This Dakar Trick could've saved Itchy Boots in Africa! | MiniTip Monday

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Extra footage from @ItchyBoots & @TecknoMechanics .

[@davidrobertson1775]

We saved a trip crossing the Simpson Desert in Australia by using some fencing wire to increase the bulk in the clutch pack. The clutch was burnt out 100kms from Big Red. After the fencing wire pressure plate was added, it was ridden to Poeppel Corner, then up the Hay River Track and then home to Melbourne. Over 2900 kms.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Hell yeah man!! What an effort.

[@jackrichards1863]

For some reason it sounds to me like you stumbled onto an improvement in multiplate clutch models. I picture you installed it like a clockspring ? Anyway, if there's an improvement to be found at least you made it keep going on the journey of a lifetime. As it would be for most who'll see your account here! What motorcycle were you riding?

[@HoagesMoto]

I expect oldmate just wound some fencing wire between a friction plate and steel to close up the gap haha, maybe I missed you're comments' sarcasm I can't tell :P pretty epic tale I agree, my only real outback breakdown was another rider blowing a headgeasket and me towing him ~100km to help with a ratchet strap between the footpegs. A bush mechanics clutch fix with fencing wire is way cooler and definitely one I'll remember too :) - I'm placing me guess it was a DR650??

[@BrakeMagazine]

The most wholesome set of comments on this video. Thanks for being good people and thanks for the story Hoages!

[@davidrobertson1775]

@@HoagesMoto Were you on our trip?? :-) Yes it was a Dr650, killed by a young bloke used to riding motocross bikes (and driving to the local bike store for bits). The fencing wire (last thing I packed before we left for the trip) was fashioned into a circle that was then inserted into the clutch pack and everything was bolted back together.

[@johnnyblue4799]

I can't believe you went through all the trouble to open a clutch cover on the road for this! Nicely done!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Thanks! 👍

[@stefanmargraf7878]

Thats easy for most bikes. The hardest part is to lift the bike up.

[@holmes1956O]

​@@BrakeMagazinehere is a much better alternative. The extra clutch plate just add it to the stack as per usual assembley. Or even better add some washers to the springs to effectively make them longer and this should get you to a shop where you can replace the clutch

[@benjamin.f.b.]

on this vstrom, it s easy, which is a positive aspect of this vstrom

[@BrakeMagazine]

The plate break is only if you don't have a spare @@holmes1956O

[@lesterroberts4787]

She has hammered that little Honda since Morocco and when she headed for the Eye of the desert in all that sand she was smashing the clutch. She admitted that the clutch was slipping before the mud run. We enjoy watching her videos as they are educational and fun. I would like to see some of the guys posting here do do what she does and keep a smile on your face. Noraly is welcome in our camp any time.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Exactly man. Quite a lot negativity around her. I’m kinda surprised tbh

[@jamie.miller.inspiring]

​@BrakeMagazine i think alot of the negativity is due to jealousy. Hats off to her, shes out there living her life her way, doing what she enjoys. One of the reasons I enjoy watching her is she accepts the challenges and struggles and does what she can given her knowledge and experience to just keep going but also knowing when its time to quit and have a few days break which is a skill within itself. Shes one of the many people who motivated me to get my licence and a bike. I always loved bikes but they scared the crap out of me, but watching people like her just giving things a go willing to mess up, make mistakes and keep trying was what inspired me the most. After a few weeks of riding its less scary but still very new and learn something different every single time i ride and absolutely loving it, speaking of which time to get off the internet and go for a ride haha Btw thank you very much for taking the time to make this video, reminds me of driving home with a snapped axle and also a burnt clutch in the car which I drove the same way clutchless shifting and take off with it in gear using the starter motor. Probably why i found it faily easy back when i learnt how to drive trucks from those kind of previous experiences :)

[@BrakeMagazine]

Great comment and glad it was helpful!

[@jamie.miller.inspiring]

@@BrakeMagazine hopefully I never need to use the info, but you never know i may be with someone who it may help one day :)

[@njpaddler]

@@jamie.miller.inspiring Get yourself enrolled in a beginner training course & it will get even more fun on many levels. In a year's time, do the same with an advanced course. See also David Hough's "Proficient Motorcycling" book & it's sequel. They're priceless.

[@musique2005]

This is one of the best motorcycle channels on the internet. Thank you Llel- the theoretical simulation part is impressive!

[@BrakeMagazine]

I didn’t invent that. It’s from a. Brilliant video by the channel I mentioned onscreen.

