Rekluse auto clutch anyone?

vincefriese
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7/21/2022 9:56am Edited Date/Time 7/25/2022 11:48am
Just got done watching an interview between Justin Cooper and Oldenburg from 2019. Cooper was talking about how he hopped on Oldenburg's bike with the auto clutch and how smooth/different it was. Oldenburg was saying how hard on clutches he was so they put on the auto clutch.

Anyone have good experience with the auto clutch? Reviews? I've never had an after market clutch in my bike, just OEM, maybe some stiffer clutch springs. But i'm really interested in trying an auto clutch in my next bike just to try something different.

(Also, does anyone know if Justin Cooper rides with the auto clutch today?)
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jmo443
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7/21/2022 10:05am
I loved it in a Honda 450. I kinda used it like a normal clutch but once you get used to it you really benefit from it. I felt like you could lug a gear higher better with more control.
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kylemenz1
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7/21/2022 10:08am
My father has been putting them on all his bikes for mostly trail riding. But they are awesome all around. You can still use the clutch to rev the motor when you want, bike won’t stall if laid over, and for sure riding when you get going on a steep hill super easy
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Robgvx
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7/21/2022 10:12am
The best aftermarket product I have ever used.

Don’t think of it as an ‘Auto’ clutch. Think of it as a regular clutch that will never allow you to stall.
kb228
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7/21/2022 10:13am
I have one on my 09 kx450. Going back to back with my 19kx450 theres a massive difference in smoothness. Plus you never need to use the clutch. One less thing to give you arm pump
3

The Shop

UGOTBIT
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7/21/2022 10:19am Edited Date/Time 7/21/2022 10:24am
Robgvx wrote:
The best aftermarket product I have ever used. Don’t think of it as an ‘Auto’ clutch. Think of it as a regular clutch that will never...
The best aftermarket product I have ever used.

Don’t think of it as an ‘Auto’ clutch. Think of it as a regular clutch that will never allow you to stall.
This has been my experience with mine on my Husky 350.

I was surprised on how basically there was no difference in riding the bike, just that it wont stall.

Mine is a Core systems upgraded to CX, riding is MX.
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ge217
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7/21/2022 10:20am
Just got done watching an interview between Justin Cooper and Oldenburg from 2019. Cooper was talking about how he hopped on Oldenburg's bike with the auto...
Just got done watching an interview between Justin Cooper and Oldenburg from 2019. Cooper was talking about how he hopped on Oldenburg's bike with the auto clutch and how smooth/different it was. Oldenburg was saying how hard on clutches he was so they put on the auto clutch.

Anyone have good experience with the auto clutch? Reviews? I've never had an after market clutch in my bike, just OEM, maybe some stiffer clutch springs. But i'm really interested in trying an auto clutch in my next bike just to try something different.

(Also, does anyone know if Justin Cooper rides with the auto clutch today?)
Your clutch is constantly slipping with one. So it’s actually harder on your clutch.
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peelout
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7/21/2022 10:21am
i have a Rekluse Radius CX in my 450 and love it. i've been riding/racing for almost 30 years and never thought it would be something i would want/need/like. i honestly can't see myself having another new bike without putting in a Rekluse right off the bat. we like them so much we put them on our snowbikes, game changer.
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Layton
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7/21/2022 10:28am
ge217 wrote:
Your clutch is constantly slipping with one. So it’s actually harder on your clutch.
Not true!
8
7/21/2022 10:39am
It's like E-mountain bikes....the "hardcore" guys will talk shit on them until they ride with one. They are great for pretty much everything.

The only guys I know who got rid of them are the super gnarly rock crawler enduro guys who I ride Baja with. They are the type who stand on their pegs on their 300's and work the clutch moving at .001mph to get the traction they need on wet rocks and sand covered rocks. With the rekluse, there's a tiny gap in rpms vs clutch engagement so these guys who ride at .001mph don't like the rekluse.

Unless you are one of those guys, it works well for all other technical riding and moto.

