Rekluse installation on a Yamaha WR250F

So, many of you in the dirt bike scene are aware that Rekluse makes automatic clutches. The reviews on these clutches, if properly setup, have been simply awesome. Well, I must agree, they are simply awesome. I did a lot of research on this clutch before I put down the money for this clutch. Was it worth it? Absolutely! During my installation process, I took a few pictures to help anybody else who is interested in this type of clutch.



Here are a few of the basic tools you will need to get the clutch installed. What you don't see in the picture (yes, I'll need to get it updated) is a dental pic tool. These are really handy when you are trying to pull the clutch packs out. Yes, it can be done with a flat tip screwdriver, but its much easier with the right tool.



Here is a close up picture of the cable operated clutch actuator that sits on top of the case. Mine was kinda dirty due to a leaking seal on the front sprocket.



So, lay the bike on its left side. I believe the instructions call for you to drain the oil. In my case, I didn't need to do that, as the oil moved to the low side of the case.


Don't forget to remove the pin on the back side of the bolt that holds the rear brake pedal on.


I though I would show you the differences in the bolt sizes for the crank case cover. The two larger ones are the same size, and then there is a 3rd one that goes with the centering pin, which is a little longer than the other 4 shorter bolts.


I have never delved into the motorcycles mechanics before. However, as you can see from my web site, I'm no rookie to handling sockets. These pics are for the person who has the bike, but has yet to do any real maintenance on their bike. Here is a shot of inside the clutch cover.



Here you can see the friction plates stacked up.



At first, I put tape down to seal off the rest of the case from clutch. However, I found that the tape would stick to the clutch boss, and the make getting the friction plates out a little more difficult. I then moved to the back up plan; terry cloths. These worked quite well, and I was able to seal up the gaps very well.



Here you can see the clutch springs coming out. These won't be used anymore. However, don't throw them away. You may end up selling the bike down the road and may want to keep your Rekluse.



Here is a shot of the clutch boss and the friction plates.



Here you can see the centering pins going into the clutch boss. Look closely, you can see 4 very small washers that are sitting around each centering pin. These washers are very small, don't loose them. I had, lots, and lots of washer left over. Don't be surprised. It appeared that they give you a generic bag of parts, and you use what you need from the bag.

Here is the heart of the Rekluse.

Here is something I found interesting, and nearly put a stop to my whole setup. Notice how the centering pins don't pass through the Rotating Hub Assembly. I was a little concerned when I came across this. However, rotate the holes one more to the left or right, and the Assembly falls right into place.


Rotating Hub Assembly in place.


Here the Pressure Plate and Ball Bearings are being installed. You may be wondering if I put any oil on the bearings before I installed the Top Plate. Actually, I installed the parts to make sure it would all go together correctly, then I took it apart, lubed it as necessary, then put it back together for the final install.



Next, the top plate is being installed.



Just about done.



Rekluse states that if you don't use their gasket, serious damage can occur. I noticed that their gasket is quite a bit thicker than the stock gasket.



Next up, I went through the break in procedure. Fortunately, it was a work day for most folks, so many people in my neighborhood were at work and didn't complain about me racing up and down the street. Because I installed new Friction Plates, Rekluse recommends that you check the gap between the top Friction Plate and Drive Plate. When I put it all together the 1st time, it was dead on. After the break in, the gap spread to the maximum allowed. So, I used another one of the Rekluse Drive Plates in place of one of my stock drive plates. Yes, you need to get back into the case, replace the Drive Plate, remeasure the gap, use Loctite again and put it all back again. But in light of the cost of this unit, and the simple 10 minutes it takes, its well worth it to ensure you have the right gap.

I rode the bike the very next day on some tight trails for a straight 4.5 hours. The clutch performed flawlessly. I never had an issue with the bike stalling. In fact, I noticed that when I started the bike in neutral, and then put it in 1st gear, the bike didn't move as much as it did when I had a standard cable clutch. Well worth the money, and when properly setup, performs awesomely.


As noted above, I'm no stranger to sockets and working on vehicles. I've redone my own suspension on the rear of my 4Runner. I designed and built my 3-link setup on my 4Runner, and created a vehicle that can rock crawl the extreme trails, and yet cruise on the highway at 80mph in comfort. I am very cautious when doing something for the first time, so it aways takes a bit more time. For somebody who has never doen this before, give yourself about 4 hours. I had to crack the case twice to add a thicker drive plate to bring the gap tolerances back into spec. But, its better to do it right the first time and not have problems down the trail.

Hope you all can glean some information from this.

Happy trails.