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XLADV Project Bike: Rekluse


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cropped corporate horizontal with slogan r3b1

 

I got to meet the crew from Rekluse at AIMExpo a few weeks ago and after talking with them about our project bike, they said they wanted to help out with one of their Adventure EXP auto-clutches!

 

adventure Exp

 

Unfortunately I'm new to the world of a Rekluse auto-clutch, so this will be a good learning experience for me.  My lay understanding of the benefits are that it simply makes slow-speed maneuvering easier in that you don't have to worry about stalling.  I'm told to just ride it and then it all becomes apparent  :lol:

 

Here's what their website has to say as to those benefits:

 

  • prevents clutch-related engine stalls
  • better low-speed maneuverability
  • allows you to focus more on the scenery than the tough terrain
  • utilizes Rekluse TorqDrive™ thin friction clutch pack for superior performance and durability (helps your clutch last longer)

 

I should get it in the mail soon and hopefully have it installed in time for our Death Valley ride but definitely in time for the LAB2V.  I'll post up installation pics and video soon...

 

Anyone else have experience with Rekluse?

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Rode a couple small bikes with them, good for rough and slow.  I missed the positive feel compared to a standard clutch, especially when riding angry/race pace.  I'm sure Recluse has improved quite a bit since then as this was 2007-2009 time frame.

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Got the EXP clutch in the mail yesterday so today I installed it. One piece of advice is when you watch the installation video, keep in mind that it is two years old. There are some key steps of the installation that have changed and they should probably update their video. The video says re-use the oem friction plates yet it comes with its own Rekluse friction plates; 11 pairs instead of 7 in the video. I basically just went by the printed instructions and it worked fine. Got the new slave on and bled but after the break in period I need to re adjust it because it's stalling at low rpms. That's all normal :)

9d84dea2314c72cb6f1c2330e68ae07c.jpg367a4b796da512ccc8198580f38bdfd9.jpgc7ea7278b7b02424140bfcdffca296e3.jpgthis is not normal. I left a few too many drive/friction plates in and it was sticking out too much. Confusion based on video :(1da5f871ba1bfbb2d878cce19b7c671c.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Some new info today on the EXP clutch from Rekluse...

 

Apparently this is a new prototype they are testing as a new version of the "Adventure EXP" that is sort of similar to their "Torque Drive" product.  I found this out after calling them today with some questions based on the product's performance out in Death Valley.  Turns out I think I damaged an o-ring after probably screwing the adjuster screw in too far so they're going to send me a new o-ring.  Rich saved the day with a field repair that involved putting some teflon tape on the adjuster screw and then screwing the locking nut down on it.

 

Because the adjuster screw was too far in (at their recommended set point), I wasn't able to get the locking nut on, so as a field repair we put a bb in front of the existing ball bearing in front of the piston and that created the perfect amount of room for the adjuster screw to receive the locking nut (on the clutch slave).  The reason the screw was in too far in the first place is because my entire clutch pack (all the friction and drive plates) is a bit too thick.  I will go back in and replace the thicker drive plate I used on the outside with a standard thickness Rekluse drive plate and then probably even replace the oem drive plate on the very inside of the clutch pack with that thicker Rekluse drive plate from out front since it's still thinner than the oem one.  Those two things should put the adjuster screw on the clutch slave to the proper position and I can remove the bb.  :)

 

It sounds really complicated but it's not.  I made it more complicated by not measuring the total thickness of the clutch pack with a caliper like the directions said to.

 

"When all else fails, read the directions"

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Some new info today on the EXP clutch from Rekluse...

 

Apparently this is a new prototype they are testing as a new version of the "Adventure EXP" that is sort of similar to their "Torque Drive" product.  I found this out after calling them today with some questions based on the product's performance out in Death Valley.  Turns out I think I damaged an o-ring after probably screwing the adjuster screw in too far so they're going to send me a new o-ring.  Rich saved the day with a field repair that involved putting some teflon tape on the adjuster screw and then screwing the locking nut down on it.

