Fanning the clutch

    I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what fanning the clutch means or how you do it and what is it suposed to do i mean i've heard of it and stuff but i never really got in to a disscusion about it so i would apreate it if some one could help me. I have been riding only three years

Fanning ???? or Feathering the clutch??

Fanning, feathering, whatever you want to call it. It is when you are usually climbing hills. When you are progressing up the hill and your speed is slowing down, you can "feather" the clutch to keep the engine in the meat of its power. By pulling in the clutch and letting it slip, you allow the engine to pick up some RPM's and then when you release the clutch, you fully engage the clutch and the full power is going to the rear wheel. You do it fairly quickly, but you dont fully disengage the clutch. Think of it like a stress ball. You squeez the stress ball repeatedly quickly. That is what "feathering" the clutch is like. You quickly disengage the cluthc a little bit and release (engaging the clutch again). This slipping of the clutch lets the engine pick up some RPM's like i said before and it keeps the engine in its peak power range. You also keep on the throttle. Dont let off. You usually only do this when you are climbing a hill and you are losing momentum and you still intend to make it up the hill. You can also use the "feathering" method to keep the power on a two stroke under control when you are climbing a loose rockey face. It will prevent the rear end from stepping out due to wheel spin.

Here's what it has always meant to me.

Fanning the clutch is used to bring your RPM's up to give you a burst of power. Pull the clutch in, rev the motor, drop the clutch. Riders on smaller bikes do this more to keep the bike from bogging or worse yet stalling. Or you might see someone do it that just exited a turn in the wrong gear (too high) and they don't want to downshift.

Feathering the clutch has more to do with preventing wheelspin. You pull the clutch in just a little bit to make it slip so the rear tire will stop spinning and gain traction (power is still being driven to the rear wheel)so you can keep a steady throttle and not bog the engine. You'll see people do this off the start, in turns, or just coming out of turns where there is heavy acceleration chop. Youll also see hillclimbers do this too keep forward momentum without letting off the throttle and possibly boggin the engine.

I hope that was enough of an explanation for you.

I think it is hillarious when kids on 85's are in te totally wrong gear and then they pull int the clutch and rev it, then dump it two or three times until the bike gets into the powerband. They would be going twice as fast if they would have just downshifted in the first place.

It sounds so cool though. rev-bog-rev-bog- rev KABOOM!!

So how about one of you posting a more in depth tutorial on fanning and feathering the clutch in the crash and burn forum???

What do you say learn our younger riders how to be a better rider?? Feel free to post other tips as well. This season Ill be having a lot of younger riders in the forum and it would be great if we have a bunch of helpful tips from the veteran  racers/riders.

Hey thanks all i sometimes do that but i never really new that was what it meant

just to let you know though that if you do it wrong or too much you can say goodbye to you expensive clutch plates. i would recommend down shifting but berms do require feathering at times. shifting is a much better safe gaurd.  
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"posting an indepth tutorial in the crash & burn forums"
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can someone tell me how to go up a hill on the gas without doing a wheelie?????????  
KTM 200 EXC

learn how to not use the clutch. then learn when to use the clutch.                   and you on the ktm  do a wheelie  it looks way kewlr than sittin like an old duff. then go faster and jump it.  

how not to use the clutch .... how dumb is that to say.. can you say bent shift forks
DavidS  
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wow  wat ru bitchin about??  bent shift forks??  were does that come from.  fanning and or dumpin the clutch is wat will often cause failure more so than learning how to carry speed or use the right gear. have you ever seen how beefy shift forks are?? they dont "just bend".