More bikes come with cable-actuated clutches these days...even machines costing $10K or more. Unless they’re properly maintained, clutch cables can stretch, get gummed up or even break (usually at the worst possible moment). Although more expensive, hydraulically operated clutches have notable benefits, including being self-adjusting and having much lighter lever pulls.

When mated with a capable and reliable platform like our ADVersys, ditching the old clutch cable for one of Magura’s HYMEC hydraulic clutch kits transformed it into an even more friendly and capable all-rounder. On the street, the hydraulic clutch now provides not only a lighter lever action, but also allows smoother, more precise modulation of the clutch engagement. When riding off road, having a lighter clutch lever saves a lot of hand and wrist fatigue from constant shifting.

As an add-on or replacement, Magura clutch kits don’t have many operational drawbacks. As long as they are installed correctly, not much can go wrong. Kits come pre-bled, ready to go out of the box, and have the same great quality found on KTMs, which also use Magura on many of their models.

Magura supplies both highly modifed model-specific (e.g. BMW F800GS which threads into the engine case) and model specific kits (like the one tested here) which are combinations of various universal components. The down side of the model specific universal kits is that they can take some fiddling to install. On the ADVersys, the slave cylinder slid into the stock cable mount on the engine case, so we had to source washers from the local hardware store to space the slave cylinder to the correct pull on the clutch release arm. Following up with Magura we learned the tolerance differences of 4-6mm, which dictates how many washers are needed, depends on the amount fo clutch wear, and that spacing washers are included. Installation is quite easy overall and you'll be sure to have the correct pull, perch and line length for your bike model.

Some built-in adjustability, or threaded rings on the slave cylinder, would be a welcome update but without too much fuss the Magura clutch kit was easy to install and helped make the ADVersys feel like a much more expensive bike. With a street price of around $250, if you’re tired of dealing with stiff or frayed cables, or simply would like a lighter lever action, Magura’s HYMEC hydraulic clutch kit is worth a look. MSRP $299.99 MaguraUSA.com

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