RUST magazine: RUST#37

Chris Evans
MUSICAL CHAIRS
It’s mid-season and our man in France, Evans (a
professional tour guide) is packing in the trail miles. All of
which has inspired some workshop tweaks and a reshuffle
of the Evans moto-fleet
REKLUSE MAKES FOR A
HAPPY YAMAHA WR250F
So much news on the bike
front that I don’t know quite
where to begin. So let’s do it
chronologically. First off I’ve
done about 10 days on the
WR250F with the Rekluse clutch and
I’m well pleased. I thought I’d take a bit
of time adapting to it but as it’s turned
out the transition period has been
painless and virtually instantaneous.
The only thing I had to get used to
was giving it a bit more throttle from
a standing start, otherwise the clutch
makes an unpleasant graunching
sound. You do however have to accept
that fitting a Rekluse doesn’t turn your
bike into an automatic. You still have
to be in the right gear or again you get
that sound. But once you’ve got your
head round that you can start to reap
the benefits – of which there are many.
First of all it is almost impossible to
stall. You can paddle through a rocky
section on a whiff of throttle, paying
absolutely no attention to the clutch,
happy in the knowledge you will make
it safely to the other side. Climbs are
equally simplified. If there’s a turn in
the middle you can close the throttle,
have a look at where you need to go,
and then get back on the gas again. It’s
a technique that also works for mud. If
it is particularly deep you can actually
cut the throttle, balance on the bike
and go off again when you’re ready.
Because the power comes in nice and
smoothly, all the above obstacles can
be negotiated with much less wheel
spin. Grip seems easier to find. Plus, on
the WR250F, it gets round the problem
of the crappy clutch cable.
To be honest I can’t see much of
a downside. I reckon you’ll need to
change the clutch plates more often,
but that’s no big deal. I suppose it takes
some of the snap out of your ride,
makes it a bit tamer, maybe a little
less fun, but then that’s the price of
efficiency. It also makes you a lazier
rider, as you don’t have to anticipate so
much.
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