ARC RC-8 Clutch Perch and Brake Lever

What it is

• Unbreakable memlon levers.
• Billet aluminum clutch perch with a quick adjust wheel.
• Rotating bar clamp for the front brake master cylinder.

ARC is a well known aftermarket company known mostly for their unbreakable levers. They provide levers and clutch perches for a majority of the factory SX/MX teams like Kawasaki, Honda, KTM, Husqvarna, and several others as well as top level off-road race teams. The company produce quite a few different options for levers in compounds of either memlon or aluminum and in short and standard lengths. Additionally, they offer the memlon levers in a smooth or coarse feel. The perches have a wide range in variety too. They come in different levels which also results in a change in price. We tested the RC-8 Clutch Perch Assembly which is the top of the line offering. It’s made of Billet Aluminum and comes with a folding lever, nylon sleeve to allow the perch to rotate in a crash, and a ⅛ turn quick adjust wheel to adjust the clutch. Lastly, it has an external pivot which is claimed to eliminate any up and down play.

How it works

• Clutch perch bolts up very easily.
• Front brake lever required a little machining for perfect fit.
• Clutch pull is very light and the ratio didn't feel abnormal.
• Quick adjust wheel improves the adjustment of the clutch pull.
• Levers never broke or bent after crashing.

We ended up testing the levers and clutch perch assembly at this year’s 24 Hours of Glen Helen on the Yamaha YZ250FX. In a race like that, products are pushed to their limits and the ARC memlon levers and RC-8 clutch perch assembly never faltered. We had quite a few crashes/tip overs that easily could’ve resulted in a broken lever but the they held up to their standards and lasted the entire event. We didn’t even bend a lever which is another common issue. A unique feature that the memlon levers present is if they do get bent, they easily bend right back unlike aluminum ones which are much harder to fix.

Often times aftermarket levers will affect the clutch pull or the front brake feel and not always in a positive way. They will often make the front brake feel spongy and not work as good but the ARC’s keep the same great feel that the stock levers provide. Similarly, we utilized the 27mm leverage ratio clutch perch which is what most bikes come with stock. It didn’t change the feel of the clutch which is a positive since the Yamaha clutch already comes in a likeable pull. Also, we used the slipper clamp for the front brake. It allows the entire master cylinder to rotate on the bars when crashing and can prevent the brake lever from snapping on an upward impact.  

Installation of these proved very easy. The front brake lever slid right into its spot and we had no problems inserting the collar that holds the lever in place. Likewise, the clutch perch mounted easily and since it didn’t take any of the hardware off the stock perch it was like a plug and play installation.

On the YZ250FX, the stock clutch perch comes with a neutral sensor that plugs into the perch which forces you to have the clutch pulled in when you start the bike. However, the ARC assembly doesn’t come with a slot for the sensor to reside in. This wasn’t a problem though. We ended up tying it up to the kill switch wire behind the front number plate and when you’re in racing situations, it’s better to have it unplugged anyways.

One other issue we faced was the brake lever was it didn’t fully return to its neutral spot when released. We ended up having to shave a slight amount of material off the plunger to allow it to go back to its home base. Since the plunger had a little too much material on it, it never allowed the bleed port to fully open and let the necessary amount of fluid into the brake line. But after we fixed this, the lever had a tiny amount of free play and it allowed the plunger to be fully released. It never affected the performance of the brake until we went to bleed them. We couldn’t bleed the brakes properly and it had a little bit of a spongy feel but once we  fixed the piston everything worked great.

Overall, the whole ARC setup is a good purchase for any bike. Whether you purchase the whole set up or just their unbreakable levers, it will pay for itself in the long haul. There’s nothing worse than being at the track or 30 miles away from the truck with a broken lever. Having multiple options to choose from is also a nice addition since they have both the standard aluminum and the memlon levers that are becoming more and more popular. In addition, the replacement parts are available for purchase for the clutch perch so you can replace any part without having to buy the whole setup. Also, everything is priced competitively with other brands while also having a lifetime warranty with all of their levers.