Be careful when you get one...before you get used to it you will accidentally rev your bike while sitting on it the bike will leap out from under you.
7
motomike137
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7/21/2022 10:39am
A secondary plus is that if you buy their basket also you will have one of the most durable clutches you can buy. It isn't a cheap proposition though. They work great when dialed in properly. The only negative I can think of is forgetting the bike is in gear and revving the motor thinking you are in neutral (ask me how I know lol).
3
7/21/2022 10:42am
A secondary plus is that if you buy their basket also you will have one of the most durable clutches you can buy. It isn't a...
A secondary plus is that if you buy their basket also you will have one of the most durable clutches you can buy. It isn't a cheap proposition though. They work great when dialed in properly. The only negative I can think of is forgetting the bike is in gear and revving the motor thinking you are in neutral (ask me how I know lol).
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and you have to rev your bike to get it engaged again for engine braking.
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suspensionguy
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7/21/2022 10:49am
I have a radius CX in my rmz450. Lever feels normal, and I ride it the same as I would with a standard clutch. It’s nearly stall proof. You can adjust the rpm engagement and fine tune it to your liking. I really like it and will probably continue to use them on 450 mx’ers. Adds a little flywheel effect and softens the power also(which is good IMO)
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vincefriese
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7/21/2022 10:49am
A secondary plus is that if you buy their basket also you will have one of the most durable clutches you can buy. It isn't a...
A secondary plus is that if you buy their basket also you will have one of the most durable clutches you can buy. It isn't a cheap proposition though. They work great when dialed in properly. The only negative I can think of is forgetting the bike is in gear and revving the motor thinking you are in neutral (ask me how I know lol).
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and...
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and you have to rev your bike to get it engaged again for engine braking.
So if it disengages you pull in the clutch and then rev it a little?
7/21/2022 10:51am
A secondary plus is that if you buy their basket also you will have one of the most durable clutches you can buy. It isn't a...
A secondary plus is that if you buy their basket also you will have one of the most durable clutches you can buy. It isn't a cheap proposition though. They work great when dialed in properly. The only negative I can think of is forgetting the bike is in gear and revving the motor thinking you are in neutral (ask me how I know lol).
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and...
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and you have to rev your bike to get it engaged again for engine braking.
So if it disengages you pull in the clutch and then rev it a little?
You don't need to pull the clutch in, you just blip the throttle.
vincefriese
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7/21/2022 10:55am
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and...
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and you have to rev your bike to get it engaged again for engine braking.
So if it disengages you pull in the clutch and then rev it a little?
You don't need to pull the clutch in, you just blip the throttle.
Gotcha, but the only time that ever happens is on technical downhills? Also have you ever felt the clutch slip at all, or any clunky shifting?
1
Broseph
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7/21/2022 10:57am
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and...
Hahahaha, I think ever rekluse owner has learned that the hard way. Oh, and one more slight negative is during technical downhills it will disengage and you have to rev your bike to get it engaged again for engine braking.
So if it disengages you pull in the clutch and then rev it a little?
You don't need to pull the clutch in, you just blip the throttle.
You can also turn up the idle until it just starts to grab when idling in gear. This way it re-engages itself on downhills.
4
7/21/2022 10:58am
So if it disengages you pull in the clutch and then rev it a little?
You don't need to pull the clutch in, you just blip the throttle.
Gotcha, but the only time that ever happens is on technical downhills? Also have you ever felt the clutch slip at all, or any clunky shifting?
Yes, it only happens on technical downhills to me when trail riding. No clutch slip or clunky shifting. If it's not adjusted properly it will feel like it's slipping a tiny bit from a stop, but after it engages it's a regular clutch that will save you from stalling. Most of this relates to trail riding.