[@hedning003]

in noralys case,the clutch on the crf 300 rally is a known weakspot - so in her case ,it was bound to happen,the solution is to replace the stock crf300 complete assembly whit the one from the crf 250l combined whit steel and frictionplates and heavy duty springs from the cbr 300 - fits right in,and has one more frictionplate,and 5 springs instead of just 3

[@ezsteel78]

You will lose the slip/assist function if you do this.

[@kennethcooley3445]

Good suggestion. I think Noraly needs some guidance on when to do maintenance and when to upgrade for known troubled areas on stock bikes. She does a great job beating the snot out of stock bikes.

[@gerardboorsma3418]

Beste stuurlui staan aan de wal😅

[@luisgomesferreira9558]

I wish I had seen this video 2 years ago! It would have saved me so much trouble in Argentinean Patagonia... Thanks so much for the effort you put into your videos, it really shows up.

[@dogfish180]

Rather than snapping fiber rings. Bend one of the metal plates in a couple of places and make a wave in it. It will take up more space and act like a diaphragm spring. I have done this mid Enduro race and completed the rest of the race with no noticeable difference in clutch performance.

[@BrakeMagazine]

That’s a cool idea. I’ll add that to the mix.

[@BillySBC]

Uh... why not carry an entire clutch disk set? They don't weigh much, and if you're going to go through the trouble of disassembling the clutch just go ahead and replace the disks and ride on. It's amazing to me how some of these "adventure riders" go out into the bush and wild places without being absolutely prepared.

[@HoagesMoto]

because clutches are a gradual wear item and competent riders that know their bike will catch a little clutch slip before it gets bad and adjust their riding style to prevent it worsening OR jam the basket in one of many techniques to get out of trouble - a clutch plate set weighs up to 1kg which is an insane amount of weight to carry on a dirtbike/light advbike for a wear product people not racing will mostly detect gradual failure and be able to nurse a bike through a trip.

[@BillySBC]

​@@HoagesMoto You don't go out in the wilds of AFRICA unprepared for a failed clutch... The friction disks of the clutch kit weigh next to nothing, you don't need the steels because they hardly ever fail and lots of people just re-use them after scuffing them up with 220 grit sandpaper. You have made no logical point here. You can burn your clutch out quick in the muddy areas of Africa and you need to be prepared for that. Adjustment wont mean anything when you have burned the clutch out in 5 miles of mud... BE PREPARED. KNOW YOUR MOTORCYCLE. CARRY AN ELECTRICAL SCHEMATIC AND REPAIR MANUAL ON YOUR PHONE. DON'T GO OFF INTO A REMOTE AREA LIKE A DAMN FOOL. Have a nice day.

[@thra5herxb12s]

There's always a bush repair that will get you going again until you can do a proper repair. It helps to have a good imagination and all the tools you might need.

[@chilodin]

The first minutes provide a great explanation for how a clutch works. I learned a thing or two. Especially when you pulled on the clutch with the cover off. Awesome reference for all and new riders, or anyone repairing their own clutch. Great video and theories put into practice.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Thanks! Glad it was useful!

[@inrptn]

Love Dakar tricks and this was well done my friend! Thank you!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Skiamakhos]

Nice video - could save some folks a lot of bother. I had a similar problem with my first big bike halfway in to work in London. After waiting all day for a tow truck, the tow truck guy let me in on a trick that would have saved me next time: carry a spare clutch cable, passed through the route of the existing one, gaffa taped or zip-tied to the current one. Time to repair then is a matter of seconds on the road as you connect the ends of the new cable in where the old one went & strip out the old one. Once you get to the repair shop, just buy a new spare & tie it in place as before.

[@colin20cal]

This is a very old enduro trick and one I've used on my bikes for many years. We're never to old to learn.👍🏻

[@TetraX-ui7xl]

...and tape the ends of the spare clutch cable so no water can get to it and rust the cable (and oil it a bit)

[@Skiamakhos]

@@TetraX-ui7xl yes, good point!

[@captaincrash9286]

Good tip, and one I've used a lot, especially on my old 400 single, which destroyed cables on a regular basis. Only thing is, it's not helpful in the situation described in the video.

[@Erwin-P]

There is a more subtle way to handle the early state of this problem. Add a few washers under or on top of the springs. That way you increase the pre-load on the spring and thus adding friction. Used this method a number of times, learned it in tuned old types of motorcycles that didn't have stronger springs or more friction plates available.

[@jamesc4527]

Another tip - when your clutch starts to go, use lower gears to limit the load the clutch needs to handle (not 6th gear like I.B.). Even a slow limp in 1st gear is better than pushing. Bikes using a hydraulic clutch can also try cracking the clutch line to release built up pressure - hot clutch fluid will put a preload on the slave cylinder, inducing slip.

