Auto clutch

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Rick
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Post by Rick »

I can see where they would be great, but i love working the clutch. Ya know, "Riding the bike". Thats the best part! Mind over matter.....
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Post by jc7622 »

>|<>QBB<
Mr. Wibbens wrote:They seem to have their advantages, especially for the older folks and the disabled

And that's why I want one.
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Post by skipro3 »

You don't know what you are talking about there MX500. I guess you ride vacant lots and haven't ridden very technical trails.

Wib, wib, wib...... All I can say is "screwed by a tree"
Pretty sad when you have to tell me where the hard parts are or else I'd never realize that I was supposed to struggle through it.
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Post by canyncarvr »

Theres no point in an autoclutch if you know how to use a manual clutch.
60º slope. Sidehill track that is 8-12" wide. Now...turn around.

:shock:

Having one hand on the throttle and one hand on the brake (rear..hand operated) makes it a snap.

No rear brake access 'cept with your foot? Have to use your hand for the clutch? Slip your fingers a bit while you're trying to stay on your feet and the engine dies? Now...get it started!!

Sorry. There most certainly is a point to an autoclutch that has nothing to do with whether or not you know how to operate a manual clutch.


(Not a made-up scenario, btw. I been there, done it myseff.)

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Indawoods
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Post by Indawoods »

Why did you turn around? :wink:
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Post by canyncarvr »

>|<>QBB<
Indawoods wrote:Why did you turn around? :wink:
Good question...one I was pondering over when I posted.

I don't recall. I know it was on Johns Peak. I know I was on ski's 220. I know I was very happy with how easy it was to do a 180º. I don't recall the exact why of it being done.

A tree on the track, most likely. You know...one'a those things you guys in the midwest put on the trail on purpose to give you something to do. :wink:

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Post by Indawoods »

Zactly! :lol:
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Post by canyncarvr »

To be clear (even if English may be involved):

I'm referring to a situation where while it would be possible to pop the bike up on the back wheel, spin it around and put the front-end down in the direction you wanna go, that is not a great idea. The slope was such that a misstep (say, snagging the front on something as you turn if you turn toward the slope or snagging the back fender on something if you go the other way) would result in a BIG problem..getting knocked off the track..and it's a LONG ways down. Heck..just a few feet down in that kind'a stuff is a long was down if you're the one huffing your bike back UP.

I use the 'lift and reset' kind of approach on some switchbacks, but in places where the worst that will happen is I'll fall down...on the trail.

Being able to loft the front-end up onto the bank, hold/regulate the back end to reposition for another lurch (front brake useless), all without worry of killing the bike was a real treat!

Oh...nunna that was done while ON the bike, but in the bulldogging position. Criminey...ON the bike and feet would've been 4-5' off the ground!


Details submitted to get a better picture (maybe) of the situation. The point is I know how well an autoclutch worked in that situation..and a 'regular' clutch wouldn't have worked at all. Again...sorry...but saying there is 'no point...if' is simply incorrect.

And certainly the point of view of someone that hasn't used one.

No pinging or dinging...it's just a fact.

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Post by rick albert »

hey ski...i think carvr is starting to come around !!!!
JUST RIDE !!!
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Post by Mr. Wibbens »

>|<>QBB<
skipro3 wrote:You don't know what you are talking about there MX500. I guess you ride vacant lots and haven't ridden very technical trails.

Wib, wib, wib...... All I can say is "screwed by a tree"
Pretty sad when you have to tell me where the hard parts are or else I'd never realize that I was supposed to struggle through it.
I had no troubles at Screwed By A Tree

I really doubt yer Handicap-clutch had anything to do with it
That hill plays mind games with you after awhile. Some days you wonder what all the fuss is about and others you are totally screwed, hence the name...

Had no trouble crossing that lil creek and the tiny little five foot rise behind it either :wink:
I never have confirmed what gear you were in when you FUBAR'd on the creek. Hopefully was higher than 2nd! :?
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Post by skipro3 »

I think it was 3rd or 4th. Now that is a problem with the autoclutch..... Sometimes I forget to shift at all and just run around in 3rd or 4th gear no matter what the speed is I'm running. I'm old. I'm slow. And, I'm lazy too.

Carver ain't coming around, rick; He's done made the turn. I convinced him of the KX forks. Took a few years, but he came around. I remember the first time he saw my KDX220 and the USD forks. Said the same thing as MX500 did in the beginning of this thread; what's the use? Now CC is one of the biggest advocates of USD forks. And so it will go for the auto clutch. Now, he did observe that the KDX autoclutched bike and the KX250 autoclutched bike have a big difference; that being pony power. The KDX needed to be peaked up for optimum performance to pull off the advantage of the autoclutch satisfactorily. The KX250, in stock form, manages to work with the autoclutch just fine. The difference was that the KDX power is just a tad lacking to do the really big hills with the auto clutch. Modded, it was fine.

