I rode a friends 02 KTM 520EXC with a Rev-Loc clutch. I was in Stanley, Idaho just days after the AMA group left, when they did there test of the Rev-Loc clutch. Mike McGowen, former ISDT star raved about it. He certianly sparked my interest.
Mike told me the harder the trail was, the more I would like the Rev-Loc. Therefore I headed straight for a tight, twisty, rutted, rooted, steep trail to see how it works. Mike indicated it takes about fifteen minutes to adapt to the Rev-Loc. I rode the bike for about ten minutes and could instantly see the benefits. I am a AA Enduro rider, with AMA D36 #1 plates in Enduro and Cross Country and CMC #1 in MX. I use my clutch in nearly every riding situation. The thought of an automatic clutch being able to out perform me, intrigued me. I do not think the Rev-Loc out performed my ability to use the clutch, however, it certianly was no worse, amazing! As you twist the throtle it lets the clutch out perfectly every time. Of course it is up to you to make certian your in the right gear. The bike I was riding had the clutch engagement point a little to high. Which can be corrected with washers. It would engage the clutch when the RPM's where still a little bit to high. So you would lose engine braking and coast. You can simply attack a corner and the engine will not stall, with the power of the 520 you can leave the bike in a taller gear, attack the corner and roll the power on. It is a strange feeling at first to aggressively brake for a turn, yet ignore the clutch. Likewise as you approach the apex of the turn and transition from brakes to power you simply release the brakes and twist the throtle and you just rocket to the next turn. It shifts very smoothly. I did brake slide it into a couple of turns and it did not stall. I felt at one with this bike within a few turns and could certianly be competitive on it. I ride a 02 Honda CR250. My friend usually rides with Josh, who rides a YZ400. They are pretty evenly matched. I was amazed to see the Rev-Loc bike just walk away from the YZ400 as the trail got more difficult. Before the Rev-Loc the YZ400 would be right on the KTM's fender.
The only problems I could see where when he stalled out on a very steep climb, the bike would roll backwards if he could not get his foot on the rear brake pedal. This is cured with the hand brake. My friend did not install the cable operated hand brake. He wants a hydraulic brake. Which "may" be avalable in the future? I would advise installing the cable brake until the hydraulic option becomes available. The other place I noticed was where he was hung up on a slick root on a steep hill. He was spinning and got more and more aggressive with the throtle and when it finally did hook up it launched out from under him. I believe this was just bad technique, by a tired rider, in a very difficult area. I had run him through several miles of very difficult trail and he was pretty winded. Please note, that he was several minutes ahead of the YZ400 before he got "cleaned off" the bike, by a low hanging limb, on a steep rutted climb. My friend is a Sen. B rider and Josh is a Sportsman "B" rider. There is no question that he is riding much faster than he rode pre-Rev-Loc. He got winded picking his bike up in a very awkward situation, not from riding the bike. You simply do not expend as much energy while riding with the Rev-Loc clutch. I can see huge benefits for aging "A" riders who still want to be challenged by nasty trails but no longer have the stamina. The Rev-Loc will certianly give you the energy to go many more miles each day.
The bike still has a "clutch lever" but it works somewhat different and takes a little getting used to. Basically, if there are no RPM's, motor not running, you cannot pull it. At low RPM's you can pull it. I had no problem and simply rolled right through situations which I would have used my clutch on my CR250. The bike had plenty of power to lift the front wheel for obstacles. I think being aware of your gear selection is very important and how quickly you twist the throtle is a technique one should quickly adapt to.
I need to ride it some more and focus on "clutch slipping" situations such as he was in, or situations like jumping large logs, large rock steps and MX or Cross Country starts. My feeling is that it will handle these situations easily with very little saddle time.
I think any rider could realize benefits from the Rev-Loc clutch. Riders who have not mastered the use of the clutch will see instant improvement. Expert riders will not notice a great deal of improvement until they get tired or get into some really nasty terrain. There is no question in my mind even expert riders will be convinced of the benefits of the Rev-Loc clutch as the trail gets ugly. Even if it does not make one faster, just consider never stalling! I had no problem adapting to the bike and the Rev-Loc clutch. Even though I was on a trail that would require clutch slipping on my CR250, with the Rev-Loc I just motored on. I am very impressed. I would like to try the bike with the hand brake installed. I can see real benefits to getting coordinated with the hand brakes. I would also like to ride a bike with much less HP, like a KTM 200, to see how it works? I have always felt riders should master using ones clutch, but I may need to reconsider??? I would also be curious to ride a YZ250F on a MX track with a Rev-Loc clutch, no stalling! I think it just may work! It certianly would be worth testing.
This bike also had Factory Connection suspension, I know I am biased, as I ride for Factory Connection, but this bike handles better than my CR250! Its soaks up the rocks, roots and stutter bumps like your on a pillow, yet I could slam the G-Outs and it would not bottom. Same with square edge bumps just drive right into them and it just soaked it up without bottoming. I am impressed!
