noobie clutch question
noobie clutch question
hello, what does it mean to feather the clutch??? sorry for the stupid question. thanks.
-
TechTMW
- Legendary 2000
- Posts: 2045
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:43 pm
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 10
- My Motorcycle: 2005 BMW R1200GS
- Location: Alexandria VA
It's not a stupid question. Feathering the clutch is an extremely important part of riding, especially for a new rider.
Basically, the clutch has what's known as the "Friction Zone" That's the point when you are releasing the clutch lever and the clutch starts to grab. You will feel the bike start to slowly move forward at this point. That's because the clutch is slipping. (It's not fully engaged) This means that full engine power is not being transmitted thru the clutch to the rear wheel.
In slow/low speed situations - when you are doing a U-turn, etc, you want the bike to go as slow as possible, but not So slow that you lose balance and fall. What you do is "Feather the clutch" - ride the friction zone. release the clutch lever to the friction zone and lightly squeeze and release based on the amount of power you want to be transferred through the clutch.
This allows you to go faster or slower depending on how much clutch and how much throttle you are using.
Basically, the clutch has what's known as the "Friction Zone" That's the point when you are releasing the clutch lever and the clutch starts to grab. You will feel the bike start to slowly move forward at this point. That's because the clutch is slipping. (It's not fully engaged) This means that full engine power is not being transmitted thru the clutch to the rear wheel.
In slow/low speed situations - when you are doing a U-turn, etc, you want the bike to go as slow as possible, but not So slow that you lose balance and fall. What you do is "Feather the clutch" - ride the friction zone. release the clutch lever to the friction zone and lightly squeeze and release based on the amount of power you want to be transferred through the clutch.
This allows you to go faster or slower depending on how much clutch and how much throttle you are using.
“People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.”
- Soren Kierkegaard (19th century Danish philosopher)
- Soren Kierkegaard (19th century Danish philosopher)