Hey everyone,

I finished the install of my 103 last night and I love it. We installed a heavier clutch spring and the clutch pull is quite a bit stiffer than OEM. I have nueropathy(nerve pain) occasionally in my hands and may look into putting a hydraulic clutch on it this winter. I was wondering if anyone here has done this and if so how hard was it to install and about what did the cost run you? I am going to be replacing the oem clutch lever for chrome this winter anyway so putting it on at that time makes perfect sense.

 

Lee,

You may want to find someone with the Hydraulic clutch and try it out. Reason I say, when I had my 103 I looked into it for the same reason. The bikes I checked that had the liquid clutch, did not have that much easier of a pull to them. IMHO, not enough difference to justify the cost.

Just a heads up, your mileage may vary.

 

thanks ww1.....I'll look at a cvo and see how they feel. Thanks for the heads up.

 

I installed an HD Hydraulic clutch years ago on my 2000 RK. I can say if you have issues with pulling the stock clutch, the hydraulic clutch offers only a little advantage over the stock clutch for the pre-06 models. Advertised 10 percent reduction - whatever that means. Though I noticed the difference, it is still a relatively heavy pull. On the other hand, I recently replaced the stock clutch spring with the heavier SE spring and did not notice any appreciable increase in the pull from the stock spring.

You can install the clutch yourself. No special tools. It will require that you remove the clutch release cover and the clutch inpsection cover on the primary side. The system replaces the stock clutch push-rod and components and the clutch release cover and adds the hydraulic lines and reservoir. You will need to loosen or drop the exhaust for full access to the clutch release cover. Give yourself a few hours to install and bleed the system.

There is no adjustment to the hydraulic clutch except to bleed it. As a result, you cannot adjust the engagement zone. Some guys have issues with how hydraulic clutches engage. I have to pull my lever fully in at stops. However, it engages almost immediately off the grips from a full stop. Shifting between gears is quick as well. However, I am not sure what mechanical advantage a hydraulic clutch will add to the new reduced effort clutch that is stock on the post-06 models like yours.

 

I rode a 2010 VROD at a dealer demo recently. It has a hydraulic clutch. The pull was no more than my 09 Ultra and maybe a little lighter, but the engagement was just awful. It engaged right at the end of travel on release. If you do any slow riding, there is virtually no way to find a friction zone with that thing. Don't know if the CVO is better. Good luck.

 

I put an MRC clutch assist ramp on mine .http://www.phaedruscycle.com/ . This has larger ball bearings and ramp angle which reduces the pull. HD tried to copy it but didn't change the ball bearings and used a lighter spring so with the 103 kit your right back to base zero. The Kury Boss Blade Levers have a shorter reach and smoother curve which also helps. Of coarse a good cable lube using the spray adapter to force the lube down the cable will also help. You have to loosen the adjustment nut in the primary as well as the cable adjustments to get adapter on the cable but it should be done every 5k miles and you'd be surprised at the results. Then I also got gloves fr. www.qwigloves.com which also help my old hands. I broke my left wrist a few years ago and use everything I can to help.

 

I installed a hydraulic clutch on my '07. The pull is slightly less effort, but a *LOT* smoother! You also never have to adjust or lube anything associated with the clutch! A big plus if you ask me.

For those with engagement issues, I'd suggest lookin' into how well it's bled. I forget the deflection you're supposed to achieve, but I couldn't get there by bleeding alone. I used an old trick of tying the clutch lever back to the grip enough to open the relief valve in the master cylinder. Let it sit overnight, & the trapped air migrates up to the reservoir. The next morning I had full deflection, & the clutch has been workin' perfectly all year.

Installation is probably one of the easiest you can do. You simply remove the lever, perch, cable, transmission end cover with the ball & ramp, clutch push rod, & the adjuster screw & plate. You replace them with the new lever/master cylinder/perch assembly, the fluid line, new transmission end cover with the slave cylinder, longer push rod, & a new non-adjustable plate. The new plate is held by a "C" clip. No adjuster screw. The most trouble is gettin' the exhaust away from the transmission cover.

The cost is about $500. If you're going to chrome levers & switch housings, do it then.

