FULL REVIEW – ALTRIDER CLUTCH ARM EXTENSION KIT

During a fun telephone conversation with Martin LeBreton of AltRider, he mentioned a product I was wasn’t aware of. Namely, their Clutch Arm Extension kit. After he explained how it worked my interest was tweaked and I agreed to install and review one. These were initially designed to give added clutch control off-road and listening to others who’ve used them, they seem to do exactly that. But that wasn’t really what interested me as I currently mostly tour on my T700 that is modified for that kind of travel. What interested me most was the softer clutch stroke that should keep my left hand from trying to give up on me over a long 600 mile plus ride..

The kit was duly dispatched from the AltRider’s EU distribution centre in the Netherlands, and it landed at my door 5 days later. As I opened the box I got that familiar feeling. This is nicely made kit! The CNC machining is spot on, as is the powder coating. Everything looks top quality, as I’ve come to expect from AltRider.

Installation
Installation was fairly straightforward although I managed to screw it up twice before finally getting it sorted. The AltRider installation videos are always concise and easy to follow (and for the most part this one was, too) but due to some of the splicing and editing of the video, I found about 1 minute of it a tad confusing and it lead to me struggling to get the arm set up right. Had I been on my A game I’d probably have noticed what I’d done wrong regardless, but after some head-scratching I now have a very usable clutch that’s softer than before and with a larger stroke.

What does it do?
OK, rather than me writing an essay on the physics and mechanical advantage of this part, please watch this video and it will very concisely explain exactly what it does:

How Does It Work In Practise?
OK, here’s my experience. I was able, miraculously, to test this today. The sun was shining, my main vehicle was off the road and I had things to accomplish, so I took the bike out on several trips. Please keep in mind that I mainly use my T700 for touring so I’m approaching this review from that standpoint. However, my background, from the age of 7 (I’m now 57), is motocross and enduro, so I have a good idea where this mod fits into all 3 fields.

With the AltRider Clutch Extension Arm fitted, the clutch is much lighter. So on a 500+ mile trip you’re not going to get as much left arm fatigue as you usually would. That’s the advantage for me! My now 57 year old wrists become tired during a long trip, especially through towns where you’re constantly changing gears. But that’s not really what this clutch arm is designed for; that’s more a by-product.

This mod effectively introduces a much greater friction area. That area is where the clutch engages and effectively disengages the gears. The wider friction area means the pull is lighter, the clutch engagement is much sooner and the re-engagement is later. That makes for a smoother, easier clutch and allows you to toggle the clutch with increased accuracy, although, again, it does take a little getting used to.

With this mod in place, your point of engagement is changed and happens in the first 15 – 20mm of pull. That means you no longer need to pull the clutch lever in all the way; 20mm max will disengage your gears. At a standing stop I found it more difficult to learn. You’re waiting a lot longer for the clutch to allow 1st gear to engage, and that’s confusing to begin with but it doesn’t take long to get used to. Once you’re moving it feels quite intuitive and is a much more relaxed process.

Now, would I want this mod if riding enduro or taking the T700 hard off-road? Yes and no. I’ve ridden off-road for so long that I’m used to where the OEM clutches engage and don’t have a problem with that. If I was younger and fitter I may not also have a problem with wrist fatigue. I think where this mod comes into its own is for either older folks like me who struggle with fatigue or with newer riders who don’t have 5 decades of off-road experience and would therefore benefit from a wider friction zone and a less jumpy response to the clutch movement. It definitely produces a smoother and lighter clutch response, especially at low speeds and in more technical off-road environments.

Any Negatives?
None that relate to the mechanical advantage of this mod, no. But..

– This was the first AltRider install video which I found slightly confusing at times.

– The colour AltRider chose for this part is slightly confusing as it doesn’t really fit with the rest of the engine casing. I’m a photographer and colours are important to me so I’m a tad baffled by this. Had it been the same colour as the engine casing it would have fit in much better, IMO, but that’s hardly a deal breaker.

Conclusion
The AltRider Clutch Arm Extension does what it says it does and does it well. Only you can decide whether it might benefit your style of riding. If you think it might then you’ll receive a quality product which is easily installed, doesn’t cost a fortune and does what it says on the tin. I’ve heard some folks say that it’s a copy of the Camel ADV version. No, it’s not, as this is the only version on the market that currently works together with the OEM Yamaha crash bars and there’s the main difference. I personally really like this mod and I will keep it on the Overland Rider Tenere 700.

Customer Service
I always include this in my reviews as, to me, its incredibly important; the lovely Lyndell, in the AltRider US customer service department, is always amazing, and I can’t speak highly enough of her. Customer service always speaks volumes for any company and AltRider, via Lyndelll, has that down to a “T”, in my experience. I would also mention Jeremy, the AltRider CEO. I had a couple of questions which I emailed to him and, despite his busy schedule, he got back to very quickly and was extremely helpful.

Where To Buy
ALTRIDER EU
ALTRIDER US

A Note From Martin LeBreton – “The design intention was to make an easier clutch pull and a larger friction zone. I know you mention the larger friction zone later on in the article but it almost sounds like an unintended by product instead of the design intent which is discussed in the beginning.”

Update 04/04/2024
It’s been brought to my attention that Camel ADV do now have a Clutch Extension Arm that also works with the OEM crash bars. I guess that version of the Camel product must have come out after AltRider produced their two videos above.

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