Hydro Clutch??

[MiniFighter]

its all about trial and error...what works for some wont for others, i was wary of it when Nick first posted it but fter Thumps feedback, would consider one if the op cam up...maybe when the engine swap goes down i'll look into it.

and thanks for the Reps nick...returned the favour.

 

[fusedminis]

Yes I know its trial and error, Thump does mostly motard doesnt he? Maybe there is something behind that. My personal experience with two of them were both crap. As for "track" I meant whilst riding not racing, so trails is included in what I was getting at.

To the OP what cable length are you after? Maybe if you can post it up someone could steer you in the right direction. From memory there is only two main lengths that most bike use.

 

[MiniFighter]

the only down side i can see (with out trialing it) is tht your limited to the one perch...this could suck later on ifyou wanna upgrade...

 

[fusedminis]

Yep, and they slide onto the bars, as there is only one tightening bolt. I really think they are a good idea poorly executed.

 

[thump*140]

I am going to say they are crap. If you ever need to take it apart you can not re-bleed it, the oil that come in them is junk and cant be changed, also I would think they suffer from heating as they sit onto of the engine, there is a good reason DHZ don't sell them anymore, he always has the latest and greatest but gets rid of anything that is not working out on the track.

Go a cable, you will be less stressed and more happy in the long run, guaranteed.

Again I'm going to disagree. I've had mine for over two years, done a squillion hrs with it, never had to bleed it, never has fade problems being mounted on the engine, and all my riding is mx and track work. Been riding 28 years, ex state level mxer, so it's not like the bikes have an easy time of it. The three hydro clutches I have, all perform flawlessly.
I still say hydro FTW

 

[MiniFighter]

Again I'm going to disagree. I've had mine for over two years, done a squillion hrs with it, never had to bleed it, never has fade problems being mounted on the engine, and all my riding is mx and track work. Been riding 28 years, ex state level mxer, so it's not like the bikes have an easy time of it. The three hydro clutches I have, all perform flawlessly.
I still say hydro FTW

Good enough for me to get one...:grinning-smiley-003

 

[fusedminis]

Again I'm going to disagree. I've had mine for over two years, done a squillion hrs with it, never had to bleed it, never has fade problems being mounted on the engine, and all my riding is mx and track work. Been riding 28 years, ex state level mxer, so it's not like the bikes have an easy time of it. The three hydro clutches I have, all perform flawlessly.
I still say hydro FTW

I'm glad someone has had some joy from them. Have you ever tried to bleed one? And what about alternate lever options.

I just can't recommend them to anyone after the problems I have had and flaws that I have seen on them. Its an expensive way to do it too, with cables being in the $10-20 range, that means you can burn out 3-5 cables before you spent the equivalent on a hydro. And all the cables I have ever used have been easy, simple and just as light as one of these hydros, with the proper lubing, thats not even saying maintaince, just lube it up properly with some graphite lube every once in a blue moon.

 

[littlerider9]

i had one of these on my old bike wich had a lifan 140 engine and i had to cut the bracket on the engine that holds the end of the line and re weld it to make it fit. and i found that the hydro clutch only pulled in about half the way that cable did so if it was in gear sitting still it would be grabby. and when i rode in mud it jammed on then wen i cleaned it it didnt work. had to re bleed it to get it going but in the end i went back to cable. the hydro definantly feels better and lighter but to many problems. oh and i snaped the perch and you cant replace it

 

[fusedminis]

i had one of these on my old bike wich had a lifan 140 engine and i had to cut the bracket on the engine that holds the end of the line and re weld it to make it fit. and i found that the hydro clutch only pulled in about half the way that cable did so if it was in gear sitting still it would be grabby. and when i rode in mud it jammed on then wen i cleaned it it didnt work. had to re bleed it to get it going but in the end i went back to cable. the hydro definantly feels better and lighter but to many problems. oh and i snaped the perch and you cant replace it

These are some of the other problems I was referring too, they just seem to be too unpredictable

 

[thump*140]

I'm glad someone has had some joy from them. Have you ever tried to bleed one? And what about alternate lever options.

I just can't recommend them to anyone after the problems I have had and flaws that I have seen on them. Its an expensive way to do it too, with cables being in the $10-20 range, that means you can burn out 3-5 cables before you spent the equivalent on a hydro. And all the cables I have ever used have been easy, simple and just as light as one of these hydros, with the proper lubing, thats not even saying maintaince, just lube it up properly with some graphite lube every once in a blue moon.

Yeah I've bled one of mine just for the sake of it, didn't have too many dramas, but yes, they'd benefit greatly from a proper bleed nipple. As for lever options, I use an ASV replica brake lever flipped over on mine, nice and stubby, and I'm yet to brake one, or snap the perch. Bit of duct tape under the perch clamp let's it spin if u take a tumble, and drilling a hole near the lever tip creates a sacrificial point..
As for cost, I've never paid more than $20 for a hydro clutch by bidding smart from chinese eBay stores...
Like any part, I don't doubt for a second that people have also had negative experiences with them, but I can't rate them highly enough.