Clutch actuator mod.

[toglhot]

I have chronic RA so the clutch lever on the bike is too heavy to use comfortably, so I put the law of the lever to work.
The clutch lever's distance from pivot point to ****** centre is 30mm, whereas the clutch actuator lever's distance from screw, or pivot point, to ****** centre is 35mm, so the law of the lever is already at work, but not enough for me.
I had an old clutch actuator lever that came in a box of parts with the bike. I removed the original lever, cleaned up the damaged screw and turned down the head of the screw to 13mm.
After fashioning a rough lever I attached it to the screw, turned up a dust cover and welded everything together. As I wanted better leverage I drilled the pivot point for the ****** holder 10mm further out from the screw, 45mm.
Attached everything and pulled the lever, much, much better. The actuator lever, due to the increased distance between screw and ****** holder pivot actually moves the pushrod less than the original, but still separates the plates enough for the clutch to do it's job.

 

[ericm]

They used to make hydraulic clutch retrofit kits for cable clutch bikes. They can work pretty well. One of my trials bikes came from the factory that way and it clutch was super smooth and one finger light (like a lot of modern trials bikes). Even if it doesn't change the leverage the hydraulic clutch has less friction than the cable so it's easier to pull.

I've modded clutch actuators on a number of bikes. Sometimes it was extending the lever as you did. After breaking my left wrist my grip strength was reduced so I made a pulley based doubler for my street BMW. It enabled me to pull the clutch in but added so much friction that it was hard to modulate. At least I could commute to work. Once my strength built back up I took it off.

The problem with reducing effort by lengthening the throw is that the range for adjustment is narrowed. That just means you have to pay attention to the clutch and adjust it more often.

 

[toglhot]

You can use the Easy Pull, but they are pretty bulky. I have used one before and they do work well.

 

[nadogail]

Sometimes we have to accept our limitations; I am reluctantly doing that now.

 

[toglhot]

Sometimes we have to accept our limitations; I am reluctantly doing that now.

Nah, that's giving up, you just find a way around it. I'm going through my fourth shot at lung cancer: lung removed first time, radio and chemo when it came back, radio and chemo again when it came back, fourth time it's just chemo, can't have anymore radio. I'm not giving up yet, too much to do! I just move slower so I can breath easier.

 

[CraigStu]

Nice work there. I wish you many years of enjoying that motorcycle.