Hydraulic Clutch Time For My Ride

Well, after breaking my 3rd cable in a year, it's time to take the plunge and go hydraulic. As my bike is customized, the clutch cable is about 14" longer than OEM, and the additional length plus new clutch kit is chewing up cables like candy. I've wanted to do this conversion a long time and now it's time. The handlebar clutch control setup is a no brainer, but the throwout lever linkage is going to be the challenge. Here is what I'm hoping to use http://www.customcyclecontrols.com/inde ... /prd67.htm

Just need to figure out the mounting and connection. Any ideas are welcomed. I have a new cable on order as this mod will likely not be done until the Spring, unless I get a solution on the hookup soon. I know there has been some discussion here about this issue, but I've not seen anything that goes past the talk stage.

 

I have been wanting to change my clutch to a hydraulic setup. That cylinder you have looks a little pricy foe me. Read this article from XS11.com, I am going to model my changes after it.
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13345

 

Just be sure you give this project a lot of thought.

I would recommend finding a spare Clutch Cover to alter for the project.
You might find that the Hydraulic Slave Unit does not provide enough "Throw-Out" for the X-J Clutch.

If you are doing this project because you are not pleased with the performance of the Mechanical Design ... Take the Mechanical Design and adjust it for peak performance.

It's all-about just makin'-sure you got the Rod making contact while you place the Throw-Out Arm on the Splines so that you can loosen the Nuts on the lower-end of the Cable Sheath and Tension the Cable to be Perfectly Tight ... with NO Play ... So that when you Pull the Clutch Lever you get Max-Throw-Out >>> WITH >>> the ability to make some Fine Tuning by adjusting the Thumb Knurl at the Perch.

 

Rick:

I have followed your clutch adjust to the letter and while it worked good, the cable eventually broke...again. Will be experimenting with this notion in hopes that I can make something work using hydraulics. How much throwout movement will I need, Oh Great Fountain of XJ Knowledge?

MLew:

That slave was just something that I located on the web, will be looking around locally here at some of the hydraulic companies to see what they have, and to talk to their "experts". Will keep you posted.

 

That's what I don't know.
I don't want you to do a Hydraulic Conversion and not have enough throw-out to the clutches to prevent Red Light Creep, a Big Neutral Fight and Clunking into First Gear.

The X-Jay Clutch Cover has some concave surface to deal with.

 

My stock clutch setup works fine, I just want to change to a hydraulic. No real reason , I just like making modifications like that. My bike has many little things that make it unique.

 

Well, I've solved my clutch cable problem. The cable I was told was the right type and because it was a superior steel, it was ok to be thin...WRONG. I suggested to the shop that maybe their "superior" cable was better, but not at the expense of thickness. They agreed and we went through their new old stock and found a Harley clutch cable that was the right length (58"), so they gave it to me because of the trouble I was having. After some machining, the cable is in and is as solid as a brick ....house. anyway, there's no way this sucker will break now, making the hydraulic clutch notion a nice to have, not a need to have. The heat wave up here is coming to an end and Hurricane Bill is set to arrive in our area by Monday...hopefully it'll stay offshore.

 

they have plenty of throw, and feel GREAT. once they are set up, there is no adjusting, lubing, cable snapping. i have put a bunch on the race quads, people like them foir racing because they eliminate some of the clutch finger fatigue. we use a different clutch setup, similar though. Magura HYMEC.

 

For future reference or anyone else thinking about this mod: The "depth of engagement" range between the splines on the clutch hub and the pressure plate is just over 5mm, from bottomed out to coming "un-engaged." Assuming at least 2mm of engagement needs to remain, I would say clutch "lift" would be right around 3mm.

 

thats about it! the ones i have installed for people have the same travel as the cable, +/- a couple mm's, wich basically leaves you plenty of throw beyond what is minimally needed to disengage.

the mechanical advantage is designed to mock the cable setup, so the travel ratio from lever to clutch arm is very closely matched. the easier pull comes from eliminating friction of the cable.

 

I have hydraulic clutches on two of my bikes (Suzuki DL1000 and TL1000). They are great for not having to adjust anything, ever. That being said, they are non-adjustable. So if you want to move the friction point vs. where the lever is, you cannot. Although you may never want to adjust them since they are dead-nuts predictable every throw.

A couple of downsides I have noticed, though, are 1 - seals; It's that many more seals, and bleedings that you'll need to do whenever you play with the clutch. (Maybe that's not such a big deal) 2 - Hydraulic lines are vulnerable. Maybe it doesn't matter for the XJ application, but I have strongly considered moving to a cable clutch on the V-Strom. It really is the weak link in a drop on the sketchy stuff. Once the line becomes ruptured, you're out of the game. With a cable at least you can always get the clutch to disengage with a set of vise grips or something. Once again though, the XJ might not need hardening of that sort.