Posts
6
Joined
6/18/2024
Location
Fargo, ND, USA
Edited Date/Time
6/3/2025 5:55pm
Just picked up a 2021 ktm 350 xcf and one of the first things I noticed was the hard pull on the clutch lever. I was wondered what I can do to get a lighter pull, my brother has a 21 250 xcf with a auto rekluse. The pull on his clutch is perfect. Could I just get the rekluse slave cylinder and be good have the same feel?
I don’t think the slave cylinder change is going to help much. Ktm uses a concave/convex disk (DDS) in lieu of springs to apply pressure to the clutch discs. I would start by adjusting the ring that sits on the disk. There are holes where the bolts go through numbered 1,2,and 3 that hold different amounts of pressure to the disk. Look up that adjustment on you tube. Looks like below.
Flush system w new fluid
Clean and lube the lever pivot. Do both bikes have the same brand of levers?
THIS right here is the primary contributor. The 3+ pressure setting options are based on KTM's guidance - which is dictated by the clutch pack thickness. KTM is simply trying to ensure the appropriate pressure is applied to the clutch pack so it doesn't slip (too much) and the lever pressure is acceptable.
I just learned this firsthand installing a Rekluse TorqDrive clutch pack and when I went to pull the clutch lever, I was also disappointed in the increased lever pull, but I haven't played with it since install/break-in. I can just say, to meet spec, I ended up adjusting the clutch as described above and the lever pull went up ~ 20% (SWAG).
I'm guessing that a number of folks who comment on their KTM clutch lever pulls being so light actually have worn clutch packs where a fair amount of clutch-pack preload has been lost, resulting in more slip and heat than is ideal.
In terms of the Rekluse Autoclutch, different story there. The autoclutch creates the clutch pack preload as the autoclutch disc expands with centrifugal force (and it's a handsome amount of preload - better than OEM, making the clutch able to withstand higher torque levels). Therefore the initial clutch pack preload setting doesn't need to be as high since the autoclutch is delivering the clutch pack load in a dynamic manner initially ---> this is the magic of the Rekluse autoclutches, it slips the clutch perfectly every time, resulting in no stalls and perfect consistency. I am a big believer in this tech and recommend without hesitation.
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