When we are on a motocross course one of the main things that we rely on is the clutch. The clutch is what allows the vehicle to move and in a motocross circuit the clutch keeps the vehicle moving no matter what the terrain is. Motocross clutches are designed to provide the maximum amount of power to be transferred between the engine and the gearbox.

Motocross clutches have thicker ears which reduce significantly the fault that occurs when the ears dig in to the case. “This dig in” not only promotes wear of the clutch housing but also when it is severe it encourages the clutch to slip. This happens because the clutch plate tends to slip into the groove which keeps the friction plates away from the drive plates. If this type of wear is allowed to continue it is extremely possible that when the wear reaches a certain point then the clutch casing could crack and break apart. If this happens it can cause catastrophic destruction to the engine and gearbox. This is because of the speeds at which the clutch is rotating, especially during competition or practice runs. The worst that could happen is it could cause the engine casings to disintegrate and in doing so allow pieces of the clutch and housing plus the hot oil to be ejected and this could impact the rider or near by observers, or it could just seize the engine suddenly which could cause the rider to lose control of the vehicle. Either situation is quite dangerous to the rider or people nearby. Motocross clutches with the thicker ears do not wear into the housing so easily. They are also designed to provide less wear than normal clutches.

Motocross clutches are put through extreme conditions. They have to make the vehicle move up and down hills whilst the vehicle is going through extreme turns and ever changing gradients. They have to move the vehicle utilising the engine power that is providing full throttle and at times even sudden throttle openings and the pressure that they have to face is immense. Motocross clutches must be reliable and strong for the rider to be able to compete to his or her maximum ability. However they must be replaced as soon as a problem is noticed. More often than not the main fault that happens to a clutch is that of slippage. This occurs when the material on the friction plates has worn to its maximum limit. As we all know, it is when the clutch slips, that the vehicle loses the ability to move.

Although motocross clutches are designed to minimise the normal wear and tear associated with use they, because of the design features, tend to fail suddenly. A motocross clutch is made in the same fashion as a normal clutch, however, they have parts that are constructed of higher quality materials. The springs are stronger and therefore bring greater pressure to bear between the friction plates and the driving plates. The friction material has a greater gripping power and together these items provide a clutch that is reliable and has the power to allow the rider to compete to their maximum standard.