluse to slip a lot, or to engage hard, or somewhere in between. Mine is set moderate hard - I think I might like it a little softer, but most of the time I don't notice it. You can also set it to engage at whatever RPM you want. Generally, once engaged, it is engaged just like a regular clutch - unless you are about to stall the engine and then it slips enough to keep the engine running. You don't even notice it. This kind of clutch action is less wearing on your clutch than manual slipping because it is automatic and precise.

It does not act like a slipper clutch and it does provide all the engine braking you want until you get down to the RPM where it disengages. The only time I have a problem with engine braking is when I stop on a decline and the clutch disengages, then I have to rev the engine slightly to make it re-engage. I love it for downhills because I can lock up the rear wheel with the brake and not have to think about the engine dying because it is in gear.

I also have a LHRB (Left Hand Rear Brake) which is very convenient - sometimes it can be awkward to get to the rear brake pedal, and the brake lever gives more precise control IMO.

Wow, great review. I've thought it would be realy good to have a Left Hand Rear Brake, (Really technical trails) Dou you still have a clutch lever.

Thanks, Craig.

[CodeMonkee]

Wow, great review. I've thought it would be realy good to have a Left Hand Rear Brake, (Really technical trails) Dou you still have a clutch lever.

Thanks, Craig.

Yes, I still have a clutch lever, but I am taking it off. There is no easy way I have found to have both levers in an ergonomic configuration, so the LHRB is in the conventional position and the clutch lever points almost straight downward. I had it that way on purpose so I could try it out, thinking I wanted the best of both worlds, only to find that I never used the clutch lever again. There was no need.

There is a very expensive combination clutch/brake lever - $1100 USD, from Australia. It is called the CLAKE.

http://www.clake.com.au/pricing.php

Even at half that price, it is just too expensive even for my tastes, given what it does. If I had more money than I could spend, then I *might* buy one, but *shrug*. Besides, I am not sure I would like the way it works. Read the description of how it works. I don't see that much benefit if you already have a Rekluse, unless you are racing, which I don't and probably never will.

[Countdown]

I like my CR500 for dual sport, but it is hard to ride it really slowly, without stalling. Would a slipper clutch solve this.

Thank's Craig.

Heavier flywheel.

[craig hammon]

Heavier flywheel.

It already has a heavier flywheel, the main part of my problem is the gearing, I ordered another countershaft sprocket yesterday.

I ride my 650L a lot more which has tractor like power, down low, I never have to cutch it, and it almost never stalls. I wouldn't think of putting a Rekluse on it, but wish my CR 500 would never stall, on steep technical hills, were you can't go fast.

Thanks, Craig.

[CalRMX]

It already has a heavier flywheel, the main part of my problem is the gearing, I ordered another countershaft sprocket yesterday.

I ride my 650L a lot more which has tractor like power, down low, I never have to cutch it, and it almost never stalls. I wouldn't think of putting a Rekluse on it, but wish my CR 500 would never stall, on steep technical hills, were you can't go fast.

Thanks, Craig.

The BIG downside to a Rekluse is that you can't bump start the bike. I have 2 bikes that can be reluctant to start cold, and invariably need to be bump started, the Rekluse would be a no go for me

[CodeMonkee]

The BIG downside to a Rekluse is that you can't bump start the bike. I have 2 bikes that can be reluctant to start cold, and invariably need to be bump started, the Rekluse would be a no go for me

In a pinch, say if you were stuck in the boonies somewhere, the clutch can be adjusted to be engaged permanently (if you don't keep your clutch lever), and then the bike could theoretically be bump started. It would be a major hassle - you wouldn't want to do it just because the bike was a hard starter, but if something broke somewhere, it is an option.

Another thing is that if you keep your lever with one of the models that allows this, you don't want someone to just pump the lever multiple times while the bike is off - it can break some springs in the clutch, at least on my bike it can.

Fortunately, my bike starts easily, hot or cold, all the time - so all I have to worry about is that the battery and starter always work. The battery is very small, but it seems to work well.

[PeteN]

If you're stalling with the Rekluse, it is either adjusted wrong or you have a problem with something else, carb, etc. It should completely disengage above idle allowing you to easily shift into neutral, if not, raise the engagement point.

I have them on my CRF450 and XR650R with no lever on either and rear hand brakes, best things ever! I've had the CRF unit for 7 years and it still has stock plates in it!