On an MX track you are not stopping and your rpm's are up so there's no issue at all for that application.
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motomike137
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7/21/2022 10:59am Edited Date/Time 7/21/2022 11:00am
So if it disengages you pull in the clutch and then rev it a little?
You don't need to pull the clutch in, you just blip the throttle.
Gotcha, but the only time that ever happens is on technical downhills? Also have you ever felt the clutch slip at all, or any clunky shifting?
Mine worked flawlessly relative to shifting and clutch feel. It works on the centrifugal force principal so when the clutch basket drops below certain rpm it disengages on it's own. It can be fine tuned to come in a little sooner or later in the rpms.
Broseph
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7/21/2022 11:01am
So if it disengages you pull in the clutch and then rev it a little?
You don't need to pull the clutch in, you just blip the throttle.
Gotcha, but the only time that ever happens is on technical downhills? Also have you ever felt the clutch slip at all, or any clunky shifting?
The auto clutch doesn’t slip unless you lug it. In fact, they set them up to transfer a little more power than stock.

Ride with one and you’ll feel like a hero dragging the rear brake into corners and powering out smooth as butter.

I like them everywhere except slow technical stuff. Black Diesel Bro nailed it a few posts back.
1
mowerys
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7/21/2022 12:02pm
I used to run one for several years up until 4 or 5 years ago. The engagement was really good, it will engage more consistently/precisely than i can with the lever. i really liked it when it was slick and muddy, almost like have traction control.

My 2 complaints with it are the same as above for down hill. Even on mx, if its a steep down hill where you coast for a second before getting on the brakes, it feels like its going into neutral in turn losing your engine braking. You'll adapt and leave the throttle on just above idle so you can keep your engine braking, or you can adjust your idle higher and it'll leave it engaged.

2nd complaint-some people can ride/race a season and not need to adjust it (you set a gap at the pressure plate), other people need to adjust them quite a bit, others burn them up after 1 race. For me it was once in a while needing adjusted, but when it got to that point i would be riding and it'd be fine that day, then the next day when it cooled down and i went to ride again it would be slipping. But it'd be hot once i'd warmed up the bike and took off, and the adjustment needs to be when everything is cool. i got tired of that messing up my riding days, so i ditched it. other than that it was great.
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Titan1
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7/21/2022 12:42pm
I’ve had several in several different bikes…I love them all…I had one “hater”, ride my bike without telling him and he couldn’t tell the difference…

You can use them like a normal clutch, and your bike will never stall.

Way better return on the money (performance, results wise) than a $1k exhaust.
5
Gravel
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7/21/2022 1:05pm Edited Date/Time 7/21/2022 1:10pm
I took one out of my KTM 500. It doesn’t give you any feedback when you’re in the wrong gear and I smoked it by climbing hills in 3rd-4th gear when I should have been in 2nd. And the downhill thing is real, every time the rear wheel locks for a second the clutch releases and you freewheel until you give it a little gas to re-engage it. It was really good at finding and keeping traction, I like certain things about it, but for now I’m back to a manual clutch.

Rekluse has a lot of things that adjust how the clutch engages, I think it’s possible to make it work way better for my needs, however the tab for new plates, springs and wedges was well over $400 and that was more than I wanted to spend.

It’s great for moto, being able to roll on power smoothly in corners and airbrake with no worries about stalling was great!
1
Supermega1
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7/21/2022 1:17pm
mowerys wrote:
I used to run one for several years up until 4 or 5 years ago. The engagement was really good, it will engage more consistently/precisely than...
I used to run one for several years up until 4 or 5 years ago. The engagement was really good, it will engage more consistently/precisely than i can with the lever. i really liked it when it was slick and muddy, almost like have traction control.

My 2 complaints with it are the same as above for down hill. Even on mx, if its a steep down hill where you coast for a second before getting on the brakes, it feels like its going into neutral in turn losing your engine braking. You'll adapt and leave the throttle on just above idle so you can keep your engine braking, or you can adjust your idle higher and it'll leave it engaged.

2nd complaint-some people can ride/race a season and not need to adjust it (you set a gap at the pressure plate), other people need to adjust them quite a bit, others burn them up after 1 race. For me it was once in a while needing adjusted, but when it got to that point i would be riding and it'd be fine that day, then the next day when it cooled down and i went to ride again it would be slipping. But it'd be hot once i'd warmed up the bike and took off, and the adjustment needs to be when everything is cool. i got tired of that messing up my riding days, so i ditched it. other than that it was great.
For your first issue, you should be able to adjust that out of it with pressure plate springs, or through the springs in the Rekluse.

