alt Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 I need help from you Bulto experts(please)!What is the best way to achieve a one finger clutch operation on a 199?Years ago I used a front brake actuating arm on the clutch to give more leverage(but I'm struggling to get hold of one at the moment!!!)and also backed off the clutch nuts at the expense of clutch slip when pulling a high gear.I can probably rig up a lever system in order to give some mechanical advantage,as I have on my B40 but on the Bult it will be difficult to package it neatly.Any suggestions?Also,is it worth replacing the Bing carb with perhaps a Mikuni?Your replies are appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig10 Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 I'm no Bulto expert but I have really helped the clutch on my Scorpa 125 by fitting this lever - Premium Forged 3-Way Lever + Bracket - here, http://www.racespec.co.uk/rs_shop_final/enter.html, about halfway down the page, it came to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feetupfun Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 If you use Barnett brand friction material clutch plates, the clutch spring preload can be backed off quite a bit further than with the all steel plates before slipping. You may even need to machine the spring nuts shorter so they don't rub on the casing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 One finger operation may never be possible but you can try. Shorten cable (new) so actuation is at a tangent to the pull. Use frontera plates (more of them) and a new cable. Completly remove and grease pushrod ball casing and regrease everything and fit a nipple to maintain grease in the casing thingy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Hi ALT, I also don't think you can achieve single finger clutch operation on the Bult. I use the longer front brake lever arm for the clutch actuation on my Bultaco. In the past, I have used the shorter aluminium lever, cut it in two and made up an extension to re-join the two parts, from a piece of 3/8 sst tubing, suitably shaped with a hammer to match the profile of the lever arm. I last used a Bing carb in 1986 and don't remember if it was ever a problem, had my Bult running very well with a 26mm DellOrto, set up for a PRO except for fitting a 95 main jet and a D34 needle. Since then I made up a reed valve block from a PRO to fit and run the bike with a 28mm Keihin flat slide, there is some power/response improvement but really not significant enough to warrant the hours spent making the reed block housing. If your carburation is fine with the Bing, then I would leave as is. Bye, PeterB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Wouldn't it just be easy to get a bigger finger? Ok, seriously... Are there rules in your area preventing moving to hydraulics? That would probably get the effect you are looking for. I'm able to ride without touching the clutch (99% of the time), but that's the local flavor of sections and rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 (edited) Interesting topic! I actually have an ex-Dabster 340 with an extended clutch lever (right Dabster?). It is fairly silky smooth... however... In the days when guys rode 325 Sherpas every weekend, they didn't use the clutch much, just to put her into bottom gear to take off or change gear on the move! If you get it down to "easy with two fingers" lightness, that should be enough, you shouldn't really need the clutch at all. "Clutching" a bike is a modern technique it all came about when the Mono bikes came on the scene around 1984/85. When I rode the Carlos Bosch "370 Sherpa" at Robregordo, I rarely touched the clutch lever all the two days, honest! See that left hand?...just grip the left hand side of the handlebars with it! Big John Edited November 28, 2007 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest THEDavidBaker Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 I need help from you Bulto experts(please)!What is the best way to achieve a one finger clutch operation on a 199?Years ago I used a front brake actuating arm on the clutch to give more leverage(but I'm struggling to get hold of one at the moment!!!)and also backed off the clutch nuts at the expense of clutch slip when pulling a high gear.I can probably rig up a lever system in order to give some mechanical advantage,as I have on my B40 but on the Bult it will be difficult to package it neatly.Any suggestions?Also,is it worth replacing the Bing carb with perhaps a Mikuni?Your replies are appreciated! You can achieve a one finger clutch operation by fitting a complete motocross clutch. This contains more plates and therefore you can back off the spring tension immensely. Do not shorten the clutch arm otherwise the clutch will drag. I did this successfully on my 340 Bultaco with great success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest THEDavidBaker Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 You can achieve a one finger clutch operation by fitting a complete motocross clutch. This contains more plates and therefore you can back off the spring tension immensely.Do not shorten the clutch arm otherwise the clutch will drag. I did this successfully on my 340 Bultaco with great success. Back off the clutch springs until the clutch lever is light enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 You can achieve a one finger clutch operation by fitting a complete motocross clutch. This contains more plates and therefore you can back off the spring tension immensely.Do not shorten the clutch arm otherwise the clutch will drag. I did this successfully on my 340 Bultaco with great success. Don't think mx plates fit but (as stated above) frontera ones do. Who said shorten the arm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt Posted November 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 To reply to Big John's post:I don't have enough talent in my right wrist to ride without using the clutch!In any case old habits die hard,I've been riding "on the clutch" since I had my first Bult in 1982.My Dad tried hard to persuade me not to!Incidentally,I recall the first time I saw anybody hopping the front wheel whilst using one finger on the clutch-a certain Mr Saunders,at a Stratford trial at Camp.He had just swopped from a 250 to a 340.I remember Wrighty trying to do the same on his 325 Beamish-without success! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt Posted November 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 When I said Beamish I meant Fantic!Any more ideas on getting a lighter clutch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Other than what has been suggested, you're limited to what else you can do really. My old 325 type 92 which my mate now owns, has a completely standard set up apart from the Venhill light cable. It doesn't have any spring adjustment as it has the springs held on by the pins, not nuts so tension can't be altered finitely on those anyway, other than washers under the springs. However, it is set up properly and is easily pulled in using one finger. No slip, no drag, no mods. Levers make a difference, I think it has domino fitted. Cheapo levers may not give a smooth action. What you really need to do is throw the clutch lever away and practise riding without the clutch and use a slow action throttle. The Bult will slug down to nothing on the inertia of the crank weights alone and is very hard to stall. Make yourself do it and sacrifice a few rides by practising it in sections. It will improve your riding no end. You can turn full lock circles in 3rd gear without the clutch on a Bult when you get the hang of it but I doubt you'd need to get it out of 1st on most sections anyway. Clutching unecessarily gets you into more trouble than it gets you out of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Absolutely, but if the front starts to wash away on a turn pulling in the clutch stops this, try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofasttim Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 My Dad tried hard to persuade me not to! My old man used to hit me on the knuckles with a stick if he saw me touch the clutch in a section. Apart from that he didn't pressure me at all. Really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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