Topic: Chinese Hydraulic clutch kit??

[geoluv]

I’ve owned three cb550’s. Every one of them has what I consider to be a “heavy” feeling clutch.  Yes, I’ve replaced the cable, lubed them, adjusted them, and routed them properly.  It helps compared to the 40 year old stock cables but still feels heavy and is annoying when I’m riding in the city, having to shift all the time.  Billet dog leg lever help with my medium sized hands but still kinda heavy.  I want to try one of the $30 Chinese hydraulic clutch retrofit kits.  I haven’t found anyone who’s used one but it seems like it could work.

[dusterdude]

For 30 bucks,take a whack at it

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk

[MRieck]

 I agree....give it a go and let us know.

[MauiK3]

Not much of a gamble, love to see it in action.

[tourmax]

Cheap enough, give it a go.

But I'd be cautious about trusting it to go very far from home though.

My experience with the cheap Chinese hydraulics (brake masters, clutch masters, etc) is they are usually cheap for a reason. I've found everything from poorly machined seal lands on the pistons to occlusions in the aluminum castings to seals that "sort of" seal and wear down quickly as a result. Also to consider is when/if the seals wear out, rebuild/replace is going to be a nightmare (or maybe just buy another "cheap" unit).

So give it a go, but I'd be using it more as a "proof of concept" to see if it works and i you like it. then, go to a more reputable product like the Madura clutch retrofit kits. More money, but better QC....

[seanbarney41]

Magura...not Madura

[tourmax]

Magura...not Madura

Meh, typo.

 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Working on this so it can be ready for DGR in 3 weeks:
IMG_0116 by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr
IMG_0117 by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr
IMG_0118 by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

[Steve_K]

My 96 Ducati 900 SS had a hydraulic clutch and it had a harder pull than the 92 VFR I had at the same time.  In fact, a harder pull than the SV 1000 I had, too.  The slave cylinder failed in two years time.  The replacement lasted 4 years while I had it.  That said, that change may not work,  but if it is problem for I think you should try it. 
Steve

[tourmax]

Working on this so it can be ready for DGR in 3 weeks:
IMG_0116 by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr
IMG_0117 by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr
IMG_0118 by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

Looks pretty trick. I wonder how it will look with the hoses.....

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Jeff Stephens fabricated this setup using a CB500 clutch cover, and welded in a sight glass for the oil level, too.

[Stev-o]

I rode my 550F on Friday and the thought of a hard[?] clutch pull came to mind, but I dont have the issue on my bike and cant recall ever changing the cable since I've owned it.  I can do a "two finger pull".

Is a hydraulic clutch really needed on a mid-size bike?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I rode my 550F on Friday and the thought of a hard[?] clutch pull came to mind, but I dont have the issue on my bike and cant recall ever changing the cable since I've owned it.  I can do a "two finger pull".

Is a hydraulic clutch really needed on a mid-size bike?

Needed? Probably not. It's always been on my want list though. And when you friend is a Beringer distributor, it helps.

[geoluv]

I’ve lusted over the pics of diy direct-push hydraulic upgrades for years.  It seems like a lot of work compared to just bolting on one of these little pistons.  Also the cb500 clutch cover mod requires you to slather a bunch of rvt in the place of a proper o ring because of the bolts which seems kinda sloppy to me.
I’ve always thought it would be cool if someone bought a bunch of cb500 clutch covers, decked them and welded in more aluminum on the inside to tap for the bolts and then use a slave with a proper o ring and sell the whole thing as a kit.  You could make a 100 of them and sell them for $300 and they surely would sell out.  The cb550 having a heavy clutch feel is something other people have complained about, not just me.  If I was riding in the country it wouldn’t bother me so much but in the city it’s a real work out on my hand/for arm.

My 96 Ducati 900 SS had a hydraulic clutch and it had a harder pull than the 92 VFR I had at the same time.  In fact, a harder pull than the SV 1000 I had, too.  The slave cylinder failed in two years time.  The replacement lasted 4 years while I had it.  That said, that change may not work,  but if it is problem for I think you should try it. 
Steve

Ducs from those years just have hard clutches though.  Hard springs in the dry clutch.  I figure I just have to get a master with a wide enough piston to make sure it’s an easy pull.  Anyone have an idea how big of a master bore I need to ensure an easy feel? 

[tourmax]

I rode my 550F on Friday and the thought of a hard[?] clutch pull came to mind, but I dont have the issue on my bike and cant recall ever changing the cable since I've owned it.  I can do a "two finger pull".

Is a hydraulic clutch really needed on a mid-size bike?

The big plus for me of a hydraulic clutch is that they "automatically" adjust for clutch wear, making for a more consistent clutch pull at the lever over the life of the clutch. This can also lead to a longer clutch life as each pull is the same as the last, whereas neglecting the manual adjusters on a cable bike over it's life can lead to clutch slip and dramatically shortened life.

Whether you get a longer/shorter or easier clutch pull is more about choosing the right components for your application.