Dave Wood
Fox Racing, Mach 1 Motosports, Factory Connection, Red Line Oil, Smith goggles, Braking and Motion-Pro.
Mike told me the harder the trail was, the more I would like the Rev-Loc. Therefore I headed straight for a tight, twisty, rutted, rooted, steep trail to see how it works. Mike indicated it takes about fifteen minutes to adapt to the Rev-Loc. I rode the bike for about ten minutes and could instantly see the benefits. I am a AA Enduro rider, with AMA D36 #1 plates in Enduro and Cross Country and CMC #1 in MX. I use my clutch in nearly every riding situation. The thought of an automatic clutch being able to out perform me, intrigued me. I do not think the Rev-Loc out performed my ability to use the clutch, however, it certianly was no worse, amazing! As you twist the throtle it lets the clutch out perfectly every time. Of course it is up to you to make certian your in the right gear. The bike I was riding had the clutch engagement point a little to high. Which can be corrected with washers. It would engage the clutch when the RPM's where still a little bit to high. So you would lose engine braking and coast. You can simply attack a corner and the engine will not stall, with the power of the 520 you can leave the bike in a taller gear, attack the corner and roll the power on. It is a strange feeling at first to aggressively brake for a turn, yet ignore the clutch. Likewise as you approach the apex of the turn and transition from brakes to power you simply release the brakes and twist the throtle and you just rocket to the next turn. It shifts very smoothly. I did brake slide it into a couple of turns and it did not stall. I felt at one with this bike within a few turns and could certianly be competitive on it. I ride a 02 Honda CR250. My friend usually rides with Josh, who rides a YZ400. They are pretty evenly matched. I was amazed to see the Rev-Loc bike just walk away from the YZ400 as the trail got more difficult. Before the Rev-Loc the YZ400 would be right on the KTM's fender.
The only problems I could see where when he stalled out on a very steep climb, the bike would roll backwards if he could not get his foot on the rear brake pedal. This is cured with the hand brake. My friend did not install the cable operated hand brake. He wants a hydraulic brake. Which "may" be avalable in the future? I would advise installing the cable brake until the hydraulic option becomes available. The other place I noticed was where he was hung up on a slick root on a steep hill. He was spinning and got more and more aggressive with the throtle and when it finally did hook up it launched out from under him. I believe this was just bad technique, by a tired rider, in a very difficult area. I had run him through several miles of very difficult trail and he was pretty winded. Please note, that he was several minutes ahead of the YZ400 before he got "cleaned off" the bike, by a low hanging limb, on a steep rutted climb. My friend is a Sen. B rider and Josh is a Sportsman "B" rider. There is no question that he is riding much faster than he rode pre-Rev-Loc. He got winded picking his bike up in a very awkward situation, not from riding the bike. You simply do not expend as much energy while riding with the Rev-Loc clutch. I can see huge benefits for aging "A" riders who still want to be challenged by nasty trails but no longer have the stamina. The Rev-Loc will certianly give you the energy to go many more miles each day.
The bike still has a "clutch lever" but it works somewhat different and takes a little getting used to. Basically, if there are no RPM's, motor not running, you cannot pull it. At low RPM's you can pull it. I had no problem and simply rolled right through situations which I would have used my clutch on my CR250. The bike had plenty of power to lift the front wheel for obstacles. I think being aware of your gear selection is very important and how quickly you twist the throtle is a technique one should quickly adapt to.
I need to ride it some more and focus on "clutch slipping" situations such as he was in, or situations like jumping large logs, large rock steps and MX or Cross Country starts. My feeling is that it will handle these situations easily with very little saddle time.
I think any rider could realize benefits from the Rev-Loc clutch. Riders who have not mastered the use of the clutch will see instant improvement. Expert riders will not notice a great deal of improvement until they get tired or get into some really nasty terrain. There is no question in my mind even expert riders will be convinced of the benefits of the Rev-Loc clutch as the trail gets ugly. Even if it does not make one faster, just consider never stalling! I had no problem adapting to the bike and the Rev-Loc clutch. Even though I was on a trail that would require clutch slipping on my CR250, with the Rev-Loc I just motored on. I am very impressed. I would like to try the bike with the hand brake installed. I can see real benefits to getting coordinated with the hand brakes. I would also like to ride a bike with much less HP, like a KTM 200, to see how it works? I have always felt riders should master using ones clutch, but I may need to reconsider??? I would also be curious to ride a YZ250F on a MX track with a Rev-Loc clutch, no stalling! I think it just may work! It certianly would be worth testing.
This bike also had Factory Connection suspension, I know I am biased, as I ride for Factory Connection, but this bike handles better than my CR250! Its soaks up the rocks, roots and stutter bumps like your on a pillow, yet I could slam the G-Outs and it would not bottom. Same with square edge bumps just drive right into them and it just soaked it up without bottoming. I am impressed!
Dave Wood
Fox Racing, Mach 1 Motosports, Factory Connection, Red Line Oil, Smith goggles, Braking and Motion-Pro.