It is easier to detune a KX250 to work for the trails than it is to peak-tune a KDX220 to work for the trails if an auto clutch is going to be installed. (Please keep in mind the terrain I ride; elevations from 500 ft to over 8700 ft in a single ride. Check the link of the ride I'm going on next weekend;

http://webcast.ws100.com/wstrail-detail.htm

I say Carvr is shopping for a KX250 and will add an autoclutch to it within a very short period of time.
Jerry

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Post by skipro3 »

Wanna know why I use an auto clutch?
Take this link and follow the instructions. It will give you a google earth flyover of the trail I will be riding next weekend. 17,000 feet of ascent and over 22,000 feet of decent. From 500 ft above sea level to over 8,700 above sea level. Elevation changes of over 2,500 feet in less than 3 miles.

http://ws100.com/flyover.htm

One correction though; you don't click the "play tour" from the "view" menu in the newest version of google earth. You click "play tour" from the "tools" menu.

Now of course I'm not riding the whole thing, some parts aren't legal for a dirtbike and I don't have a dual sport; we are starting either at Foresthill, Michigan Bar, or Robinson Flat. It's a secret and I'll know when I meet the guys on Sunday.
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Post by Mr. Wibbens »

I dont wanna know :wink:

So far there's just too many negatives and not nuff positives to be forking out that much dough

If'n I wanna have an autoclutch I'll just ride my Minitrail

One day I may get one for the streetbike, seems much more usefull for me on that


BTW
I could imagine Carvr buying an "E" series long before I'd see him buy a KX
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Post by skipro3 »

Put up or shut up, Big Boy..... how much you wanna wager on that "imagination" of yours?
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Post by Mr. Wibbens »

I'll wager one six pack of O.S. and a shot of Listerene to whatever girlyboy pee water you drinking these days
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Post by skipro3 »

Done!
Jerry

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Post by MX500 »

>|<>QBB<
skipro3 wrote:You don't know what you are talking about there MX500. I guess you ride vacant lots and haven't ridden very technical trails.

Wib, wib, wib...... All I can say is "screwed by a tree"
Pretty sad when you have to tell me where the hard parts are or else I'd never realize that I was supposed to struggle through it.

I don't know what your talking about... Get a google earth view of "carnegie hills OHV" on Corral Hollow Road, Tracy (or Livermore?) CA. They hold national hillclimbs there, and all the hulls are 45++ degrees and covered in about a foot of dust and loose rocks. They have some of the gnarliest trails in the area, including one properly dubbed "the devil's buttcrack" which is a 1 mile or so long ravine at the bottom of a canyon. It is so narrow in places that your bars will rub both sides of the canyon if they aren't cut, and there are multiple (4 IIRC) cliffs you get to ride up and down, the final cliff is about 6 feet high.

All I ride is TIGHT single track, it's the $hit. :grin:


I still don't see a use for an autoclutch, it would take all the fun out of riding. I like to have to put a little bit of effort into the ride instead of having the bike do it for me.
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Post by rick albert »

i'd love to come out for a week or two and ride with you guys sometime !!!!! :wink:
JUST RIDE !!!
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Post by skipro3 »

If Carnegie is your idea of technical, then that explains a lot. If hill climbs are your thing, then good for you. Glad you enjoy that kind of riding. I grew out of riding "parks" quite some time ago.

You don't see the use.... Without experience of actually owning an auto clutch, or experience of riding real trails, not the trails ridden over a million times by a million other guys, I can see how you can say that. I just showed you a link to a trail ride I'm working on where the elevation change is about 8,000 feet. Google earth doesn't show anything like that for Carnegie. Not even 1,000 I think?

Maybe you can come up to the mountains and go for a ride with me sometime. I'll show you trails where you'll be begging for any assistance an autoclutch could provide, guaranteeed!! Ha!!

Hey rick, so come out. I've got a guy up in Idaho who has a spare bike or two. We can even pick you up from the airport in Boise. The thread is over on thumpertalk under Kawasaki 2 stroke forum..
Last edited by skipro3 on 10:28 pm Jun 21 2008, edited 1 time in total.
Jerry

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Post by Indawoods »

Hmmm... THUMPERTALK 2 stroke forum... a complete OXYMORON! Literally.... :roll:
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