page_title: Clutch
section_title: Motorcycles
hierarchical_section_title: Clutch / Major types by application / Vehicular (general) / Motorcycles
caption_attribution_description: English: A snapshot of a 3D model of a basket clutch. Uploaded to wikipedia with permission granted by the AT CAD Team.
context_page_description: A clutch is a mechanical device which engages and disengages power transmission especially from driving shaft to driven shaft.
  In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts. In these devices, one shaft is typically attached to an engine or other power unit while the other shaft provides output power for work. While typically the motions involved are rotary, linear clutches are also possible.
  In a torque-controlled drill, for instance, one shaft is driven by a motor and the other drives a drill chuck. The clutch connects the two shafts so they may be locked together and spin at the same speed, locked together but spinning at different speeds, or unlocked and spinning at different speeds.
context_section_description: Motorcycles typically employ a wet clutch with the clutch riding in the same oil as the transmission. These clutches are usually made up of a stack of alternating friction plates and steel plates. The friction plates have lugs on their outer diameters that lock them to a basket that is turned by the crankshaft. The steel plates have lugs on their inner diameters that lock them to the transmission input shaft. A set of coil springs or a diaphragm spring plate force the plates together when the clutch is engaged.
  On  motorcycles the clutch is operated by a hand lever on the left handlebar.  No pressure on the lever means that the clutch plates are engaged (driving), while pulling the lever back towards the rider disengages the clutch plates through cable or hydraulic actuation, allowing the rider to shift gears or coast. Racing motorcycles often use slipper clutches to eliminate the effects of engine braking, which, being applied only to the rear wheel, can cause instability.
caption: A basket clutch
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