cable or hydraulic clutch?

[lingeringstin...]

If I were to need a monster clutch for some reason and a cable pull would be too hard to pull, couldn't I just use a hydraulic clutch system instead?

This question is about clutches not brakes, but here's what I'm thinking:

I've never really got on with hydraulic BRAKES because to me they feel squidgy and I like the feedback of direct rod or cable pull as it seems to let me know better what's going on at the brake end of things and don't even get me started on ABS, I really can't stand that stuff. I like the direct feel of mechanical brakes.

BUT, a hydraulic CLUTCH system might be good for a heavy clutch as I don't generally care what's going on at the clutch end so long as it just works.

I've sometimes modified my clutches with monster springs and funny clutch plates and whatnot for various reasons like something you might find for racing, hill climbing or having need of a really tall first gear and sometimes the cable pulls can be a bugger to pull. Wouldn't a hydraulic clutch system be an easier pull and just work pretty well regardless of the resistance at the clutch end?

Seems to make sense to me but I can't remember the last time I rode anything with a hydraulic clutch so I can't remember if I like it.

[V2]

My VTR1000F has a hydraulic clutch, you need to find one of those to have a go on!

[........]

Hydraulic fluid doesn't generate extra force. If a cable clutch is too heavy a comparable hydraulic clutch will also be too heavy. You can increase the mechanical advantage by selecting different diameter master and slave cylinders to reduce the required force at the lever. But you can do the same by altering the attachment/fulcrum points of a cable operated clutch. That being said there is no reason a hydraulic system should be 'squidgy'. Hydraulic fluid is (virtually) in-compressible so an air free system becomes effectively a solid bar.

[chris-red]

If you prefer cable or rod brakes, then any hydraulic braked bike you have used would have needed a major overhaul.

Rods are awful because they are fixed, they cannot adjust for suspension movement so you loose any precision with bumps.

Cables have far more stretch in them than a bled hydraulic system.

This doesn't take into account the slop you get in a mechanical system, and bikes with cable/rod brakes will be most likely old, and therefore all the various pivots/linkages will be worn and add to the lack of feel.
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[ThatDippyTwat]

If you want to go cable...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Factory-Image-Universal-Easy-Pull-Clutch-System-for-Motocross-Enduro-MX-etc-/302291369761?hash=item4661f83f21:g:F-AAAOSwqWNY~4qF

(First one I saw as an example, no idea about seller, usual caveats about ebay apply)
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[stinkwheel]

My VFR has a hydraulic clutch. You don't notice it which means it does its job well.

Occasionally it starts to get "slippy" when the slave control rod gets a build-up of corrosion/muck and starts binding slightly on a seal. You then take it out, clean it with wire wool and grease it and it's good for another 30k miles.

I bleed new fluid through to use up the bottle if I've been doing the brakes.

I have a mate who fitted a hydraulic conversion to his Triumph X75 which had an inordinately heavy clutch action after he had to have a finger amputated. Better than halved the force required.
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[RhynoCZ]

I had both,

Hydraulic: The lever feels spongy, not as precise, have to use the whole hand to operate.
Cable: The lever is springy, better precision, can operate with just one/two fingers.

Now, when I got the ZX7R, it felt wrong/odd to have hydraulic clutch, even had a mate look at it as I thought it was broken. Long story short, it was in perfect order and I got used to it. After a while you get so used to it, that when you sit on a motorcycle with cable operated clutch, it feels terribly wrong.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[stinkwheel]

I'd imagine a heavy guage, good quality, well lubricated clutch cable on a well designed lever and a clean, well maintained pivot would work very nicely indeed.

A piece of cheaply designed and poorly maintained 80's UMJ gear with a strimmer cable inner, less so.

I've had many and varied problems with cable clutches over the years, mostly down to the cable deteriorating, unwinding or snapping. I've only ever had very minor problems with hydraulic ones.

A poorly maintained hydraulic clutch will be better than a poorly maintained cable one. And how many of us can honestly say they take their bowden cables off and lube them once a year?
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[ThatDippyTwat]

[Rogerborg]

[lingeringstin...]

As far as rear brakes go I've always liked rod linkage and on a hardtail there's no suspension complications to complicate things. Rod brake linkage always just seem to work no matter what. I feel like I get a better feel through the pedal about what's going on. That may be because I learned to ride on dirt first with old Japanese dirt bikes with knobby tyres and brake rods. I probably got so used to it anything else feels wrong.

I've had many troublesome front hydraulic brakes when I was a courier. Disk brakes do stop better but I have always been mostly a rear brake person. Again it's probably because in the early days my dirt bikes likely had pitiful front brakes anyway and you din't really want fierce front brakes in sand and mud and stuff so I probably just got used to being rear brake heavy.

On the clutch side of things I don't think my small hands would be too happy with modifications that increased travel so that probably means messing about with hydraulic components to find a combination that suits.

[Kickstart]

Hi

From a maintenance point of view, I far prefer a hydraulic clutch. Far less slow degradation of the system. Cables tend to wear the inner and get heavier with time.

However I do find a cable setup in tip top condition does work a bit better. There is a bit more direct action. Possibly not when pulling the lever but more so when releasing the lever.

But it is a lot easier to design a hydraulic setup well than a cable setup. With a hydraulic system it is easy for the clutch end to have a constant movement against the clutch, while with cables they normally rely on rotating a shaft, and the amount of rotation varies depending on the angle of the shaft to the cable.

All the best

Katy
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[Polarbear]

I've had both on lots of different bikes. I can't say I prefer one over the other in normal day to day use.

Less to go wrong with a cable but more likely to get stiff. A hydraulic one works or doesn't.

I have a hydraulic on my Trophy. My Street had a cable so Triumph don't seem to be certain which to choose.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[ADSrox0r]

Fan of hydraulic; change fluid once a year and clean the slave. Fire and forget.
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Current bikes: '08 VFR 800 VTEC(yo) , '07 ZZR1400 Winter hack: '95 Aprilia 650 Pegaso Currently lusting after: RC30

[iooi]

[moonzoomer]

Bought a hydraulic clutch for the 750 gixer after fitting a slipper clutch, miles better than the original cable clutch, cheap as chips @ 25 quid and fitted in 20 minutes.

[redeem ouzzer]

I have a hydraulic clutch on my 1100. Works ok but still pretty heavy. Wouldn't go out of my way to have another bike with one.
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[ThatDippyTwat]