[@big566bunny]

Not sure what you mean by “cracking the clutch line”. ?? Cutting? Bending?

[@bnations2000]

@@big566bunny I believe that he means cracking open the bleeder screw briefly. That will relieve the hydraulic pressure.

[@BrakeMagazine]

I think you’re right.

[@jamesc4527]

Correct - easing the pressure built up due to heat. Just undo the bleed nipple a very small amount to release the pressure, then tighten it up again.

[@bryanreeme8584]

Reminds me of my old vw's breaking a clutch cable, your brain quickly finds a route home w/o any stop signs!.. If not, use the starter in 1st or push for a roll!

[@oscar7694]

Good thing to note is that Noraly didn't actually ruin the clutch, an over enthousiastic local did while trying to help her out. (Correct me if i'm wrong/ taking in consideration that driving such terrain will wear your clutch faster than normal use) Other than that, great video, I will keep this in mind for the extremely sticky situations. Would rather not treat my bike like that. Keep it going

[@BrakeMagazine]

You are correct. :)

[@fixento]

You are correct the bike was mid calf deep in mud, and a young man burned up the clutch getting it out of the mud. He attempted to move it like the 200 lb light bikes, but with her luggage extra gas tank, etc that 331 lb bike of hers must be close to 42 and burned out the clutch.

[@DD-co1zn]

... it's also worth noting that Noraly edited the video. You don't know what you didn't see.

[@oscar7694]

@@DD-co1zn That would suggest that she just ignores her clutch skills when the camera's off? Watch the video's.

[@MeerkatADV]

​@DD-co1zn and you don't know what you're talking about. Were you there?

[@RobertF1964]

Nice to see someone trying to educate the masses. I've had to do something similar on a couple of occasions when I've broken either the clutch lever or snapped a clutch cable on my daily ride - a 1977 Yamaha XT500 ! You know, one of those bikes that actually won a Dakar (or two). Now there's a bike you don't really want to have to do the "run & jump" manoeuvre too many times.

[@luis4727]

Great video! Most channels would have just explained it, you went out of your way to show us on your own machine, thanks:)

[@andreasweber7828]

In ‘02 the clutch on my DR750S went silence in the middle of my vacation in the south of France. French mechanics refused to repair my problem and I couldn’t get hold of new parts. So I decided to do what’s needed at the time and that was riding my bike for 1200 km without a clutch. Through the traffic, the French way. It’s a walk in the park as soon you let go of any fear and refuse to care about anything. No questions were asked at the borders

[@BrakeMagazine]

Love it!

[@DD-co1zn]

All the simps blaming the guy for burning Noraly's clutch .... Sure. He only rides those roads daily, his whole life, to get food and water. But let's just ignore the fact Noraly edits the videos any way she likes, and just blame the local guy because thats what Noraly chose to show us.

[@BrakeMagazine]

To be honest, I don't care for the conjecture. it's not the vibe around here.

[@DD-co1zn]

@@BrakeMagazine conjecture is blaming the local without exercising your critical faculties to such extent that you realise there are hours of footage you didn't see. Textbook conjecture.

[@h.l.3628]

She did not blame the local guy. She defended him.

[@DD-co1zn]

@@h.l.3628 work on your reading comprehension. I didn't say *she* blamed him.

[@BrakeMagazine]

I don’t wanna be this guy, but I’d appreciate the replies being more considerate than that. As I said, not the vibe.

[@6Twisted]

Blip the throttle when you clutch-less downshift, it puts less stress on the gears.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Agreed

[@adamusher]

If you hold a tiny bit of throttle on and hold the brake then downshift it can be achieved almost seamlessly. Basically as it transitions between gears it revs up for a split second and goes down a gear much easier. Same works for clutchless downshifts on road in general. Run down the rev range lower than you usually would, to say 2000-2500 rpm, braking, throttle not completely cut, in a position that would give you say 2500 rpm of free rev, and then with some preload on the gear lever it’ll generally just shift without the slightest issue. On some bikes 1st to 2nd can be very clunky up and down without the clutch. On my Honda VFR1200 I just pause in neutral very briefly instead of shifting straight up or straight down, and it makes all the difference.

[@peterbojkov4669]

Yup

[@insatiable_mind]

Very useful information! I think I will opt for the spare clutch pack on a long adventure. I’ll find room for it 😂

[@BrakeMagazine]

And clutch cable 😜

[@DirtRiderLife]

WOW! Really wish I knew this trick when my buddies clutch burnt out in the Oregon desert last summer, could have save our entire trip!!!!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Sorry to hear that

[@DirtRiderLife]

@@BrakeMagazine I'm confused! How can 'fixing' one friction plate make the drive solid when all the other friction plates continue to slip ?