OEM's use hyd clutches (imho) as a cost saver more than anything else. A little more $$ for the components up front, but installation is a doodle on a factory line (ie: save labor costs) and no worries about an improperly adjusted clutch coming off the assembly line, which would mean a new rider roasting the clutch and the subsequent need for warranty work.....

[tourmax]

I’ve lusted over the pics of diy direct-push hydraulic upgrades for years.  It seems like a lot of work compared to just bolting on one of these little pistons.  Also the cb500 clutch cover mod requires you to slather a bunch of rvt in the place of a proper o ring because of the bolts which seems kinda sloppy to me.
I’ve always thought it would be cool if someone bought a bunch of cb500 clutch covers, decked them and welded in more aluminum on the inside to tap for the bolts and then use a slave with a proper o ring and sell the whole thing as a kit.  You could make a 100 of them and sell them for $300 and they surely would sell out.  The cb550 having a heavy clutch feel is something other people have complained about, not just me.  If I was riding in the country it wouldn’t bother me so much but in the city it’s a real work out on my hand/for arm.

My 96 Ducati 900 SS had a hydraulic clutch and it had a harder pull than the 92 VFR I had at the same time.  In fact, a harder pull than the SV 1000 I had, too.  The slave cylinder failed in two years time.  The replacement lasted 4 years while I had it.  That said, that change may not work,  but if it is problem for I think you should try it. 
Steve

Ducs from those years just have hard clutches though.  Hard springs in the dry clutch.  I figure I just have to get a master with a wide enough piston to make sure it’s an easy pull.  Anyone have an idea how big of a master bore I need to ensure an easy feel?

You're probably not going to get a very good recommendation for a master cylinder size. In order to make a recommendation, you woudl have to know how much you need for travel at the slave to disengage the clutch, the size and stroke of the slave, the amount of lever pull you want/need and a more nebulous piece of data: what feel "right" to you for clutch pull (IE: stroke length, where the clutch starts to engage, amount of force needed, etc).

As a minimum, you need the diameter and stroke of the slave to figure out what ratio you want/need between the master and slave.....

[tshrey]

What Oberon slave cylinder is that?  I was going to pick up a used Ducati one but that looks like it sits nice an tight against the cover.

[Godffery]

What Oberon slave cylinder is that?  I was going to pick up a used Ducati one but that looks like it sits nice an tight against the cover.

The kits I have made, use the Oberon designed for the Moto Morini.
 https://www.oberon-performance.co.uk/moto-morini-clutch-slave-cylinder

 https://godfferysgarage.com/project/custom-hydraulic-clutch/

[tshrey]

Ah, now I understand all the machining work you do for the inner piece.  I'm going to try just straight up bolting a Ducati slave to a CB500 housing and see how I make out.

[Godffery]

Ah, now I understand all the machining work you do for the inner piece.  I'm going to try just straight up bolting a Ducati slave to a CB500 housing and see how I make out.

You'll want to have some sort of backing plate behind the cover to distribute the load, otherwise the aluminum will likely eventually crack.

[fantino]

Ah, now I understand all the machining work you do for the inner piece.  I'm going to try just straight up bolting a Ducati slave to a CB500 housing and see how I make out.

My solution for a 500 is less elegant than Godffrey's 550 solution which looks very nice indeed. I ditched the stock cover for a very plain flat cover. I may remake this as a single piece or replace the cover plate with carbon to zhuzh it up, but it's functional as-is. I used a clutch cylinder from a CBR1000.

[Godffery]

Ah, now I understand all the machining work you do for the inner piece.  I'm going to try just straight up bolting a Ducati slave to a CB500 housing and see how I make out.

My solution for a 500 is less elegant than Godffrey's 550 solution which looks very nice indeed. I ditched the stock cover for a very plain flat cover. I may remake this as a single piece or replace the cover plate with carbon to zhuzh it up, but it's functional as-is. I used a clutch cylinder from a CBR1000.

Well Dang, that's some impressive machining work!

[tourmax]

Ah, now I understand all the machining work you do for the inner piece.  I'm going to try just straight up bolting a Ducati slave to a CB500 housing and see how I make out.

My solution for a 500 is less elegant than Godffrey's 550 solution which looks very nice indeed. I ditched the stock cover for a very plain flat cover. I may remake this as a single piece or replace the cover plate with carbon to zhuzh it up, but it's functional as-is. I used a clutch cylinder from a CBR1000.

I'll confess I don't really understand what's going on there. to the best of my knowledge, the cb550 uses a cable and lever on the clutch cover to disengage teh plates. that looks like there is a through rod (like the CBR, my FJ1200, etc) to disengage the plates. Is that something on a specific year o cb550 or have you altered the stock cases?

Not trying to be a pain, I'm just intrigued by what machine work might be going on there. Swapping in a pushrod clutch actuation method would be major work.....

[fantino]

@tourmax

Mine is a 500 not a 550, which does indeed actuate with a pushrod through the cases.

Was just posting as an alternative for folks who stumble across this thread with 500s, since they suffer from an even more problematic clutch design with harder to find replacement parts when they do break.