Harley-Davidson Hydraulic Clutch Kit - Easy Squeezing

We have all been there: Stuck in traffic, pulling on the clutch lever a hundred times until your forearm is on fire, just waiting for the road to open up. It doesn't matter-somewhere or somehow, you'll get stuck. But wouldn't it be cool to not have to work so hard at it when you are stuck? Well, we felt the same way; everyone here at HOT BIKE has to deal with heavy traffic. We live in SoCal, where it seems as if every hour is rush hour-the only thing is, we don't actually rush anywhere. So we wanted to ease up on the clutch hand and install the new H-D hydraulic clutch kit on our '06 Road Glide.

This hydraulic clutch kit is designed to reduce clutch lever effort by up to 30 percent and add a smooth touch to clutch engagement. This easy-to-maintain system uses DOT-4 brake fluid, just like the braking system on your Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The kits (part No. 46448-05; MSRP, $419.95) include a black or chrome clutch master cylinder, polished clutch lever, chrome slave cylinder, and all the necessary installation hardware. We stopped over at Fullerton Harley-Davidson in Anaheim, CA, to get this kit installed as we grabbed a few photos.

1. Here is the new H-D hydraulic clutch kit, which includes a new cover, lever, master cylinder and cap cover, and new hydraulic line. If you don't have stock handlebars, make sure to get the right length, or you may come up short.
1. Here is the new H-D hydraulic clutch kit, which includes a new cover, lever, master cyl
2. To get started, the oil was drained from the trans, and then the old cover was removed. As the oil was draining, the old clutch housing and lever were removed from the bars, and the cable was removed from the bike.
2. To get started, the oil was drained from the trans, and then the old cover was removed.
3. Then the new hydraulic cover with "6-Speed" logo was installed.

4. Next, the hydraulic line was installed into the new cover, and a small amount of thread sealer was applied to the threads to help keep the DOT-4 from leaking and letting air into the system.
4. Next, the hydraulic line was installed into the new cover, and a small amount of thread
5. Then the line was routed along the frame and up to the handlebars. About every 10 inches, the line was secured with a zip-tie.
5. Then the line was routed along the frame and up to the handlebars. About every 10 inche
6. Then the new hydraulic master cylinder was bolted to the handlebars.

7. Next, the lever was installed. As you can see, the new lever has a roller pin to push on the master cylinder's plunger, while the old lever on the right has a plug hole for the cable.
7. Next, the lever was installed. As you can see, the new lever has a roller pin to push o
8. Then the top end of the hydraulic line was installed onto the master cylinder. The kit comes with all new line washers for the banjo-bolt; just make sure that you use the right size: 10mm or 12mm.
8. Then the top end of the hydraulic line was installed onto the master cylinder. The kit
9. The master cylinder was then filled with DOT-4 brake fluid. As the master was getting filled, the lever was pumped to allow fluid to fill the line as well.
9. The master cylinder was then filled with DOT-4 brake fluid. As the master was getting f

10. To speed things up and to ensure that the line was free of any air bubbles, an auto bleeder was used to pull DOT-4 through the line as the master was kept full.
10. To speed things up and to ensure that the line was free of any air bubbles, an auto bl
11. Last thing to check was that when the lever was pulled, the fluid pushed the puck in far enough to engage the clutches. On the primary side, the derby cover was removed. With a dial caliper, you can see and measure how far the clutches are moving; check the H-D service manual for further information.
11. Last thing to check was that when the lever was pulled, the fluid pushed the puck in f
12. There you have it: In less than two hours, we had a smooth-feeling clutch that required 30-percent less effort to use.
12. There you have it: In less than two hours, we had a smooth-feeling clutch that require