250-500cc WR clutch fade

Anybody know the reason WR 250 / 300 clutches fade in and out so bad? I find it to be a real pain in the butt when working tight sections.

I'm guessing either pressure plate or springs are the main problem. Springs are easy, but the pressure plate will be a harder one to fix. I'm sure no one makes a better pressure plate for them.

Maybe a Honda plate could be made to work?

I'm suprised at that. My '00 WR250 clutch engagement point would hardly change, however badly you abused it. Trail Rider mag tests would also always comment on how well the clutch worked, other than slightly hard pull.

I don't have that problem either, does drag a bit when abused

Hmm, must be me. Both my WR's seem to require constant cable adjustment with varying engagement point.

That was also my understanding why Kearney was using a Magura system when he rode the 300.

Just thinking out loud here but how about trying different brand of trans oil. Only issue I have ever seen with my two strokes was a WR 125 slipped due to the oil. Changed it and never a issue again. I know fade is different but that is all I got.

Yeah, I'll have to play around with some stuff, because I thought it was a common problem. I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong, but my 300 is right off the showroom floor.

My 300 clutch always needs adjustment too. I really need to pull the clutch cover and adjust the pushrod adjuster and see if that helps the adjusting as well as the clutch drag.

Bring on the hydro clutches !!

Adjusting the pushrod in the the clutch baskets allows for finer adjustments on the lever.
On both 360's that l have owned, l did a fair bit of adjustment with the Domino lever in the past constantly readjusting until l changed the cable then lever with an MSR Raptor Pro shorty as well as pushrod adjustment...haven't adjusted the lver in over 8 months??

I just put a WC lever on it, but I'll have to install pontoons if I want to test it very soon.

Mine was so bad I bought a Rekluse and put Honda friction plates in. I never tried the Honda plates before the Rekluse install, unfortunately. Now I"m a gear tall in the rock gardens letting the suspension float and no worry of stalling. Expensive but awesome. The Honda plates helped greatly in finding neutral w/Rekluse on my CRF, YZF, and this 09 WR250 Huskie. Maybe that means less drag in a normal clutch w/Honda plates, I'd bet on it. I run the recommended Rotella T 15-40 dino oil and it is awesome, even ice racing. Every oil change comes out clean with very little crap on the magnet. Good stuff. Pre- 09 CRF450 friction plates fit my 09 WR250 FWIW.

That's the same set up I had in my WR250 and the problem went away also. Never had to touch the cable adjuster after that. I'll try the Honda plates to see what they do, but I may just go ahead and do the Rekluse, too.

If I can get it work good I really don't think I need the Rekluse, but it can't hurt.

My bike does the same thing(09 WR300). Cable gets a lot of slack after it warms up always. Even more so in the tight stuff. I'm sure it is because the plates are swelling. I have tried different oils and all did the same thing. Honda plates may be the fix or any aftermarket for that matter. My problem is my plates are still in good shap and I'm to cheap to replace them on a hunch.

I also have an MSR lever on it made no differnce but I do like the feel better.

try using lesser quality mineral oil.... had a similar issue on my kxf250 and it helped a lot. Many pro teams use low quality oils as they provide better friction and they just dump the oil after every moto.

I feel your pain bro.

Try different oils, you gotta change it anyway, won't cost you anything.

Somebody turned me on to a trick that works pretty well. It's doesn't totally elimentate the problem, but makes the clutch pull a little easier and somewhat less prone to the fade issue.

Take the cable loose so that the arm on the case is free. Open the clutch cover and adjust all but 3mm of slack from the arm with the rod adjuster. You want 3mm for free play at the arm before you feel it touch the pressure plate. Then reinstall the cable, but you will have to loosen the adjust way up to get it to fit again.

This works by changing the leverage ration on the flat of the arm that pushes the rod. You're taking advantage of the maximum amount of leverage the arm has on the push rod.

There's still a huge amount of draw up in the cable before you really get good action, so you can run the cable a lot tighter than you would on a Jap bike. Basically zero free play at the lever, because you have so much draw up in the stock cable and a much longer arm.

I was a sweep rider at our hare scrambles at Tuxedo Ridge Ski Center, NY, last sunday and was on the WR from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm and must say this Rekluse Pro with the CRF fiber plates was a pleasure. I was on and off the bike, ducking under ribbons in gear with no stalling, I could get off the bike in gear and help a rider get unstuck or push a guy up a hill and the WR just sat there, put, put, put. Awesome.

Yes, they are awesome on the WR's. It just works so well with the power spread or something. Probable the best combo I've ran across. One of them is on my short list.