 

I've installed one on every Dresser I've built, I love em'.I just installed one on my '09 Street Glide. HD doesn't make a complete kit for our bike's so this is what I did. I went into the CVO Ultra part's catalog and ordered the transmission end cover, push rod, chrome lever and the hydraulic line. Because I didn't want a chrome master cylinder I went into the V-Rod catalog and ordered a black master cylinder (it's the same size, 11/16) All bolted up great. If anyone is interested I can provide all the part numbers.
Now, this is important, if you do this there is one more thing you have to do. There is a clutch lock out switch in your left switch housing (this prevents you from starting the bike while it is in gear) You need to change out the switch because it is a normally closed switch on the clutch cabled bikes and a normally open switch on the hyd. clutch bikes. If you don't your bike will only be able to start while in nuetral and not in gear while the clutch is pulled in. What also happens if you don't change this switch out is your security (key) light will go on while riding and your 6 gear light will not function.
I can't say enough about how better this bike now shift's. Way better! The only complaints I've heard from people is that the hyd system is alittle more "abrupt" then the cable but it doesn't take long to get used to. If i can answer any question's for anyone plz shout my way. Rich

 

37137-07 transmission side cover, chrome
38881-08a clutchline asy,brd'd
36819-07 pushrod, hydraulic clutch
36731-91 clutch release plate assy
38744-09 master cylinder assemly, polished lever

 

Now there is one more thing you need to do. And it's important. You probebly read this in my other post. If you notice right now, your clutch lever "close's" the Clutch Lock Out switch located in your left switch housing. What this switch does is prevents the starter to engage if your bike is in gear and you don't have the clutch pulled in. After you install the hyd set up, your starter WILL engage if the bike is in gear and you don't have the clutch pulled in. As you can amagine this can be bad. Not only that but you can only start the bike while it is in neutral. Another thing, if you don't do what I'm about to explain you'll also experiance this. While riding, mostly I found out while on the freeway, the security (key) light will come on and also your 6 gear light will not function properly. This is because everything, including the clutch lock out switch goes through the TSSM module (security, blinker module). When you have the outer fairing off to install the new hyd line, disconnect the connector coming from your left side switch housing. Find the Black/Red wire and the Black wire. If you have a continuity tester, or a multi meter you can go between those wires from the switch housing and pull in the clutch lever (Cabled lever) and you'll hear the switch close. What I did was remove the black wire from the connector so that the switch no longer functions. If you need me to explain how to remove that wire from the connector I'll tell you. You'll need a safety pin. Now throw a piece of tape on that wire and keep it beside the connector because WE will be rehooking it up (I'll explain that in a second) Now reconnect the plug. By doing what i just explain will do two things, one, the starter will not engage if the bike is in gear, the security light will not go on while riding and your 6 gear light will operate correctly. BUT, you can still only start the bike in neutral. Keep that in mind cause if you were to stall the bike say at a stop sign, you need to shift into neutal before you can restart it.
Ok, now to talk about how were going to correct this. If you were to go look at a CVO Ultra which comes standard with the hyd unit, you'll notice that when you pull the clutch in it "opens " the switch. Exact opposite of our cable operated levers. So to me it means one of two things. One, the TSSM module is programmed differantly or two, that the switch on our bikes is a "normally open" switch and the switch on the CVO Ultra is a "normally closed" switch. Or vise versa, I can't remember. But whatever, they have to be opposite of eachother. I have purchased the switch that is in the CVO Ultra (Got the number from the parts manual) 37 bucks, but I have not installed it yet so I'm not 100% sure of the fix. What I have to do is remove my outer fairing, ring out the switch that is in there now and compare it to the switch from the CVO that is still in the box on my bench. This will tell me if the switch needs to be changed out or not.
Man......Did you get any of this??? LOL I'm confused and i wrote it....LOL
I've had one bike on the lift after another latly and havn't been able to get my own bike up yet, but i will in the next couple days and I'll check this out and get back to you. Till then take care and I'll talk to you soon, Later, Rich
P.S. Don't let the above discourage you from the hydraulic unit. It is well worth it. My bike shifts like a dream compared to how it shifted before. And i love the "Fluint" feel of the lever.....