1st ride with a Rekluse at Walker Valley

After spending all afernoon and into the night installing a Rekluse and replacing the clutch lever with a left hand brake set up on my 200exc Im excited to get out for a easy test run. No clutch lever, brake where the clutch used to be. Don't sound to hard to figure out. Mike and his friend took me on a nice 28 mile loop at Walker. Take it easy on me guys, I'm brand new to this set up. After about 100 times grabbing the brake lever looking for the clutch and my crotch becoming much better acquainted with my tripple clamp it started coming together. Thanks for being easy on me guys. I knew better and yes the Rekluse is like cheating after ya get used to it and ummm what gear am I in?

Well.....Did you just leave it in the tree? That ride you could use an auto clutch. Ive been thinking about one myself.

Hey, those looked like real trails. I didn't hit any of those the ONE time I went to walker. (and I think I would prefer NOT to, thnx).

Well not really a dualsport ride but the 200exc has a plate, mirrors, lights, horn, speedo and brake light

Wow, you made quick work of the Monster V hillclimb! (towards the end of video 3, the 2:44 mark thru 3:15, for those of you who don't know Walker Valley) It looked dry; was it? I've never seen it dry. You can't tell how steep it really is from the helmet cam perspective. I've shed tears at that spot before.

It was a hoot to watch the Short Cut Trail (video 4) thru your eyes. You had some nice moves on that ride. I think it's generally my all time favorite trail so far (in the almost 1 yr that I've been riding, anyway). It has it all; speed, slow and technical, water features, it's the phashizzle. It just seems a little more enduro type riding than a lot of Walker...does that make sense to you?


I'd really be interested in a somewhat indepth review of the Rekluse vs hand clutch, and comparing/contrasting your 530 vs your 200 in regards to riding Walker Valley. Any links to anything like that, yet? I'm sure I'd be more effective at Walker on a 200 or 300.

Great vids as usual, thanks EG.

I like the helmet cam. I want one , maybe I should start dropping hint's now for X-mass....

Your pros and cons on the Rekluse would be great if you ever have time.

I am having a hard time figuring out how this works in certain cases like,

1. You are blasting along in say fourth gear and you have to hit the binders and slow down. You were distracted and forgot to down shift and go back to full throttle, does the clutch just slip like mad trying to not stall the engine? Can you figure out your mistake right away?

2. It would seem that full throttle shifts with out any clutch release would be hard on the transmission over time. Any thoughts?

3. I like to use my compression and brakes going down really steep hills. You would have to rev the throttle to do this going down a hill correct?

I really like the idea of a front rear brake. IE: Crashed on a steep hill and have to turn around/walk the bike down a little ways and the front just washes out with no way to use the rear brake to help. Cussing and sweating like a wondering why in the hell did I try this trail... o sorry was distracted there .

Old habits die hard I am sure. The idea of blasting along at say 50 mph and grabbing the clutch to shift up may provide a vist to the local ER

Yeah, I'll be interested to hear about going back and forth between the Rekluse on the 200 and the standard set up on the 530.

I've been asked about going back and forth from a right hand rear brake on my mountain bikes and my right hand front brake on the enduro and I've never had a problem. Somehow it remains instinctual to do the right thing no matter which bike I'm on. FWIW.

Im getting used to the LHRB ok but it will be awhile before I can really report on the rekluse. I do know between the rekluse and the mt43 trials tire and 12oz flywheel weight it is a virtual mountain goat. As of now I really don't think I'm going any faster on the 3rd gear + trails. I used to like to wick the clutch to spin up the little 200. I do think in time the speed will come back though. One anoying thing is you cant really find nutural when stopped and shut off so when you start the bike and give it a little gas the bike wants to move out with or with out you. Another learning thing I guess. All in all so far no real regrets.

Inconceivable wrote:

1. You are blasting along in say fourth gear and you have to hit the binders and slow down. You were distracted and forgot to down shift and go back to full throttle, does the clutch just slip like mad trying to not stall the engine? Can you figure out your mistake right away?

Yes, the clutch will always slip the perfect amount to get into the power band, regardless of what gear you are in. It will be slightly noticeable that you are lugging and you will get used to it. You can ride away from a stop in 5th, but it is hard on the clutch. I have 7 1/2 years on the stock clutch plates in my CRF450 with a Rekluse.

Inconceivable wrote:

2. It would seem that full throttle shifts with out any clutch release would be hard on the transmission over time. Any thoughts?

Why, most dirt riders do it with a regular clutch and I do it on my street bike?

Inconceivable wrote:

3. I like to use my compression and brakes going down really steep hills. You would have to rev the throttle to do this going down a hill correct?

