New Yoyodyne Clutch for my R3

I just couldn’t resist and had to install a Yoyodyne slipper clutch on my new R3. Why? Well, this bike will be a track only bike and I also wanted to replace the detent spring, so I figured that I’d combined both of these modifications in a single project. Don’t judge… I love gadgets but, I also like to optimize my time.

The purpose of the detent spring

A stiffer and more robust detent spring is needed to improve shifting on the R3. It’s no secret that false neutrals are a common occurrence on the R3. A stiffer detent spring is one easy way to help with this challenge. If the problem persists, I will proceed with the transmission undercutting but for now, I am hopeful that the detent spring will be sufficient.

I’ve heard/seen discussions about the R3 dropping a gear on its own but haven’t experienced this yet (I only rode the bike for a few 100kms). I am hopeful that the detent spring and better quality barnet springs that come with the Yoyodyne clutch will help alleviate this challenge. Making sure that your quick shifter is properly “tuned” will also help… Gears must be properly aligned before you open up the throttle and start the power transfer.

The ultimate solution to resolve the false neutral and gear dropping would be to undercut the transmission but this it a lot more work and I will definitely need some help from a professional to venture in this area. Hence why I’ve chose the detent spring and clutch combo as a first step in resolving this flawed behaviour from Yamaha.

The purpose of the slipper clutch

The slipper clutch allows you to focus on your riding instead of trying to control the bike. Yes, I am oversimplifying and some of you won’t be in agreement with this statement. Sorry to all the Yoyodyne Engineers!

Let me explain why I am saying that. When you are on the race track and you are transitioning from a long straight to a tight corner, it’s not unusual to drop a few gears before attacking that turn. The slipper clutch will reduce engine braking and consequently reduce over engine revving causing rear wheel bouncing.

Tools and material required

• Bike stands – it’s a lot easier to do this work if you have a rear bike stand.
• Oil pan
• Zip ties
• Grease
• Red and Blue thread locker (Yoyodyne recommends Green)
• Oil and coolant – you’ll need to top off the liquids once you are done this project!
• Paper towel / shop towel
• Clutch holding tool
• 8mm, 10mm, 27mm sockets + wrench
• Impact drill (alternatively you can use a breaker bar)
• long nose pliers
• Torque wrench
• Flat head screwdriver and/or small cold chisel with hammer
• 2 * 12mm wrenches
• micrometer (I didn’t show this during my video, but you should check the clearance between the pressure plate and the clutch hub)
• I didn’t have to replace the gasket, but if your bike is older a than a year, I’d recommend a new gasket part #: 1WD-E5461-00-00
• Detent Spring from Spears Enterprise – YAMAHA R3 DETENT SPRING HEAVY DUTY
• R3 slipper clutch from Yoyodyne Part #: T22703

Complexity Level

I must admit that the first time I did this, it was a bit intimidating, the instructions were not super clear and I didn’t know what to expect. If you take your time and you have all the tools, it’s a fairly straight forward project and it can be done within 2-3 hours. Mechanically inclined folks will be able to wrap up everything under 90 minutes.

On a scale of 1(easy) to 5(complex), I am rating this a 3.5.

Watch the full video