[@dznnf7]

There just isn't enough room in there for another plate thickness - the width of the clutch pack is fixed by the basket dimensions. @@DirtRiderLife

[@BrakeMagazine]

So what allows the slip is the reduced friction because the plates can move slightly side to side. When you increase that friction by making the stack of plates bigger then none of them can slide or move. In the comments you'll see lots of other ingenious ways to solve the same problem. Leather shoelaces, wire etc.@@dznnf7

[@rotor676]

You forgot to mension that you've ridden the Dakar & to wish a safe race to all the competitors. Merry xmas and happy holidays to all.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Happy Christmas to you too!

[@crijn]

Super cool trick when you're riding on flat terrain. Itchy Boots was riding through mud and water, up and down the hills. I don't think riding without a clutch will work in that type of terrain. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[@Lon1001]

On the terrain that finally fried it she wasn't even the one operating Alaska when it was happened, a local got her bike through the mud and was quite aggressive on the clutch to do it, she tried to tell him to go easy but she knew she wasn't as likely to be able to get through. It was unfortunate but you are correct that welding the clutch and using clutchless starts the on that mudbog of a road would not have been practical. After she got onto better roads thoug she was struggling slipping clutch and the broken friction disk trick could have got her to her Abidjan. Also the idea of carrying one spare friction disk mounted somewhere on the bike could have helped.

[@farkled]

This is very helpful. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere Baja with a burnt out clutch. Hopefully I'll never need to do this in the future!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Hopefully not!

[@ernestozilberberg257]

You the man!!! This video is just packed with useful information!!! Thank you for all the time you invested in it.

[@BrakeMagazine]

I appreciate that!

[@davidz8]

Really clever and well explained

[@BrakeMagazine]

Thanks David!

[@JohnThomas-zg8kf]

I tried the No1 method of dropping the bike into 1st at standstill when I had broken a clutch cable. Bike went into gear nicely but did not move forward as it just sheared the main gearbox shaft. The bike was an old Aermacchi Harley Davidson Scooter, so probably not a strong gearbox, but worth a warning as to what can happen.

[@JohnCampbell-co1qk]

I believe noraly stated that the clutch would have had the same fate if she herself had ridden it through that mud, correct me if I am wrong but when in Alaska she had modification's carried out on her bike, wasn't one a light weight competition clutch , she at that time was intending to ues her bike on the Baha , an advantage for short term high performance,but not so durability, as for me in that situation I would put up the drone and found a navigable route through on the firmer periphery. but reality is what it is. Seasonal greetings to you all.🙏🎄❄️☃️

[@knuckles-3386]

It’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback in these situations but i think using the drone to find an easier route would have been a good idea

[@dalailalai6335]

I really like that idea but there must be a good reason why she sticks to the roads. Maybe it’s muddy under all the grass? Clearly no one else attempts that either.

[@zweispurmopped]

Two points there: · She was stuck in deep mud where you couldn't just jump the bike into motion. If Alaska had a big chunk more of power, the rear wheel could have done the slipping instead of the clutch, but there obviously is the limit of the low cc engine light weight bike: There's only so much oomph available for flinging mud out off the way. That may have been the reason for her exploration of different bikes during her Africa break. (And boy, does the Himalayan 452 look promising there!) All in all the CRF 300R still seems to offer more advantages than shortcomings to her and mud is only one of several obstacles she had to deal with. · The entire clutch assembly had to be replaced in the end. She didn't discuss the exact failure in detail, but apparently the damage was deeper than just burnt clutch plates. Maybe the forks of the outer case had worked in beyond their limits and lifted the clutch with dents, maybe there was something wrong with the slipper clutch mechanism, maybe that, maybe, maybe. One of the problems when you burn any clutch is that the material on the surface changes. The steel parts get oxidised, the organic material chars. This affects the friction coefficient. Especially with bikes where the clutch runs in oil and there is loads of carbohydrates available for charring. The charred oil makes a gooey slippery consistency and is stuck to the surface of the clutch and goes deeply into the pores of the material. I have no way of knowing if my idea will actually work in the African outback, but what I imagine would be a good temporary fix: Find yourself some really high percentage moonshine and dump the clutch plates into it, Give them the best possible clean in the stuff, then try sanding off the top layer of oxidation if the steel parts are discoloured. The alcohol should dissolve most of the charred oil and thus both get this source of lubricant that may inhibit force transmission out of the way and also, as the built up charred oil increased the surface touching the other side of the clutch, increase the area load on the bits of clutch surface that may actually transfer force to a level where it may work again. While this obviously will not be a full repair, it just may get you going until you reach a point where you can get a garage and spares. If grinding was involved, the parts need an extremely good rinse, obviously (again), as you want none of these hard particles in your oil.

