Hinson and Rekluse offer CNC-machined aluminum clutch baskets for Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, but not for KTM, Husky or GasGas. The steel basket concept has been used on KTMs since 2012, and it has been so successful that even the factory KTM/Husky/GasGas race teams use the stock clutch baskets. Aluminum isn’t as strong as steel, which meant that the aluminum basket had to be bigger than the new steel basket. The 2022 and prior-model YZ450F clutch baskets were made out of aluminum, with the steel primary gear riveted onto the basket. Yamaha is the third Japanese manufacturer brand to follow in KTM’s footsteps, but beat Honda and Kawasaki to the punch on the steel upgrade.
Now, with the new 2023 YZ450F, Yamaha has not just gone hydraulic, but adopted KTM’s steel clutch basket (with the primary gear machined into the back of the basket) and jumped on the Belleville washer bandwagon. When KTM went to hydraulic clutches and were joined by Husqvarna, GasGas and eventually Honda and Kawasaki, Yamaha stuck with cable actuation. When critics, like MXA, complained about the backward-facing engine, they stood firm. When KTM, Honda and Kawasaki switched to air forks, Yamaha stayed with its Kayaba SSS spring forks. Force from the inner pressure plate’s springs on to the clutch’s fiber and steel plates are what actually connects the rotating inner hub and outer basket to drive the rear wheel. When the clutch is disengaged, the basket rotates based on the speed of the crankshaft, and the inner hub rotates on the speed of the rear wheel. The inner hub and the basket both ride on the same axis of the transmission however, they aren’t connected. The clutch serves an important role in the motorcycle, as it takes energy that’s been generated in the combustion chamber and connects/disconnects it to the transmission. To create a smoother engagement, they replaced the six coil springs with a Belleville washer spring.
The change from 2022’s aluminum clutch basket with a primary gear that is riveted on to a one-piece steel basket/primary gear combo for 2023 helped Yamaha drop weight, reduce overall size and increase durability.
Last year’s Yamaha YZ450F clutch (on the left) and the smaller and lighter 2023 YZ450F clutch (on the right).
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