Gear Review: Magura HYMEC Hydraulic Clutch

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

When Honda released the Africa Twin, many riders were disappointed that it did not come from the factory with a hydraulic clutch, like most other liter-plus adventure bikes. Magura answered the call, and recently released their legendary HYMEC hydraulic clutch conversion kit for the Africa Twin. The Magura HYMEC (Hydraulic Mechanical) clutch is lightweight, easy to install, and is a direct bolt-on replacement for your stock clutch perch, lever and cable.

The Magura kit comes pre-assembled, filled with mineral oil and bled, so out of the box it is ready to go once installed. The directions included have great detail and pictures to help walk you through the installation. I ran into a slight issue with how to wire the clutch switch, but after a quick call to Magura, I was able to easily finish the install. The directions also tell you to take off the right-side panel, but I did not find that step necessary, cutting the installation time in half. The process is not much different than replacing a clutch cable and after making a few quick adjustments to the clutch per the instructions and shims provided, I was itching to go for a ride.

Being a hydraulic clutch, I expected a lighter pull when I went out for a test ride, but what I was not ready for was how much more smoothly the Africa Twin shifted. The silkiness of its actuation was incredible, and I could not believe how much cleaner the Africa Twin went through the gears. Add that to the constant pressure point and not having to adjust or replace cables ever again makes this maintenance-free system a top modification for the Africa Twin. The included lever and perch are adjustable to fit different hand sizes and clutch actuation preferences.

MSRP: $299

Magura.com

PROS:

• Smoother shifting
• Ready to install out of the box
• Reduces fatigue
• Maintenance free

CONS:

• Instructions need to be modified (I am told Magura is actively working on this)

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