[@BrakeMagazine]

She was stuck on a tarmac road. Watch the video again.

[@zweispurmopped]

@@BrakeMagazine That's where the last bit of life went from the clutch. It had burnt long before.

[@BrakeMagazine]

And that’s what the video is about. She got to the road and then needed rescue. She coulda then gone through this process.

[@ArturoEspinosaAldama]

These driving techniques are also useful in case you can't control your clutch, such as a snapped cable or a broken lever if you don't want / can't stop to ammend the situation. Maybe you are a few Km from your destination and you want to deal with it in the hotel or at a shop. Doubling a snapped plate to direct-drive the bike is just brilliant. BTW the lighter your bike is, the easier it will be on the transmission and the starter, unless it is overengineered.

[@jsmit9484]

Am I watching Discovery Channel? This is incredibly well written, spoken and visualised. Subbed!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Just a little ol YT channel! Cheers for the kind words.

[@sidweazel2883]

Nice video, clearly explained and potentially extremely useful. Thanks 👍

[@geraldscott4302]

On every bike that I've owned that had them (and there have been quite a few) I have always removed and bypassed the clutch nanny switch, the sidestand nanny switch, and the neutral lockout nanny switch. Not only are these things a real nuisance to an experienced rider, but they also tend to fail at the worst possible time. With all these switches bypassed, you can start the bike in gear with the clutch out.

[@andypughtube]

I am a very experienced rider (Been riding 40 years, never had a car, 130,000 miles on the current bike alone) and I still sometimes go into gear with the side-stand down. So I keep the side-stand switch. Maybe this is partly due to never having had a side-stand switch problem. Which is pretty impressive thinking about it, given the age and milage of my bikes.

[@100CupsColombia]

Makes me glad to be in Scotland in a Merc for a couple of weeks! Freezing in Moffat is a proper novelty 😎

[@BrakeMagazine]

😂 Embrace that!

[@backroadbeetle4781]

I ride a Buell Ulysses, which is this weird Harley powered ADV. Had that happen but Harley was actually smart for once. There's an adjuster rod you can max out to force the plates together, saved my booty and takes 5min.

[@mikoshnanasi4366]

Brilliant video! This is the kind of valuable information that will stay with a rider forever.

[@AlessioCorradini]

What you suggest is the last thing to do, only when there's no more hope. On the other hand, an extra clutch metal disc, will save you 99% of the times. It will apply more pressure. The clutch will have a second life (not just few hundreds kilometers, but thousands and thousands). Fact is, if you're an offroad beginner like Itchy boots, you will keep burning clutches on and on. Experience helps a lot to preserve the mechanical parts. That's what we do in rallies. You can't win a rally if you don't reach the end ;-)

[@BrakeMagazine]

Absolutely it is! Totally agree Alessio! Nice to see you around here.

[@allanschuster3520]

Noraly now is no beginner !

[@AlessioCorradini]

@@allanschuster3520 She's a traveller. A lot of respect for what she does. But in terms of offroad skills, she's a beginner. Check who's not a beginner: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epqkpaCEm6h6jMU First woman ever to finish Dakar in malle moto class (no mechanical assistance). Also Vanessa Ruck, has been improving a lot in the last couple of years. Also my girlfriend, who attended GS trophy last year, isn't a beginner. Most of the times, travellers know very little about offroad riding, but they have the guts to take and go. That's cool too.

[@jsmit9484]

She's no Dakar racer, but I can't remember any time where she burned her clutch? Even in the subject video it was a friendly local who burned her clutch.

[@AlessioCorradini]

@@jsmit9484 the CRF is tough 😅

[@defylifeadventure]

Great video. I imagine many of us have had a road bike fall over and broken the clutch lever. I remember having to ride home from a bbq without a clutch on my NS125. Fun part was having to come to stop at some lights then get of the bike and run with it before kicking it into gear, with a police car sat behind me at the lights. didn't know about the inserting a broken clutch plate trick. That's a nice one to know. 👍🏼

[@njpaddler]

Some riders carry a small Vice-Grip / locking pliers to use as a quick lever replacement, as long as your broken lever has enough of a nub left on it for the pliers to grip. Deployment takes seconds & off you go.

[@defylifeadventure]

@@njpaddler Yeah I know that trick, works on shift levers too. Coming from a bbq I didn't have tools on me for 4 mile ride back.

[@popeye77ish]

Thanks for taking so much trouble to help fellow bikers understand and know what to do ... if and when.

[@BrakeMagazine]

No worries!

