Autoclutch: Love em or hate em?

[jgas]

I'm starting this thread, so I admit up front I'm not really a lover or hater of Rekluse or whatever-autoclutch system. But I do have an opinion.

Pros: They do most of your clutch work for you. Some say they help them get through the tough stuff. They say they get less tired using one. Does that about cover it? I think so.

Cons:
1- Rear tire will freewheel since the engine is essentially in neutral when you stall on a steep hill. With a regular clutch the motor will hold the back tire from freewheeling.
2- Engine braking is very altered and somewhat unpredictable.
3- Can't pull start or bump start the bike.
4- Increased cost of the parts and installation if you can't do it yourself.
5- Decreased reliability. Many will argue this, but I sure have seen and ridden alot of bikes with auto-clutches that don't work properly. Sure, you can adjust them, but not as easily as simply having a hydraulic or cable operated normal clutch.
6- Operation changes with wear. I once started a long ride with an autoclutch. By the half-day mark, the engagement was very different. There was a significant lag between my application of throttle and it engaging. By the end of the second day, there was about a 1.5 second lag between the clutch engaging when trying to jump a log or whatever obstacle, and my application of the clutch and throttle. Very hard to predict.
7- Makes you lazy. Rather than stay on top of your clutch operation skills, you expect the clutch to work itself. Which is fine until it decides to quit working consistently.
8- Did I miss anything?

I think the cons are worse than the pros.

I also theorize that a big part of what many riders like about autoclutches is that they add "flywheel effect". Which can also be accomplished by a hundred buck flywheel weight that never needs adjusting and takes 20 minutes to install. No, I don't work for Steahly, but they should hire me.

I'm ducking the thrown roost now! Autoclutch lovers swear by them. But have they really tried the alternatives of learning how to use the clutch properly, and maybe a flywheel weight, or even simply practicing and checking lap times both ways? Very few pros use them, even most of the Extreme Enduro guys don't use them. Very few pro GNCC, Nat. Enduro, MX, WORCS, OMA, ISDE guys use them. A few do, but not many.

I've tried it both ways. Autoclutches absolutely do help at times. They truly do have a few good points. But I think they have far more bad points, and many riders who use them simply aren't really giving an honest shot to not using one with proper setup and practice. I think they are putting a bandaid on their problems of not setting up their bike as best they can for themselves, and not learning how to ride without the bandaid.

I think I'm gonna need some bandaids when they start throwing worn out ramps, balls, and clutch plates at me. And Rekluse instructions they ball up in their fists.