Anyone try 3 250f clutch springs for softer lever pull?

[Bandit9]

For those of you who feel the WR clutch lever is a bit on the hard side. Someone mentioned that it is possible to replace 3 of the 6 clutch springs with 250f springs. Supposedly makes the pull at the lever easier. You would replace every other spring. I looked up the part numbers and they are definetly different springs.

It's cheap, quick, and easy to do. Like $20 with the shipping.

What does the WR asylum think about this?

[FORMA MOTO]

If you don't ride aggressively, or do long power-sapping up hills, it's fine.

Otherwise, the clutch will slip.

 

Oh, and not sure why people think this clutch has a hard pull....it's one of the easiest clutches out there that's not hydraulic, and it has excellent modulation feel, unlike a hydraulic clutch....

 

Ride more in a higher gear and practice using the clutch. 

[Bandit9]

If you don't ride aggressively, or do long power-sapping up hills, it's fine.

Otherwise, the clutch will slip.

 

Oh, and not sure why people think this clutch has a hard pull....it's one of the easiest clutches out there that's not hydraulic, and it has excellent modulation feel, unlike a hydraulic clutch....

 

Ride more in a higher gear and practice using the clutch.

I don't find it to be overly hard to pull, but it seems a lot of people do. I think what happens is they pull the lever on other bikes and it makes the WR seem stiff.

[woods-rider]

My stock 2012 feels about the same as my stock 2006, however, a lighter pull is always nice.

 

I wouldn't put lighter springs in though for fear of the clutch slipping as Krannie said.

[YamaFling]

I put 2 250f clutch springs in mine and didnt really notice a difference and didn't have any slipping.  I put back in 450 springs after I bored out the bike a little to avoid the chance of any slipping.

 

I've been looking for a clutch perch that does better than stock in terms of pull, but haven't ever seen a definitive "yes, this makes it better".  I know you cant ever get a 450 to a 250 without a hydralic clutch (which for my year isnt a choice), but some improvement to where i can 1 finger pull would be nice.  For now I just have the lever mounted inward to give me some more leverage when pulling.

[redhurricane]

When the kids were little, we used one of these on the XR100- I guess it could be adapted to use on about anything? Clutch pull is "normal" for me, when I feel fatigue it just tells me I am out of shape.

http://www.amazon.com/Moose-Racing-Easy-Pull-Clutch-System/dp/B001DDH1LE

[GP1K]

If you don't ride aggressively, or do long power-sapping up hills, it's fine.

Otherwise, the clutch will slip.

 

Oh, and not sure why people think this clutch has a hard pull....it's one of the easiest clutches out there that's not hydraulic, and it has excellent modulation feel, unlike a hydraulic clutch....

 

Ride more in a higher gear and practice using the clutch. 

 

Really? You must have gotten one extra special lucky WR then... mine is WAY heavier than my old CRF250X, way heavier than my DRZ400. In fact it's definitely the hardest clutch pull of any bike I've ever owned. And every 12+ WR I've checked at my local dealer feels same as mine. I also think the modulation/feel is way better with my Magura than it was stock, and it never fades.

 

Are you sure you didn't buy your bike with a juice clutch pre-installed and just haven't noticed? LOL

[MidlifeCrisisGuy]

I also think the modulation/feel is way better with my Magura than it was stock, and it never fades.

After a few rides with my Magura, I have to agree with this. I just wish it disengaged better.

[Bandit9]

I find the Magura on my 12 GG 300 to be very close to the pull of my WR. Smoother? Yes. Lighter pull? Not really. If it is, it isn't by much. I grabbed my buddies KTM 200 Magura on Saturday, it felt just like my 300. Which surprised me, I was expecting the 200 to be WAY easier, but it wasn't. In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, my 05 KTM 450 w/Magura had a stiff pull.

This reminds me of how light my 05 GG 250 with the AJP clutch was. To this day, that is still the best clutch pull I ever felt. I might look for one on ebay.

I was very curious about this, so today I bought 3 each 2009 YZ250F oem clutch springs to try out this weekend. We can ride pretty hard and I use the clutch a lot, so I'm curious to see if I can get it to slip. My buddy Navaho got some too for his 06' so we should have some data come Sunday.

[FORMA MOTO]

Really? You must have gotten one extra special lucky WR then... mine is WAY heavier than my old CRF250X, way heavier than my DRZ400. In fact it's definitely the hardest clutch pull of any bike I've ever owned. And every 12+ WR I've checked at my local dealer feels same as mine. I also think the modulation/feel is way better with my Magura than it was stock, and it never fades.

 

Are you sure you didn't buy your bike with a juice clutch pre-installed and just haven't noticed? LOL

 

So, you are telling me you can ride in a gear higher than you normally do, using a Magura clutch, and it's more accurate and easier to modulate  than a cable clutch??

 

That would be a first.

 

This is me on my WR/YZ, riding in a gear higher than usual, becuase the rider behind me is geared 15/47, and I wanted to see if I would get stuck anywhere; if I did, I would go back for him to help.

This is a stock clutch with a Barnett replacement fiber/metal kit installed, ASC lever, stock cables. It makes my hand start to cramp just slightly after about 10 minutes riding it a gear too high.

I do not shift but once, by mistake.

