Magura Clutch Failure

[ThrottleJunky]

I entered a Louisiana Cross Country Series race this past weekend.  Rain, rain, and more rain. Then the mud...   You know it's going to be bad when there is a large tractor at the front gate pulling rigs INTO the pit area!

The stage was set. It was a perfect setting for the K5 to kick some four stroke butt.    My 18" terraflex tire on the back was hooking up!  It was easy passing with the 10 to 12 ft wide trail.  I would get the expected wheel spin out of the turns but that tire GRABBED the ground and REELED IN the next turn, passing other racers with lots of VELOCITY.

About four miles into the first lap I noticed that my magura hydraulic clutch wasn't letting the lever move, at all.  Tried messing with the lever and adjuster, no luck.   Decided to try to just continue on and get back to the pit area to fix it or (maybe???) finish without a clutch but was quickly schooled when I entered a deeply rutted turn and 3/4's of the way through the turn, there was a rider down. 

I pulled the clutch lever with all I had hoping it would somehow work and not stall the motor.   The lever hit the grip with ease after popping the barrel off of the magura rod at the clutch lever on the motor.  Now stalled in the mud with no clutch wasn't fun.  Started it, knocked it into gear (lucky it was sloppy) and away I went, until the next mud hole.  That scenerio happened three more times then I gave up and took the short cut to the trailer.

Now back to the issue. Anybody had a similar situation with their magura hydraulic clutch? 

It has been on my bike for three years with no issues at all.   This was the last component I expected to fail on me.

ThrottleJunky   

[Hillclimb#42]

I had 2. One system on the 250 and another on the 500. The 250 would not release the clutch arm quickly. It acted like it had pressure in and out. I noticed there was no slack in the slave cylinder. The part on the engine that holds the outer part, to the clutch arm was about a half inch wider space than on the 500, so I figured that was the problem. The 500 set-up kept leaking at the nut on the slave cylinder, so after giving up on the 250, switched slave cyliders. That one worked for about 30mins then started getting harder and harder to squeeze, until I couldn't pull it in.Not sure what's up with them, but I could not get them to work for me. Back to cables on both bikes. The honda/ktm hydraulics are much better design.

[alward25]

I have not heard of anybody having good luck with the Magura clutch on the 500.  The only guy is on I saw the he machined the LH case to accept a KTM slave cylinder too.  That certainly some thing I am going to try, ya know in the future, later, maybe, we will see.
Alex

[DoldGuy]

TJ,
Sorry to hear of your DNF but glad it was a Bike issue & not a Rider issue .
The member alward is referring (Kawsf) posted pics of his setup in General Section/Clutch Lever Ratio & with your access to maching/welding you could have one too (Myself & Others would be envious though )
DoldGuy

[ThrottleJunky]

Yeah guys, that KTM set up looks sweet.   I don't like the idea of being limited to the 13 tooth sprocket.

Anybody know where to get parts for the Magura Jack?

Hey Hillclimb, did you do any repairing on those jacks?

Took it apart, didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.  Incredibly simple and made of PLASTIC!

[Hillclimb#42]

Magura does sell replacement parts. Yeah, its just a rod and small o-ring. I was hoping for a real easy clutch pull, but had to fight with the things too much while out riding. Even while working, it would leak. The honda 250 perch and lever on a cable, is an easier pull than oem kawi. I think someone else said a raptor clutch lever and perch is an even easier pull. I kept the parts to the magura, which look fine, but somethin's definately not. I kinda thought, it may not be designed for that much tension.

[ThrottleJunky]

Still haven't figured what actually happened.  Snapped the barrel off of the end of the rod, that let the slave cylinder and hyd. hose loose to contact the pipe.

Finally found a guy that sells parts for the Magura hyd. clutch.  Tried to order the parts that were broken.
No individual parts, just components.  I have to buy a complete slave cylinder for $60+

Emailed the manufacturer many times with a reply "get back to you shortly".  Never got any other replies...

Sad part is the used Raptor clutch perch (info from this site) I bought on Ebay works just as good as the fancy Hyd. clutch did...