Rekluse Auto Clutch in KX500
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 6:34 am
I think I've found a way to put an auto clutch in a KX500 without doing the 2 piece clutch cover mod. The bike I've got it in is a snowbike and as it's July I won't be able to test the idea for a few months. I'm not claiming this will work for sure as I have no experience with Rekluse's exp disc so any input on problems I may encounter would be greatly appreciated. Bear with me as I have no idea how to make a post like this and the pictures and chronology may be screwy.
As far as I know there is a known way to make the zstart from a DRZ400 along with the stock clutch pack and a 2 piece clutch cover work. I recently saw that Rekluse makes a torqdrive clutch pack, which is essentially really thin drive and friction plates. I thought if they turned out to be thin enough the 2 piece mod might not be necessary. Through research I found that a '08 KX450's clutch plates are the same as a KX500's. I ordered Rekluse's radius x for a '08 KX450, which is the torqdrive clutch pack as well as the exp 3.0 disc.
This is the stock clutch pack beside the torqdrive clutch pack
Stock clutch pack width is 33.9mm and the torqdrive clutch pack is 23.56mm. Looking good
Only problem I faced was that there was no gap between the clutch plates when all the plates and exp disc were installed, so what I did was simply put a washer between the little cap that the push rod pushes on and the pressure plate, that was the only thing I had to do.
Push rod cap with stock washer
Push rod cap with stock washer and added washer
All installed
I put some grease on the heads of the pressure plate bolts and put the clutch cover on then removed it and checked the inside for grease, there was none, so I know they aren't touching, how much of a gap there is I don't know.
Another problem I encountered was that the radius x kit only came with 5 pressure plate springs whereas the KX500 uses 6, I'll have to see if I can order another one from Rekluse. I don't think it would be a good idea to use the stock springs as they are not designed to work with an auto clutch.
Let me know what you think, thanks
As far as I know there is a known way to make the zstart from a DRZ400 along with the stock clutch pack and a 2 piece clutch cover work. I recently saw that Rekluse makes a torqdrive clutch pack, which is essentially really thin drive and friction plates. I thought if they turned out to be thin enough the 2 piece mod might not be necessary. Through research I found that a '08 KX450's clutch plates are the same as a KX500's. I ordered Rekluse's radius x for a '08 KX450, which is the torqdrive clutch pack as well as the exp 3.0 disc.
This is the stock clutch pack beside the torqdrive clutch pack
Stock clutch pack width is 33.9mm and the torqdrive clutch pack is 23.56mm. Looking good
Only problem I faced was that there was no gap between the clutch plates when all the plates and exp disc were installed, so what I did was simply put a washer between the little cap that the push rod pushes on and the pressure plate, that was the only thing I had to do.
Push rod cap with stock washer
Push rod cap with stock washer and added washer
All installed
I put some grease on the heads of the pressure plate bolts and put the clutch cover on then removed it and checked the inside for grease, there was none, so I know they aren't touching, how much of a gap there is I don't know.
Another problem I encountered was that the radius x kit only came with 5 pressure plate springs whereas the KX500 uses 6, I'll have to see if I can order another one from Rekluse. I don't think it would be a good idea to use the stock springs as they are not designed to work with an auto clutch.
Let me know what you think, thanks