Cycle News Staff | September 26, 2019
Since 1893, nearly as long as modern machines have been in existence, Magura has been building innovative touch points that connect humans to hand-operated machines. Their Hydraulic Clutch Conversion Kits (HYMEC) are available for a wide range of motorcycles that come stock with cable-operated clutches.
The Magura HYMEC Hydraulic Clutch Conversion Kit makes it easy to convert your cable-operated clutch to hydraulically operated.
Since retail price point is often the driver for components that end up on motorcycles, manufacturers of the CBU (complete built unit) can achieve their desired price point by using components that are less expensive to manufacture. Using a cable-pulled clutch is one way to do that. But the good news is, if you own a bike with a cable-pulled clutch, chances are Magura has a HYMEC system to easily convert your ride to a hydraulic clutch. One of the main advantages of a hydraulic clutch is the easier clutch pull, which results in less fatigue and allows for two-finger and—for most people—even a one-finger clutch pull and a consistent pressure point for better control. Additionally, no adjustments are ever needed once the clutch is installed. Magura takes it a step further by using mineral oil, which doesn’t draw in moisture and never needs to be changed; plus, if something were to happen and the oil leaks out, mineral oil will not damage the paint.
Standout Feature of the Magura HYMEC Hydraulic Clutch Conversion Kit:
Easy, consistent clutch pull and no maintenance.
Not much to it.
Rider Analysis of the Magura HYMEC Hydraulic Clutch Conversion Kit
The HYMEC system is “plug & play,” so it’s ready to install right out of the box. All that’s required is to remove your old cable and perch. We installed ours on a Honda Africa Twin and started by removing the cable from the lever and the clutch housing, but before pulling it out, we zip-tied and duct-taped the end of the OE cable to the end of the HYMEC slave cylinder to avoid removing all of the fairing parts. This worked for us, but your install may be different. The good news is that the Magura instructions are well written and easy to follow. We found the install to be very easy.
After double-checking the clearance at the slave cylinder to ensure that we had 4–6 millimeters of clearance, we were ready to test the device. At first we didn’t think it was connected to the clutch at all—it’s that easy to pull, but once we fired up the bike to check the engagement point, we realized that it was, in fact, working properly and that we had just made a dramatic improvement to our bike’s operation. In addition to the super smooth pull, one of the things that make the Magura HYMEC system so nice is the craftsmanship of the lever itself. First of all, it’s adjustable, so you can set the distance to the handlebar to suite the size of your hand. Second, the lever feels soft to the touch, which sounds crazy since it’s metal, but it’s so smooth and nicely made versus the stock lever that’s boxy and harsh on your fingers. Riding with the HYMEC is a joy. It’s so easy to pull that it takes some getting used to, but after an hour or so of riding, we were on the phone with our Magura rep to see if he’d send us a HYMEC system for all of our bikes. We’re sold on this upgrade, and for just $299, it’s worth every penny.CN
List Price: $299
For more information, visit www.magura.com
