2005 TE450 clutch pull effort

Compared to my not so dearly departed 07 KTM 450EXC my Husky clutch is a bit stiff on the lever effort. I have filled and bled with new MAGURA blood- still stiff stiff. When I bought one of these new back in the day I remember the clutch was pretty smooth and easy. This is a used bike, contacted the PO and no clutch work of any kind, ever.

Any idea on how the get the lever effort down a bit? Maybe 250 clutch springs?

I will give your suggestions a try!

I like your site BTW- great sense of humor and high quality parts- that sight glass cover is mighty tempting (I had to fix the side cover from the PO with a 8 x 1.25 tap and new bolt already).

Someone told me that the KTM Magura Clutch Masters are a different piston size making them a easier pull? Any one know if this is true or horse pucky?

clutch

I have a 09 husky and the pull is alot stiffer than my KTM 300. You can try removing two of the clutch springs (across from another on the clutch). Maybe there are lighter weight springs for the clutch out their somewhere.

I took two of the springs out of my '07 TE250/300 primarily because in the really tight sections, my hand would just wear out until I physically couldn't pull the clutch in any more.

On the stand, I really didn't notice much difference in clutch pull effort after removing the springs, so I was a little dubious. But out in the stick farms, it made all the difference. Plus, the engagement point of the clutch lever is now much farther out, making one or two finger clutch slipping much easier--you just don't have to pull the clutch nearly as far to get disengagement.

I've ridden it in several enduros this year without those springs and I have no slipping, even in the deep sands of South Jersey. Give it a try, and just carry the springs with you on the trail--they're easy to put back in if you have trouble in the middle of a ride. Just lean the bike over so you can remove the clutch cover without making a mess.

I tried it on my TXC250 and had issues with clutch slip mostly in 4th gear and above when I would hit choppy stuff. I also had issues when fanning the clutch coming out of a corner on the MX track. It had almost a rubber band feel, it was not something I was comfortable with.

It is cheap & easy to try though and may work great for other people.

Later,

Someone suggested 2 1/2 wt fork oil when I was working on my KTM some time ago. I tried it and it seemed to make the clutch easier and smoother. I recently changed the clutch fluid in my TE 450 for silkolene 2 1/2 wt. and got the same results.
I do need to say that I don't really know what kind of fluid I drained out of either bike because I didn't put it in. Could have been... who knows what. But it looked and smelled like the right stuff.

Well here is what I wound up doing.

1. Remove and clean the lever itself, apply Mobil 1 grease to the pivot collar. Put back the pinch bolt with 2.5 lbs of tq.

2. Drained and bled the MAGURA clutch with white mineral oil purchased from the sewing machine store.

3. Moved master cylinder in towards the steering head as much as possible with out the lever pitching upwards.

4. Adjusted the lever engagement point of its essentially right against my ring finger, pulling with my middle finger.

Its now better than before, but still easily 2x what a BREMBO KTM clutch pull is like. I went to the local MX bike shop and tried every 450 they had. A child could pull an '09 Honda 450X lever all day and not get tired. KTMs with the MAGURA are about as hard, but with the BREMBO its like the Honda. Yamaha and Kawasaki are a bit stiffer than Honda but not MAGURA stiff.

Husky lists TC/TE/SMR 250, 450, 510 and 610 as all using the SAME SPRING- even up to '09 according to my local dealer. Im all for standardized parts- but all the smaller bikes are suffering form the spring tension needed for a 610....

Now its time for me to take out the springs, measure their free length and determine their compressive rating and hit the books for a spring with a few less kg/mm.

I dont understand why you didnt just cut a bit off? First thing i do on any new bike, cut the levers to fit.

MY 05 clutch is perfect and quite the light, the 08 is heavy and wont disengage completely even with the new oring and fluid Do i need to check the springs next, done about 2000km ?

Cool. Post some pics. I am all curious now

ktm 2 stroke lever is shorter and 12 bucks.... sorted !

thats a bit wonky looking lol.. and end of lever now allows me 40-50mm of bar to grip with pinky and ffinger next to it... i dont have big hands though and pro taper bars ive got arent that wide either so cant move perch down as it goes onto the bend...