Mine never entirely free wheels and I always have some amount of engine braking. I've also adjusted the transition from off throttle to on throttle to make it as smooth as possible.

I've had a full kit for about 10 years now. Replaced clutch plates and fibers twice. I check adjustment every few rides but have only adjusted it about 3 times post set up in 10 years. Initial setup can be a little bit of a pain if you've never done it. As there's a lot of "feel" associated with the setup process.

I did burn through one though when I first got it. You can lug it really easily but lugging it and riding a gear high will tear it up. As its never fully engaged due to not having enough centrifugal force to spin the wedges out to engage.

Clutch pull is definitely harder on my bike than stock but not a deal breaker. I purchased mine because I was just learning to ride and wanted to take one thing out of the equation to make it easier. Now that am more experience I just ride it like a normal clutch bike when I want to.

2012 WR 450 - 600+ hours - Average 1-2k miles a year at least of desert/trail/mountain.
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Robgvx
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7/21/2022 1:27pm
If a Rekluse is adjusted correctly it works EXACTLY like a normal clutch. It doesn’t coast, it doesn’t disengage down hills or any of the other misinformation posted in these types of threads.

Never stall again. If I were racing at the top level I’d never use anything else.

T-Fish
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7/21/2022 1:37pm
Robgvx wrote:
If a Rekluse is adjusted correctly it works EXACTLY like a normal clutch. It doesn’t coast, it doesn’t disengage down hills or any of the other...
If a Rekluse is adjusted correctly it works EXACTLY like a normal clutch. It doesn’t coast, it doesn’t disengage down hills or any of the other misinformation posted in these types of threads.

Never stall again. If I were racing at the top level I’d never use anything else.

There is more than one way to set it up “correctly”.
Natester551v
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7/21/2022 1:42pm
I ran one on my 2017 YZ450F (the last kickstart YZF), and it was a game changer. Dead engine starts sucked on it (probably my technique, which was totally tuned to the standard clutch), but other than that it was better in every way. Stall proof and acted like a normal clutch otherwise. I could carry a gear high through rock sections w/o worrying about flaming out, and I could stab the clutch to get the revs up whenever I wanted. I ran the Radius CX with a Hinson basket....
mowerys
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7/21/2022 1:42pm
mowerys wrote:
I used to run one for several years up until 4 or 5 years ago. The engagement was really good, it will engage more consistently/precisely than...
I used to run one for several years up until 4 or 5 years ago. The engagement was really good, it will engage more consistently/precisely than i can with the lever. i really liked it when it was slick and muddy, almost like have traction control.

My 2 complaints with it are the same as above for down hill. Even on mx, if its a steep down hill where you coast for a second before getting on the brakes, it feels like its going into neutral in turn losing your engine braking. You'll adapt and leave the throttle on just above idle so you can keep your engine braking, or you can adjust your idle higher and it'll leave it engaged.

2nd complaint-some people can ride/race a season and not need to adjust it (you set a gap at the pressure plate), other people need to adjust them quite a bit, others burn them up after 1 race. For me it was once in a while needing adjusted, but when it got to that point i would be riding and it'd be fine that day, then the next day when it cooled down and i went to ride again it would be slipping. But it'd be hot once i'd warmed up the bike and took off, and the adjustment needs to be when everything is cool. i got tired of that messing up my riding days, so i ditched it. other than that it was great.
Supermega1 wrote:
For your first issue, you should be able to adjust that out of it with pressure plate springs, or through the springs in the Rekluse. Mine...
For your first issue, you should be able to adjust that out of it with pressure plate springs, or through the springs in the Rekluse.

Mine never entirely free wheels and I always have some amount of engine braking. I've also adjusted the transition from off throttle to on throttle to make it as smooth as possible.

I've had a full kit for about 10 years now. Replaced clutch plates and fibers twice. I check adjustment every few rides but have only adjusted it about 3 times post set up in 10 years. Initial setup can be a little bit of a pain if you've never done it. As there's a lot of "feel" associated with the setup process.

