Using the clutch on a 125cc?

Question

This is my first season nd I ride a 1995 125cc motocross bike. I'm going to be honest, I barely ever pull in the clutch to give me any sort of boost from corners, only when changing gears. Everyone says you must use the clutch like crazy on a 125, but i'm not yet and am trying to get it into my head when to do so.

I have noticed coming out of some corners even in 2nd I am bogging down, when others u talk to say they fly thru it in 2nd or even 3rd! This has surely gotta be down to using the clutch in the corner.

So when should I be pulling in the clutch in corners on my 125? Say I approach a corner pretty fast in 3rd gear but it wud bog down on me if i didnt pull the clutch in, how would I solve this then to get the boost out of the corner and not have it bog down as much?

ta

Answer 1

personally, i only ever use the clutch for starts and only occasionally in corners, just keep it wound up in as low gear as poss in corners also back brake is only a steering aid.

Answer 2

try this brosef:

pull the clutch just before you go into a corner, as soon as you start to accelerate let go, this works like a treat

Answer 3

My son use to use the clutch soooooo much in corners that...When I took him to a 3 day moto-camp they watched him ride for half day and pulled him off to the side and removed his clutch lever...He had to ride the rest of the moto-camp without it...He would have to start the bike and push it a little and pop it in gear to go do his laps...

Sometimes! you have no choice but to clutch it a little in corners.

You need to carry more speed into the corners...Break later and come in a little hotter..Don't let the bike come off the pipe..You can learn to still have the throttle on just enough while breaking that the RPMs will stay up enough to not bog..

Outside elbow up...weight the outside peg and keep the throttle on...That way you wont wash-out....

Practice!!!!!!! you can win races in corners.....Most important thing you will learn in racing is CORNERS...

Answer 4

Like the answer above said, you just need to learn how to carry more speed into and through the corners. Are you correctly using the berms or trying to square off the corners? You need to ride those berms on a 125 and keep it screaming. When you are bogging coming out of a corner you just slip the clutch, not completely pull it in and then drop it. You know at what RPM range your bike starts to fall off of the powerband, so by slipping the clutch you can always keep the RPM's above that point. Keep just your middle or middle and index finger on the lever going into the corner, as soon as the RPM's start to drop start slipping the clutch a bit until you are out of the corner, but just enough to keep the RPM's up.

Answer 5

Jumping for show. Corner for dough. Come in to the corner fast and keep it on the pipe. Feather the clutch out, and you're gone.

Answer 6

Because 125's are relatively low powered you will best results by riding the clutch like crazy, i.e. whacking the throttle wide open on leaving a corner and letting the clutch slip without engaging fully. Warning! You will go through clutch plates like nobodies business but it does work!