MXA TEAM TESTED: RENTHAL GEN2 DIRECT-FIT INTELLILEVER

WHAT IS IT? Renthal has refined their Intellilever design once again—this time by creating a clutch lever that fits directly to the OEM (stock) perch. It’s less expensive than their complete clutch perch and comes in a wide range of leverage ratios.

WHAT’S IT COST? $89.95.

CONTACT? www.renthal.com or (877) 736-8425.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the Renthal Gen2 Direct-Fit Intellilever.

(1) Idea. Renthal took an alternative approach to developing an unbreakable lever with their original Intellilever design. The lever blade was attached to the base with a steel cable and kept taut with a spring. It was an excellent idea but looked more like Frankenstein’s monster than a Ferrari. Much to our excitement, Renthal trimmed the fat with the second-generation Intellilever (called Gen2); however, Renthal only offered the clutch as a complete system—lever, perch and on-the-fly adjuster. At $184.95, it was expensive. Thankfully that’s no longer the case, as the England-based company now sells the Direct-Fit clutch lever for nearly $100 less.

(2) Installation. If you know how to change a stock clutch lever, then the Renthal Gen2 Direct-Fit Intellilever will be a breeze. A rubber shroud is included and prevents dirt from entering the pivot joint or cable-receiver slot. Brembo and Magura hydraulic clutch owners will find installation slightly more extensive, but any backyard mechanic with post-Industrial Revolution tools can get the job done.

(3) Leverage ratio. The big knock against the Gen2 Intellilever was that Renthal didn’t offer various clutch-leverage ratios. Instead, they utilized a Honda-spec ratio, which worked well enough on a Honda but burned up our other brands’ clutches in short order. Renthal addressed our complaint by matching each leverage ratio exactly to the OEM lever. Bravo!

(4) Performance. We’ve never broken a Renthal Intellilever, and this streak continued with the Gen2 Direct-Fit. In a crash, the lever dislocates and rotates without breaking. After the crash, the lever can be popped back into place. On a few occasions we had to direct the blade back into the housing, which generally took little effort or time. Most testers liked the feel of the blade, and we didn’t burn through any clutches on our test bikes.

(5) Options. The Renthal Gen2 Direct-Fit Intellilever is available for all popular moto brands. The clutch blade is black anodized, while the base is silver. As previously mentioned, Renthal offers this technology for Magura and Brembo systems.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? We have two minor complaints: (1) Some testers didn’t like the square-edged feel of the blade. (2) The blade wouldn’t always immediately snap back into the proper position in the receiver joint.

The Gen2 Direct-Fit Intellilever is an insurance policy that provides peace of mind in the event of a crash. We rarely test a product that we can’t seem to break. The Intellilever is on that short list.