I did burn through one though when I first got it. You can lug it really easily but lugging it and riding a gear high will tear it up. As its never fully engaged due to not having enough centrifugal force to spin the wedges out to engage.

Clutch pull is definitely harder on my bike than stock but not a deal breaker. I purchased mine because I was just learning to ride and wanted to take one thing out of the equation to make it easier. Now that am more experience I just ride it like a normal clutch bike when I want to.

2012 WR 450 - 600+ hours - Average 1-2k miles a year at least of desert/trail/mountain.
Thanks I didn’t know you can adjust it out. Do you recall if you go stiffer or softer springs? Or any recommendations whether the pressure plate springs or the little expanding plate springs should swap first? I’d played some with the pressure plate gap and a little with the expanding plate springs to adjust its engagement but didn’t know about getting engine braking on idle.
Supermega1
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7/21/2022 2:46pm Edited Date/Time 7/21/2022 2:47pm
mowerys wrote:
Thanks I didn’t know you can adjust it out. Do you recall if you go stiffer or softer springs? Or any recommendations whether the pressure plate...
Thanks I didn’t know you can adjust it out. Do you recall if you go stiffer or softer springs? Or any recommendations whether the pressure plate springs or the little expanding plate springs should swap first? I’d played some with the pressure plate gap and a little with the expanding plate springs to adjust its engagement but didn’t know about getting engine braking on idle.
Unfortunately, I can't remember.

Its outlined in the setup manual, if you don't have that you can download it from their site. Parts Fiche/Documentation Just fill out the form click on what you have and the instructions are up above and can be downloaded.

See the quoted section from the owner's manual at the bottom. You might just need to tweak your idle.


But honestly just call Rekluse and ask them. Their tech team is awesome. I've called them a few times and they walked me step by step over the phone on how to make some adjustments when I was on struggle street setting up the clutch again after replacing plates/fibers.

They also sell any part in their kits individually so if you just need the springs etc you can get them.

---------------
Adjusting the engine idle speed to match your engagement setting is important and greatly affects the overall feel of how the EXP disk engages. To prevent freewheeling and maximize engine braking, set the idle so there is a slight amount of drag while the bike is idling in gear and warmed up. The idle should not be so high as to move the bike forward in gear with the throttle closed. However, with a small opening of the throttle, the bike should move forward.
---------------

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gerg
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7/21/2022 3:09pm
Just got done watching an interview between Justin Cooper and Oldenburg from 2019. Cooper was talking about how he hopped on Oldenburg's bike with the auto...
Just got done watching an interview between Justin Cooper and Oldenburg from 2019. Cooper was talking about how he hopped on Oldenburg's bike with the auto clutch and how smooth/different it was. Oldenburg was saying how hard on clutches he was so they put on the auto clutch.

Anyone have good experience with the auto clutch? Reviews? I've never had an after market clutch in my bike, just OEM, maybe some stiffer clutch springs. But i'm really interested in trying an auto clutch in my next bike just to try something different.

(Also, does anyone know if Justin Cooper rides with the auto clutch today?)
ge217 wrote:
Your clutch is constantly slipping with one. So it’s actually harder on your clutch.
Gotta love the Internet.

Anyway...The Recluse clutch literally saved me from having to quit riding.

I had developed RSI in my left wrist to the point that any clutching action was agonizing and the pain would set in after about 10 minutes of riding and get progressively worse to the point I couldn't hang on any more.

Pain specialists and every recommended exercise under the sun didn't help...I tried different bar bends you name it.

Recluse was brand new to the industry when this was happening and I'd never heard of them until a friend of mine mentioned it.
I was skeptical because the first bike I used it on was a KTM 525 and I just thought it would burn out the clutch. I tuned it with the tungsten ball bearings (no idea how the current ones work) and it never slipped etc and the clutch lasted until I sold the bike.

Best aftermarket part I ever used...and it's a blast in the high country up those steep rocky climbs...almost like cheating Smile
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