DP makes a strong statement of durability and long life with its all-inclusive clutch kits. The company claims all its plates will last much longer than stock components (300 percent longer on the steels!) and clutch fade will be virtually nonexistent.
I love putting product claims like this to the test. So I installed a complete clutch kit (friction and steel plates as well as new springs) in my 2009 CRF250R Long Haul bike-a model known for eating clutches-about four months ago.
If you've read the Long Haul Wrap-Up for the CRF (beginning on page 97), you know that after I installed the DP unit, I forgot about it. I only opened the clutch cover on the bike out of curiosity for the rest of the year-the kit worked that well. I didn't love everything about it, though. The pull at the lever went from stock buttery-smooth to a bit chunky and stiffer with the DP unit, so Function takes a hit in the ranking.
Lever feel aside, clutch performance out of the DP unit was far better than stock. I purposely abused the pack throughout track days and during starting drills and it simply shrugged off the abuse. This photo was taken after I pulled it out of the bike.
The $204.95 DP clutch kit comes in a handy plastic box and is ready for install with no pre-soaking required. I'm using the cool box now to store the used DP kit I took out of our '09 CRF-hoping it will fit in the 2010 or I can pass it along to a friend with an older-generation CRF. -Jesse Ziegler
| HARD PARTS |
92.0 |
| Installation |
20/20 |
| Function |
45/50 |
| Durability |
10/10 |
| Design |
9/10 |
| Price |
8/10 |
| www.dp-brakes.com |