Hydraulic clutches - why? (curiosity question)

boz · Post by **boz** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:20 pm

I was just curious... several bikes have hydraulic clutches on them (including my yzf750r) and I was just wondering what the benefits of this are? I know that some people on this forum have looked into switching or have switched their clutches to cable clutches, so am curious why do manufacturers keep using hydraulic clutches...

Post by **FZRDude** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:23 pm

I didn't search all the years, but the 02 & 04 R6 and R1 are both cable clutches.

dragracer1951 · Post by **dragracer1951** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:43 pm

Hyd clutches are smoother at the lever and are usually lighter too. The reason folks change them is cables are simpler to fix at the track...

boz · Post by **boz** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:21 pm

thanks for the answers!

MsHap · Post by **MsHap** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:39 am

What dragracer1951 said

Cable clutches make my hand tired.

and you can break cables.

and cables stretch too.

mattlefler · Post by **mattlefler** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:48 am

Ill throw my .02 on this topic as Ive had both setups on the 88 FZR1k. The hyd. clutch was easier to operate, but the CNC jewel that is the Attack Mechanical Clutch conversion is about the coolest looking thing ever.

Although my left hand gets mighty tired after a day of stop and go traffic.

Nbot · Post by **Nbot** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:02 pm

those hyd Duc clutches at the track just sound weird to me....neat sound, but like something is wrong...just don't like the sound personally, but that's an aesthetic issue....

Post by **Hooligan** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:59 pm

actually nbot, the clutch sound you are hearing from the ducatis have nothing to to do with the fact that they use a hydraulic set-up. it's because the clutch on a duck is a dry-clutch, meaning it's not being bathed in oil as it spins like 99% of the other bikes out there.

it is a very clackety-clackety sound, but it's a modern ducati trademark. a riding buddy has an older supersport 900 with a dry clutch. it's very cool watching the clutch spin like mad behind the vented cover, but it's noisy as hell when the lever is pulled in.

my yzf is hydraulic and i prefer it to the cable clutch on my triumph.