Every time you hear the motor go to idle, I am pulling the clutch in.  I do that over a hundred times in this video.

Everytime you hear me slip the clutch, I am doing that with two fingers. I do that about 40 times in the video.

Granted, it is not extreme terrain, just fun and tight.

 

But the modulation, and ability to lift the front wheel as needed, is fantastic.....

 

 

Edited November 5, 2013 by Krannie

[MidlifeCrisisGuy]

using a Magura clutch, and it's more accurate and easier to modulate than a cable clutch??

I can't say that I can ride a gear higher, but the Magura clutch is easier to use and has a much better feel than the stocker. The Magura clutch lever also has a longer stroke.

Something people never talk about is that when you change the lever ratio (to make the clutch pull lighter), everything else being equal, the lever travel has to increase. Or the stroke at the clutch arm is decreasing.

[FORMA MOTO]

^^ Yup. You can't have both.

[Bandit9]

I can't say that I can ride a gear higher, but the Magura clutch is easier to use and has a much better feel than the stocker. The Magura clutch lever also has a longer stroke.Something people never talk about is that when you change the lever ratio (to make the clutch pull lighter), everything else being equal, the lever travel has to increase. Or the stroke at the clutch arm is decreasing.

Yep, that is why I brought up changing clutch springs. You are not messing with the ratio. Only issue is whether a rider rides hard enough to get it to slip a lot. We ride hard, but don't have any long hill climbs. So we might get away with it.

^^ Yup. You can't have both.

You can I guess with a $900 Core EXP.

[FORMA MOTO]

Yep, that is why I brought up changing clutch springs. You are not messing with the ratio. Only issue is whether a rider rides hard enough to get it to slip a lot. We ride hard, but don't have any long hill climbs. So we might get away with it.

You can I guess with a $900 Core EXP.

 

I have a Core EXP on my CRF450R.

It is actually forces you to go slower on really rough terrain, cause it's really hard to know what the rear tire is doing, and you still have to use the clutch to put the rpm's in the right place.

It's also nearly impossible to break the rear wheel loose at low rpms, for quick direction changes.

It has it's place, but it's automatic: it can't read your mind...

It just never stalls....

[Bandit9]

Supposedly, the Core EXP makes the lever feel the same. "Supposedly".....

[MidlifeCrisisGuy]

My friend has a Core EXP on his big bore/stroke YZ250F. Its great that you can basically never stall it, but it seems to give a lot of trouble and it has a few drawbacks. Like it lacks engine braking just when you want it. It won't hold the bike if you "stall" it going up hills. Ad it lacks feel for wheelieing, both for getting it up and controlling it once its up.

I'd say its a mixed bag. Learn to use the clutch and you'll be pretty happy. A WR450F has a lot of bottom end. Its not like its prone to stall out.

[FORMA MOTO]

Supposedly, the Core EXP makes the lever feel the same. "Supposedly".....

 

It is nearly the same kind of feel as stock,  but a lighter feel, with less linearity at different rpms. But totally usable, unlike the non-core EXP, which changes the feel dramatically.

[FORMA MOTO]

My friend has a Core EXP on his big bore/stroke YZ250F. Its great that you can basically never stall it, but it seems to give a lot of trouble and it has a few drawbacks. Like it lacks engine braking just when you want it. It won't hold the bike if you "stall" it going up hills. Ad it lacks feel for wheelieing, both for getting it up and controlling it once its up.

I'd say its a mixed bag. Learn to use the clutch and you'll be pretty happy. A WR450F has a lot of bottom end. Its not like its prone to stall out.

 

^^^  Exactly. It's a trade off: no stalling,  for no wheelies and no dead engine braking.  

 

It's cool to have and try out, and it's great on an MX bike used for trail riding where you can't wheelie or rear wheel steer anyway (ultra-tight single track). 

Otherwise, it's better without, IMHO.

[Bandit9]

I had a few Auto Clutches 10 years ago. (Ha! Time flies) I Had a Rekluse in a YZ250f and an EFM in a KX250. They were ok, but I had a lot of problems with them. Fried clutch in both bikes. After rebuilding the clutch on the KX250, I put it back stock to sell. First ride on it was like finding a long lost love. Regular clutch was so much better for ripping it. If you are just putt putting trail riding, you won't know what I'm talking about. Auto clutch is great for that, that is why Harley riders love them. Basically instead of viewing the clutch as a negative thing that you fight, I view the clutch as a weapon that helps me kick the shit out of the trail.

While I don't find the WR pull to be all that bad, in the slower going technical stuff, it will get to you after a while. It surely isn't a 250 2 stroke. On wider trail and out in the desert, I wouldn't think it would be that much of an issue.

That said, I'll let ya'll know how the softer springs perform. We will be in some sand, so if it's going to be an issue slipping, it will show it'self early on.

[Bandit9]

Put the 3 250f springs in today. 5 minute job. For sure it is a little lighter pull, but not by much. Maybe they might break in a little and become a tad bit softer yet, but it isn't like hopping off the 450 and on to a 125. In fact, I would be very surprised if it slips at all. Feels good around the neighborhood, you know how that goes though....

We don't have any huge technical hill climbs, so the verdict will be out until I go to Arkansas on Jan 1.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Bandit9