SLIPPER VERSUS AUTO CLUTCH
Rekluse clutch.
Dear MXA,
What’s the difference between a Rekluse clutch and a Hinson BTL clutch. Which one is better suited to motocross?
The Hinson BTL is a slipper clutch and the Rekluse z-Start is an automatic clutch. In essence a slipper clutch is basically a handling device. It disengages the clutch when the engine registers significant deceleration. This frees up the rear suspension by lessening chain torque. With a slipper clutch you can bang through whoops without have the rear end pack. But the Hinson (and the STM clutch) do not disengage the clutch once the inertia of the engine slows beyond a certain point. Which means that once the rapid change in deceleration and engine braking lessens, the clutch reengages. So you still have to pull the clutch in to stop the bike from stalling.
The Rekluse is an automatic clutch. It not only disengages the clutch when it registers deceleration, but the clutch stay disengages until you accelerate again. With the Rekluse the bike always has the clutch pulled in when the engine is not revved up.
Most MXA test riders, if sent out on a bike with a slipper clutch, and not told that it had one, would never notice it (except for some movement of the clutch lever and more noise from the engine). That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t do what it claims, only that it does not significantly change the way the rider uses his clutch. On the other hand, every rider would know if he had a Rekluse.
The Rekluse is more unique than the Hinson BTL. As a rule of thumb a slipper is better for motocross than an automatic, but don’t tell that to Sean Collier who used a Rekluse clutch to finish in the top five at an AMA National this season.
|
|