1 Fngr Clutch Lever? Easier Clutch Pull?

bronwynrayne
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Harrisburg, OR US
1/13/2019 12:54pm Edited Date/Time 2/8/2019 9:34pm
Has anyone used one of these?

Obviously there are a lot of options out there, but I am having a hard time finding any feedback.

My end goal is a smoother, less laborious clutch pull on my 06 YZ 125 as I am racing longer XC and Sprint Enduro races and my hands struggle as I am sure many of yours do, to pull the clutch in when riding over 3 hours straight. I was considering a Magura hydraulic setup but I would like to retain the clutch feel that I am now used to with the regular cable setup. I will also be trying a modified longer actuator arm if I can manage it.

Any reviews are greatly appreciated, or your suggestions for what has helped you with relieving the efforts involved with the factory perch.


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macz400
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League City, TX US
1/13/2019 1:53pm
I had a Magura hydro clutch on a few of my CRF450s and it made the clutch pull super light. I loved it. With you having a YZ125, I would think the pull would already be pretty light. Have you bought a new cable or tried a WC elite perch setup? If you have an older cable, switching to a newer, properly lived cable will make a big difference.
bronwynrayne
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1/13/2019 4:09pm
macz400 wrote:
I had a Magura hydro clutch on a few of my CRF450s and it made the clutch pull super light. I loved it. With you having...
I had a Magura hydro clutch on a few of my CRF450s and it made the clutch pull super light. I loved it. With you having a YZ125, I would think the pull would already be pretty light. Have you bought a new cable or tried a WC elite perch setup? If you have an older cable, switching to a newer, properly lived cable will make a big difference.
I am trying to avoid the Magura setup as I do like the feedback from the cable clutch.

The pull is light enough, but once I pass the 90 minute mark I start to struggle to pull the clutch in, particularly in tight, winding trails. It really begins to get dangerous when I am unable to pull it in.

I have not tried to WC perch, that was what my husband suggested, but I had this other company suggested aswell and wanted to get some info. I would be replacing the cable along with the perch, but it does not have an outrageous number of hours on it so I have not done that as of yet.
swtwtwtw
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Apple Valley, CA US
1/13/2019 6:12pm
Use the Protaper XPS clutch lever.
FGR01
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1/13/2019 6:39pm
WC perch/lever is crazy expensive. The Pro Taper setup is basically a copy at a much lower price.

New cable always feels better. They degrade rather fast. Lubing the cable will make it feel gunkier and crappy eventually because the oil attracts dirt. However it feels great right after oiling it so do it right before your race.

The EZ-clutch setup gives a crappy feel and engagement because it's essentially an additional lever that amplifies your finger force. So, it pulls lighter, but it doesn't disengage the plates as much relative to how far you pull the lever.
1

The Shop

Falcon
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1/15/2019 5:24pm Edited Date/Time 1/15/2019 5:26pm
The hot setup in the late '90s and early 2000s was to run a lever from an XT350. They are longer and fit right into the stock clutch perch. I don't know if this setup will work on a newer 125, though.

You can see the difference in this picture of John Dowd (XT levers are black):



Photo credit Tony Blazier
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GCBC
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1/15/2019 5:27pm
can reduce the clutch springs assuming when its at its hottest its not on the verge of slipping.
Tracktor
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1/16/2019 4:17pm
FGR01 wrote:
WC perch/lever is crazy expensive. The Pro Taper setup is basically a copy at a much lower price. New cable always feels better. They degrade rather...
WC perch/lever is crazy expensive. The Pro Taper setup is basically a copy at a much lower price.

New cable always feels better. They degrade rather fast. Lubing the cable will make it feel gunkier and crappy eventually because the oil attracts dirt. However it feels great right after oiling it so do it right before your race.

The EZ-clutch setup gives a crappy feel and engagement because it's essentially an additional lever that amplifies your finger force. So, it pulls lighter, but it doesn't disengage the plates as much relative to how far you pull the lever.
All of which, from my experience, are Honda lever copies. I put Honda style clutch levers on everything (along with Honda front brake MC's). Some aftermarkets use a pivot bearing for better feel but throwing a cheap Honda lever & perch would give you an idea if it's a fix or not.........
Moto520
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1/17/2019 7:00am
I have a 2012 YZ125 and the clutch pull is the lightest of any bike I've owned. My advice: new clutch cable (or lube the old one), rebuild the clutch lever and perch, buy a works connection clutch and perch (the clutch pivots on a bearing rather than a bushing, go back to stock clutch springs if you have changed this.
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FGR01
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1/18/2019 12:42pm
A little additional info. The stock inner clutch hub on the YZ125 is made of really soft material. The steel plates dig into it easily and notch it. Notching does not directly affect pull effort at the lever, but it does make the clutch more likely to slip or not disengage properly. I've been through 3 or 4 hubs on mine in the span of 10 yrs and I am pretty easy on clutches. I thought about getting a Hinson or other harder inner hub but they cost about as much as 10 OEM ones.
snackfedbear
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2/8/2019 9:32pm Edited Date/Time 2/8/2019 9:34pm
Try positioning the perch as far in on the bars as you can to where you’re basically pulling it at the furthest point out on the lever as possible if that makes any sense. That’s where the actuation is the easiest and lightet pull. This will make the lever at a further reach so It also helps to heat and bend the lever to where the lever grab spot is more in. This will double to make sure the cable is pulling as straight as possible and the engaging point is right in the sweet spot
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harescrambled
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2/9/2019 4:13am
Has anyone used one of these? Obviously there are a lot of options out there, but I am having a hard time finding any feedback. My...
Has anyone used one of these?

Obviously there are a lot of options out there, but I am having a hard time finding any feedback.

My end goal is a smoother, less laborious clutch pull on my 06 YZ 125 as I am racing longer XC and Sprint Enduro races and my hands struggle as I am sure many of yours do, to pull the clutch in when riding over 3 hours straight. I was considering a Magura hydraulic setup but I would like to retain the clutch feel that I am now used to with the regular cable setup. I will also be trying a modified longer actuator arm if I can manage it.

Any reviews are greatly appreciated, or your suggestions for what has helped you with relieving the efforts involved with the factory perch.


I race GNCC's on a '18 CRF450RX. I was having a horrible time with arm pump all last year, to the point where I didn't finish some races. Ended up getting an ASV lever and perch, which completely eliminated my arm pump on the clutch side. Haven't had any at all since I got it all set up. The ASV setup changes the leverage ratio slightly, making the pull easier, not to mention the lever is adjustable and guaranteed for life against breakage. The ASV perch also has a quick adjust.

I've found that running the lever closer to the grip helps to reduce fatigue...it's easier to pull in the clutch when you don't have to reach that far.

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