[@CommieHunter7]

One many BMWs, even as far back as 2004, the ECU is looking for the clutch position switch to CHANGE from 'engaged' to 'disengaged' after the bike is switched on. This prevents a rider from shorting the switch to 'always disengaged' to bypass safety measures. This could have been why you couldn't do the starter trick with the Suzuki.

[@NickWarrenZA]

Thanks for sacrificing your bike (a bit, at least) to show us this. Appreciated!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Always!

[@Johan-vk5yd]

Thank you! I,ve ridden my bike without a clutch, when my clutch wire snapped, but I didn’t know about the fixed clutch trick. My friends doing moto-cross told me they never would use the clutch, except at starting off.

[@andipasti3320]

Thanks for sharing. I feel sorry for what your bike had to go through for this video 😬🤕

[@BrakeMagazine]

😂😂 It’ll be grand. Suzukis are tough as old boots.

[@thra5herxb12s]

I would have cut up an old metal tin and made a dummy steel plate to pack it all out a bit further and take up the slack, or even put a couple of extra washers from elsewhere on the bike, under the spring nuts, to force it together until I could get a set of new plates FedExed to the next town. Of course I dont have a pile of CRF clutch plates in front of me to experiment with, but I would have figured it out somehow, because I have a good imagination, and and am also mechanically minded after 45 years of swinging spanners on bikes. Noraly didn't get stuck for long though and is still inspiring people the world over.

[@irishflyer6377]

Thank you for a simple practical lesson

[@BrakeMagazine]

You are welcome. Thanks for the nice comment!

[@kenjgood]

Great tips, thank you. I had a Clutch Master Cylinder fail (the seals went) Baja early a run from from Tecate to Cabo and back on a KTM 525. I ended up stopping on rises of small hills to facilitate easier starts whenever possible. On steep descents, I covered the the kill switch. Did nearly a 1,000 miles that way until I found a replacement in a what was essentially a Motorsports junkyard.

[@edbruder9975]

When she got the bike back from the gentleman that got it through the most difficult mud, she stated the clutch didn't begin to engage until the lever was almost totally released. Had it been properly adjusted at that time, I'll bet she'd still have a clutch. Clutch plates only wear when they're slipping, you don't ride around with an improperly adjusted clutch unless you don't know how to adjust it or you want trouble. There's gotta be some free play or slack in the cable for the clutch to be fully engaged. From looking at the video, there was a lot of adjustment room still available in the cable.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Agreed

[@sarbura1746]

I've seen a guy do this, burnt clutch plates so he added another plate for like another layer w it and runs smoothly. Never knew Dakar uses this method too.

[@BrakeMagazine]

👌👌

[@haydenflinner]

Awesome tricks! I just wanted to point out that both of these are a continuum, like you can do all three of pushing, downhill, with the starter button pressed, for the easiest possible load on the bike. And for shifting down it makes it smoothest to go really slow, apply some throttle to get the motor starting to rev up under its own power, and downshift at the same moment, to minimize the change in acceleration when the wheel starts engine braking to the new higher RPM. It's similar principle to getting the bike rolling before putting it in gear. Just smoothness is the key, same as with riding clutchless. but if you've ever watched Moto Gymkhana (Lexco has a great video on their techniques, which really carry over to a lot of types of riding), they don't use the clutch for all of those crazy manuevers. So it's definitely something that can be practiced for fun and can even become your preference, once you stop relying on the clutch because it's there.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Good points!

[@pimsiebers7333]

Great video and road side effort, thank you! And great tips of others in the comments too! I have applied the starter motor one due to a broken clutch cable until we could fix it with half of the village helping out! Great people in Bosnia!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Glad it helped!

[@MeerkatADV]

Yep, never want to have to bump shift a bike to get home. But you just have to do what you've got to do.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Agreed!

[@msims1250]

Thank you my friend! This is a fantastic video! I love mini-tip Monday!

[@HoagesMoto]

Man having to snap a fibre disc and assymetrically load the basket springs is LOOSE but pretty awesome. For those not racing when you next open your clutch cover for any kind of maintenance or inspection - check your clutch spring ID & OD and pack suffcient washers to preload the whole spring set a few mm - no risk of basket damage and will save a ride if you catch a slippage, let the bike cool down and fit them before to much damage is done. Carrying a full clutch even on a remote ride is pretty rediculous for riders that have mechanical sympathy/ understand what heat and continued slippage will result in. Carrying 5-15 choice size washers that might save the day when you don't listen to your bikes warning signs for a weight penalty of ~50g in trip luggage might be a smart move for you or someone else where the terrain/climate/rider warrants it :)

[@paulaus]

I helped a workmate move her VW Beetle with a broken clutch starting on the starter and clutch less shifting plus stall at the lights. Was only a couple of kilometres. I also practise clutches up and down shifting on my bike when conditions are right. But great tip about the plates 👍

[@adrianhandstock10]

As I a school kid, I learnt to ride on Salisbury plain, we had a 1970s Suzuki TS100 with no clutch or front brake. hours of fun, I see you were at Red Horn going back towards, Upavon. PS Hard to blip a throttle without a clutch, gets a bit lurchy.