Only if you let it go to idle, which will release the clutch. If you don't let the rpms drop, it stays engaged. I can "back it in" with slicks using just engine braking with the Rekluse.

I love the Rekluse clutch and rear hand brake, and think they are the best things I've put on my bikes. The hand brake takes longer to get used to.

Thanks for the Q and A.

I am going to have to try one out someday.

First time riding with a Rekluse clutch today. (Walker Valley, of course). I'd have to say there may have been a bit too many variables involved for me to make a clear decision but I maybe leaning in the direction of getting one.

1) First time riding in over 6 months. That in itself will make me ride crappier.

2) New AlpineStars Tech 8 MX boats; stiff as can be, can't feel the shifter at all.

3) Didn't ride my own bike today; rode two very different Husabergs instead; an '01 470 and an '08 550. Both pretty different from each other, but VERY different from my Gas Gas 450; which is the only bike I've riden since my Honda CBX in 1985! (Oh yeah, I forgot I road nhtcrhis165's xr 250 around the block once last summer)

4) Knobby rear tire on the 01 470. Hate it. Since I started riding again a year and a half ago I've only known the Pirelli MT43 trials tire. Felt like I was riding on marbles with that knobby.

5) DId I mention both Husabergs were equipped with Rekluse clutchs? 01 450 still had the RH footbrake. 08 550 had LH rear hand brake in place of clutch lever and foot brake had been removed.


Concerns: It was weird enough riding for the first time in 6 months, and weird riding unfamiliar bikes, and then switching them up (so I don't get used to anything.) let alone trying to find brake levers in panic spots of wet and muddy Walker valley.

I started out on the 08 because the 01 had its issues. It is a weird feeling bike compared to my GasGas and I was struggling trying to get used to not having a rear brake lever, even though I don't actually use the rear brake all that much. After a short time, I switched to the 01 because it had a foot brake.


On the '01, I flew down a steep wet brick paver trail a lot faster than i wanted because the bike freewheeled instead of compression brakeing because the adjustment was wrong. And I found out that one of the issues on the 01 is that the back brake had a tendency to lock up , especially with the knobby. Note to Jason: Adjust that fahkin compression brake!

Back on the 08 for the rest of the day.

The GasGas wheelies pretty easily; I sit toward the back a little and grab a handle of throttle and lean back. The 08 Husaberg would wheelie with the slightest twist of the wrist, wether or not I was sitting back. I was amazed. On the WV fs roads, I would be sitting all the way up against the gas tank coming out of corners and the bike would still wheelie leffortlessly with me leaning forward (this one has the trials tire). But even at the end of the day, I found I was still reaching with my left foot to touch the rear brake as is my habit before wheeling, and of course it wasn't there.



The Good:
There are a few spots at Walker that have steep rocky rooty step-ups that can be a real challenge. Sometimes i will clean them easily, but by no means am I able to be consistant on them. As tired as I was, on a strange bike, I rode them easier with the Husaberg/Rekluse set up than ever before. That fact is what really stands out for me.

The majority of drops on my GasGas come at Walker Valley because of it's typical tight steep rocky sections requiring careful manuevers where I stall the bike and can't stop it from falling over because the terrain is sloping away. I didn't drop either Husaberg all day beacuse neither one of them stalled on me with the Rekluse.

Overall, I am amazed at the low end grunt of the Husaberg and think the Rekluse clutch system really compliments that particular part of the powerband well.

Glad your getting back out there Tom, I have the left hand rear brake set up on my 200 and 530 but I still have the foot brakes as well. I'm getting used to the LHRB set up now and hardly ever use the foot break any more.

Sweet videos! I've been had an auto-clutch on my last two Gassers. Mine's an EFM which was the only auto-clutch available for GasGas when I bought it. Set-up wasn't as easy as Rekluse, but once I got it dialed-in it's performed flawlessly.

I ended up keeping my clutch lever. One of my old riding buddies had an auto-clutch (forget which brand) on his KTM 200 and he removed the clutch lever. I was following him one time when his throttle cable snagged on something and sent him and the bike careening off into the woods with the motor screaming WFO.

The biggest benefit is being able to concentrate more on riding and less on keeping the engine in the sweet spot. This is really apparent when I ride one of my other bikes with a manual clutch. The only thing better would be an automatic trans like the old Rokons and Huskys had. Then you wouldn't need to worry about shifting.

If I try pulling too high of a gear I can hear the clutch slip. I'll downshift if I can, but many times it's better to just twist the throttle and let the auto-clutch do its job. The only real change to my riding style is going down hill. I usually apply a little bit of throttle to keep the clutch engaged while braking against the engine.

Of course I can no longer bump-start the bike, but the trade-off has been getting more holeshots at dead-engine start races.