Rekluse advice sought

[iancp5]

I have a Rekluse I'd like to tune.

Is it possible to raise the engagement point just a little, maybe only 200 rpm whilst at the same time have it lock harder so it doesn't slip in the high gears under full load?

I find it starts to engage too early but slips too long in the higher gears.

At the moment it has the L2 spring and 1 washer. I think it has 5 Tungsten balls but they all seem magnetic and I thought TC wasn't. I have an empty packet of TC balls and 5 magnetic ones left in the box?? The plates are not worn and the gap is within spec. Reading the manual it seems raising the engagement point increases slip which doesn't help me.

[dave948]

All the balls will be slightly "sticky" to the magnet but I can't pick my Ti ones up with a magnet.

More Ti will decrease lock up RPM while less spring will decrease engagement RPM and vise versa.

You can get very different feels from different oil as well. Some oils really make it slip more than others. Try shell rotella and make sure your plates are in good shape with no glazing.

[iancp5]

Originally Posted by dave948

All the balls will be slightly "sticky" to the magnet but I can't pick my Ti ones up with a magnet.

More Ti will decrease lock up RPM while less spring will decrease engagement RPM and vise versa.

You can get very different feels from different oil as well. Some oils really make it slip more than others. Try shell rotella and make sure your plates are in good shape with no glazing.

Thanks.
Ah ok so the TC balls are less magnetic but still magnetic. My magnet was picking them up but some did seem more attracted than others.

Good I was hoping for that, so I should add a 2nd shim to the spring and another 5 TC balls. That hopefully will raise the engagement rpm but the clutch will lock quickly after that?

I'm using ATF III oil. I know Rekluse recommend Rotella but you never see it in the UK. Probably sell it under a different name but what? The plates looked ok with no glazing.

[AZRickD]

Slight thread hijack...

I went to the Maxxis Enduro Cross Finals in Las Vegas two weeks ago. It was easy to tell which riders were competing with the Rekluse and which were not. Those poor 4-strokers who stalled in the rocks were often kicking for tens of precious seconds -- or more.

The Rekluse truck was there and I used the opportunity to look into whether the Rekluse Pro would be out for the Gas Gas anytime soon. The Rekluse guys said they had a Gas Gas clutch assembly on one of their benches for quite some time but it was a low priority to get one to market.

Naturally, they advised me to get the regular Z-Start and they would give me a great deal on a swap when (and if) the Pro comes out. I'm electing to sit it out for a while. Yeah, they gave me all the ins and outs of why the old Rekluse would suit me, given that the Gasser has a juice clutch. But they were not clear on how a standard Reklused bike's clutch "half-throw" lever engages vs the full functionality of the Pro model. I've also heard that the Pro requires less maintenance and adjustment.

[Eric K]

Originally Posted by iancp5

I have a Rekluse I'd like to tune.

Is it possible to raise the engagement point just a little, maybe only 200 rpm whilst at the same time have it lock harder so it doesn't slip in the high gears under full load?

I find it starts to engage too early but slips too long in the higher gears.

At the moment it has the L2 spring and 1 washer. I think it has 5 Tungsten balls but they all seem magnetic and I thought TC wasn't. I have an empty packet of TC balls and 5 magnetic ones left in the box?? The plates are not worn and the gap is within spec. Reading the manual it seems raising the engagement point increases slip which doesn't help me.

Add another 5 TC balls to increase the engagement force. Adding the TC balls will raise the engage point slightly.

I have tested raising and lowering the engagement point. The lower the engagement speed, the better the clutch works.

I have my EC300 Rekluse with 10 TC balls and just the L1 spring. It disengages nicely for a smooth 1100 RPM idle. It engages smoothly. It has just the right balance to climb the toughest of hills without excessive slip. The only time it gives me a bit too much slip is starting out from a complete stop on a steeper hill since the rear trials tire hooks up so well.

[iancp5]

For the Rekluse users I contacted Rekluse and their advice to achieve the effect I wanted was:-

Remove the preload washer from the wave spring and use an additional C150L4 spring inside the C200L2. That will raise the engagement point a little. Then add the additional 5 TC balls to make it engage quicker and harder after that. Also keep the gap down to 30 - 35 thou. I think the 10 TC balls is fairly unanimous so it might be a case of playing with springs. I suspect I need a higher engagement point than the EC300 as it's a lickle 200.

When the parts arrive and I get to test it in anger - I find only a race really tells you if its right or not - I will report back.

[Eric K]

Too high of an engagement RPM can result in a lot of clutch slip, heat and premature clutch wear.

Pulling out of tight low speed corners going up hill (steep mountain switchbacks) are what I have found to be the worst case slip for the Rekluse. Too high of an engagement speed just does not work well.

[iancp5]

Well it needs to be higher than it is at the moment because it either stalls when you select a gear or it crunches and pulls if you raise tickover high enough not to stall!

[Eric K]

For the Rekluse to work well, you need a consistent, low idle and a very low drag clutch.

A high idle to address poor low speed jetting does not work well with a Rekluse - I have been there and it did not work.

Addressing clutch drag and getting my jetting dialed in made a huge difference.

[gasIdaho]

I ride with many of the Rekluse guys in Boise and they've done a fair bit of tinkering with my bike for kicks. Eric K's set-up advice is spot-on. The most important thing I've learned from these guys is to continue to fan my clutch lever occasionally. This is most important for me when riding desert/sand conditions or coming out tight low speed corners going up hill. Give it a quick rpm bump and you get great engagement and keep abuse to a minimum. With the current state of economy it is unlikely we will ever see a pro-model for the Gasser's. I've ridden my friends KTM300XC with the Z-Start and the Pro Model and the difference is huge...most apparent on motocross and desert riding. The Z-start is more than capable for all other applications.

05' EC300
Rotella-T 5w-40