[@Two-StrokeLife]

Don't carry a fiber plate instead carry a extra metal. If slipping starts double the metal plates (2 metals between the fibers instead of 1) in the center of the pack. Your clutch will operate just like a brand new clutch again. I've ridden hundreds of miles on clutch packs with 2 metals stacked in the center on multiple bikes over the years.

[@XLAdvRider]

I was impressed with Notalee’s riding at Baja Rally

[@BrakeMagazine]

Yeah? I've never ridden with her :)

[@oraldribblesjrakasaliva]

Very well explained. I knew most of this but I learned how to snap the clutch plate. Thanks for that

[@TheDavidGoldmanphoto]

I could see this coming into my head in a pinch someplace in the world. I won't remember where I heard it but I"ll be grateful I did :)

[@BrakeMagazine]

Hopefully so!

[@426john]

Dude , great idea to carry one or two friction plates , well done.

[@426john]

Modern gearboxes are strong , thanks manufactures .

[@totaratree99]

Great solutions. Hopefully never have to use. Cheers from NZ

[@thealvaco]

For sale: Suzuki V-strom 800 DE. Very well maintained, hardly used. Only ridden on sunny days, no offroad. Just broken in! Comes with clutch upgrade!

[@BrakeMagazine]

😂

[@KevinDaken]

Make sure you really understand how your clutch works, and what effect the clutch free-play adjustment has on the cable, and actuation mechanism. In most cases when the clutch starts slipping, re-adjusting the clutch free-play will reduce the slipping. As will letting it cool down.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Absolutely imperative. Great comment

[@thomasrose7713]

Brilliant and technique for the effort here spares spares spares 👏🏻💪thanks and thanks to Itchy boots

[@BrakeMagazine]

Amen!

[@shermanjenne3154]

Very well done !! Thanks for caring

[@Dave-sw2dm]

Noraly carried a spare clutch on her first Himalayan, along with way too many spare parts. Talk about overloaded!

[@edking3427]

A simpler "gimmick" is to come up with some washers to put under the bolts that hold the clutch and basket together to increase the preload pressure on the clutch springs. Maybe she can scrounge them off the bike itself, other vehicles, or carry them around in her pocket for the next time this happens. The CRF300 has a ramp style slipper clutch and only 3 springs. It is reasonably easy to upgrade this arrangement in the 300 with a conventional clutch system.

[@BrakeMagazine]

It’s also a good point!

[@JustMe-dv5ix]

Noraly is welcome at my camp fire any time. She is extreamly brave woman and has road some of the roughest roads and trails they are. In my best days of overe 55 years riding dirt and cross country, I got to admit I would struggle to have went where she has. She is a very special person and even David Attenborough could not have done better of showing us the world, people, we live in and around.

[@BrakeMagazine]

I completely agree.

[@phildivalerio]

You're hired. Finally found my new mechanic.

[@BrakeMagazine]

I wouldn’t trust me to be a mechanic 😂😂

[@cyclopathic998]

Honda CRF 250/300 have lousy baby-sized clutch and to cope with it they put a second adjuster on cable. We salvaged once clutch by sawing off a nut on inline adjuster to increase cable travel, no washers to shim springs were needed.

[@TheGreenlaner]

Never too old to learn , thank you for that information . Always useful in thoughts situations hopefully never to experience. 👌😊

[@Tony-zp8xn]

I like the breakdown and explanation of things. Kind of like watching Bill Nye explain science, or watching Alton Brown explain cooking.

[@woofiooxx]

Excellent advice

[@ashleywright194]

Brilliant video Llel!! Love your work mate. 👍

[@prashantcruise]

1st: I believe when you open the clutch cover you will surely damage the gasket. ( Mostly it's paper-based) 2nd: Start in neutral why play with a clutch switch My new bike clutch wire was loose and I drove 10km without using the clutch ,it's very challenging in traffic but I made it to the service center for a quick fix

[@BrakeMagazine]

1) in this situation it’ll be fine and a lot of them hold up to being opened without damage if you’re patient and careful. 2) so you can use the starter motor to help you start if you need it. Can be really helpful.

[@Gojo_00]

I remember having to do most of this on my FZ-09 when my clutch cable snapped apart.