 

Because the adjuster screw was too far in (at their recommended set point), I wasn't able to get the locking nut on, so as a field repair we put a bb in front of the existing ball bearing in front of the piston and that created the perfect amount of room for the adjuster screw to receive the locking nut (on the clutch slave).  The reason the screw was in too far in the first place is because my entire clutch pack (all the friction and drive plates) is a bit too thick.  I will go back in and replace the thicker drive plate I used on the outside with a standard thickness Rekluse drive plate and then probably even replace the oem drive plate on the very inside of the clutch pack with that thicker Rekluse drive plate from out front since it's still thinner than the oem one.  Those two things should put the adjuster screw on the clutch slave to the proper position and I can remove the bb.  :)

 

It sounds really complicated but it's not.  I made it more complicated by not measuring the total thickness of the clutch pack with a caliper like the directions said to.

 

"When all else fails, read the directions"

RTFM!!  

We are men, we dont read manuals!

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I did the recommended changes today but it's like it was when I started; it pulls in gear when it should slip and stalls in gear when coming to a stop.  I put the adjuster screw at their recommended starting point (1 turn in from where it starts to resist) and there's really no more room for the locking nut if I screw it in further.  It seems like the clutch pack is still too thick.  Come to think about it, given the changes I made today it did not make up for the 4.5 mm diameter of that bb I added to the clutch slave.  I may need to remove one pair of friction/drive plates to get it thinner still.  I have an email in to their head engineer and he's going to give me further direction.

 

When it's adjusted right though it rocks!  :)

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This should be the final installment of installation related comments...

 

Turns out I made an installation error.  The very bottom OEM friction disc is NOT the same as the others and is the only one that can be put back in that spot.  I had put another OEM friction disc in there.  The bottom one has a slightly larger inner diameter (ID) made to fit around the judder spring and seat components.  Once I got that correct one back in, it fit perfectly and I was able to adjust it with plenty of room on the adjuster screw on the clutch slave.

 

Just goes to show you how tricky these things can be sometimes if you're not careful to read the damn manual and do exactly as it says.

 

Their engineer on the project was really great about helping me troubleshoot this.  I'm sure they are used to dealing with customers :)

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This is an issue on many bikes, I know Yamaha often does this as well.  So others installing these carefully inspect/read manual. 

 

on a side note if just that disc gets too thin a clutch will often times slip even if the rest of the clutch pack measures in spec.  If you ever see this order the OEM inner friction and see if that clears up slip issues.

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This is a prototype new version of their EXP product and they are issuing a new install video but watching that old video really threw me off on a few aspects of the install I got wrong.  I even remember a part saying you could put another friction disc there if you saw the inner one was worn and I think that's what I did.  Oh well, we got it sorted out.

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  • 3 years later...
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So fast forward 3.5  years and I ended up burning up my clutch pack on the ride home from our Mojave rally this weekend.

I inspected the steels and the friction plates and they actually don't look that bad but the wedges in the EXP assembly are not springing back into place.  It smells of oil but not burnt oil and none of my discs are warped.

I just got off the phone with Danny at Rekluse and he walked me through the whole process of checking for wear/tear and we got it sorted and they're sending me some new parts here shortly!  Great customer service!

However...  the question remains...  is this "normal wear and tear" or something I could have done differently?  I'd have to say most likely the latter.  It's VERY IMPORTANT with an auto clutch from Rekluse that you check the "free play gain" before EVERY ride; something I wasn't doing.  So like how you check your tires, signals, brakes, etc... you really need to check for free play gain.  This is done simply by revving the engine in neutral to see if that clutch lever comes in about 1/8th of an inch.  When it doesn't then you need to adjust the slave which is super easy to do.  It's been a while since I adjusted it so when it starts to go it will burn up the clutch if not remedied quickly.

But it did last for 3.5 years, right?  Yes but I think the potential longevity is much longer than that WHEN CARED FOR PROPERLY.

What's New...

It's been 3.5 years and in that time Rekluse has added quite a few adventure models to their line up.  They have auto clutches for just about all the BMW bikes except for the new 1250 and 850 (give them time).  They also have for the Honda Africa Twin.  KTM they have for the full line save for the new 790 (give them time).  KLR 650.

 

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