[Chris C]

I've a good friend who teaches the local "How to ride like a motorman" classes with the Police Department. He and I had a ride together recently and he commented he noticed I don't use my friction zone for turning tight turns. I told him I don't let the clutch slip because that's how I was taught to drive a stick-shift automobile. He said motorcycle clutches are designed to be slipped....or used in the friction zone. I've been wanting to learn how to properly negotiate U-turns and handle-bar locked turns and he says that's the only way it can be done properly. I've been watching some of the Jerry Palidin videos and he mentions the friction zone almost every time he opens his mouth. So I ask you, fellow Rebel owners, just how stout is the clutch plate on the Rebel 250?????

 

[Macross]

It could be that most motorcycles use wet clutches, meaning the clutch disk are in the motor oil. I wonder why there are no autos with wet clutches.

 

[SoakedKarma]

It could be that most motorcycles use wet clutches, meaning the clutch disk are in the motor oil. I wonder why there are no autos with wet clutches.

Hudson had a wet clutch for decades.
Mack trucks had wet clutches into the 1990s and standard on many UPS trucks..

 

[Macross]

Hudson had a wet clutch for decades.
Mack trucks had wet clutches into the 1990s and standard on many UPS trucks..

Thanks for the info, they are vehicle's I've never driven

 

[SoakedKarma]

Rebel is so nimble I don't need to slip the clutch during tight turn..

I suppose 500+lb bike would need some clutch slipping..
I know my Intruder was a pain to do a U-turn with, much of that was due to the 21" front rim though.. Stock steering geometry just wanted to flop bike on it's side and Suzuki reduced the front wheel to 19" after a couple of years..

 

[DanR]

I honestly never even thought about a friction zone. Today I paid attention and realized I must have mastered that years ago because it just comes natural now. I wouldn’t worry about it affecting clutch life too much, just learn every technique you can, that’s how you become a better and safer rider!

 

[kryton]

How stout is it? how about 11x your manual car's clutch. It's a compound clutch, where your car has 1 friction plate pressing against 1 metal plate, these bikes have 6 sets stacked providing 11 contact surfaces, immersed in oil so that 'riding the clutch' doesn't burn it.

 

[Chris C]

Thank you kind Sir............that was just the kind of answer I needed to make me quit worrying about it.