[@nobodyshero200]

She would need a new gasket as well? Also something to catch the coolant in? So she could put it back in the bike.

[@BrakeMagazine]

There is no coolant coming out and the gasket will be fine.

[@FreeTimeAdventures]

Awesome tips! I have a spare clutch plate already, will definitely be putting that in my kit!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Right on!

[@alexfajardo8809]

Nice explained and demonstrated! Great video

[@stuxttr]

Informative video, hopefully with a well serviced bike I’ll never have to use this information but all the better for learning it. Thanks

[@fred-san]

As a preventive measure clean the glue between the disc pads and polish (better oil circulation) seeing tips on Trial UK forum (if I remenber). I did it on Trial (Beta Techno 250), very smooth cool easy... (Techno was was too brutal, and stalled in 1st gear)

[@bnations2000]

This was a great video to watch. Thank you, and I definitely learned something by doing so!

[@BrakeMagazine]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Kipperbob]

For we who started riding a Honda 50 back in the 80s, no clutch riding is 2nd nature, just a matter of compensation for the extra torque on bigger bikes.

[@philc9305]

I started on an old bike that had a broken clutch and no starter luckily it was a cb Honda 125, it's small size made it possible.

[@munsty1]

One of the better information videos.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Glad you think so!

[@thenorseman2804]

You little bastard, this is what you tell Itchy Boots now, after all she went through with the clutch. Wouldn't it be nicer if you told her this in advance!😁🤣 Fantastic advice with a very well made video mate! I'll take this with me!

[@stavrozinio]

this kind of start got me to service twice when I got my clutch wire snapped. the problem appears when you approach the red traffic light :')

[@tomzn5346]

Great video! Appreciate the comitment and effort.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Much appreciated!

[@NormanF62]

Most of are familiar with riding a fixed gear bicycle. You only pedal the bicycle forward continuously and it will not allow you to coast. That’s disconcerting at first but with practice, it becomes second nature. A fixed gear motorcycle is operated without engaging the normal gears. A sort of kludge to get you out of a jam until you can get a burnt out clutch replaced. The simplest solution when nothing else at hand works. Unlike Noraly, few of us will ever encounter a knee deep impassable mud bath like she did in Liberia. 😮😊

[@WeckforsDiscovery]

Thanks for explaining this problem,!👍

[@scum-scum]

I had my clutch cable snap on my old KLR650, while in motion. Luckily, i was on intercom with my brother, who managed to talk me out of pulling over in the 5 seconds it would have taken. He then proceeded to ride out in front and block off 4-way stops, and scout intersections, so we could time my passing without stopping. Made it all the way home safe, and it was a fun adventure the whole way. We were only 20-30 minutes out of the house, but it took a lot longer when driving careful and trying to make sure you don't have to pull over.

[@BrakeMagazine]

That’s an awesome brother man!

[@scum-scum]

100%!

[@dalailalai6335]

That’s the kind of presence of mind you hope to have in such a situation. Don’t stop! Ever.

[@omegaplumbing]

What I find interesting about itchy boots is sometimes she’s a really proficient rider and then there’s other times she seems to just fall over so I’m not sure what that’s about is it because she has lost endurance during the day or simply click bait?

[@caturlifelive]

My favorite motorcycle content creator

[@BrakeMagazine]

Well that’s high praise!

[@JamesAllmond]

of course Noraly is actually still riding across Africa, Cameroon I believe, as you sit where?

[@BrakeMagazine]

I sit in my desk making a helpful video for people to watch. What are you sitting there doing? Ah, writing unhelpful, thoughtless KZbin comments.

[@NK-dl2nc]

Great idea but if the clutch isn't worn but just glazed from cooking it you aren't helping much other than putting more preload on the clutch. I always baby the clutch off road and if it' gets a bit narley I just dump it and keep the revs up.

[@Flan133]

Brilliant video. Thank you for sharing.

[@doneB830]

I learnt to ride on a bike with a broken clutch cable and got very good at it.( ten year old kid with no money)

[@VeoismMusic]

Leather Shoe Lace... Still allows you to use the clutch as normal for the most part

[@BrakeMagazine]

I just saw this in a comment. I’ve never heard of that!

[@C_R_O_M________]

Where exactly do you place the shoelace? In between friction and metal plates and how exactly?

[@BrakeMagazine]

Maybe wrap the other fibre plate with it.

[@dalailalai6335]

We need more info here.

[@thomasjamesperkins]

Great video Llel (and thanks for the tip of the pizza in Netheravon)

[@BrakeMagazine]

Pleasure. Nole pizza is the best!

[@johndemmink3539]

Excellent video, you explained it all very well.

[@BrakeMagazine]

Glad it was helpful!