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Writer's pictureRahul Bhargava

Slipper Clutch Explained!

Ever given a thought to how does your favourite motorcycle accessory work? Well, fret not, Just read on!


A Cut-section image of a Slipper clutch assembly

Today, Slipper Clutch has become a very popular track-accessory in sport bikes. I guess, you might have googled, “What is a Clutch?” and I’m sure if you did, you'd know that it serves as a bridge of power-flow between the Engine and the Transmission, and it engages and disengages power flow at your will. Then, what is a Slipper clutch and why is it required?


A Product of grueling Motorsports!


Like Formula 1, most of the technologies that we find in performance motorcycles cascade through motorsports; MotoGP for motorcycles. Slipper Clutch is one of them. It is a specially designed clutch used in sport bikes. It does perform the function of a typical clutch but added to that, it mitigates the effect of Engine Braking on the rear-wheel when the rider downshifts to a much taller gear while entering a corner.

This feature reduces the chances of wheel-hop and provides the rider with confidence and stability to the motorcycle during cornering. Also, it allows the rider to rip some fast lap-times because at the end of the corner the motorcycle is ready to shift up and accelerate. Many superbikes feature a Slipper clutch, this place will fall short to list them all. Slipper Clutch has become so popular that motorcycle manufacturers like Kawasaki and KTM have introduced this technology in sub-400cc motorcycles like KTM Duke 390 and Kawasaki Ninja 300, seeing huge demand from the racing aficionados. If you buy a sport-bike and a slipper-clutch is onboard, you must know how it assists you to ride better.


For more details, see my detailed write-up on slipper clutch -

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