The Kawasaki Ridge OEM clutching has changed slightly over the years and we wanted to outline this in a quick article. The most notable change is the bearing clutch for the 2025 Crew models, and all 2026 models. This clutch includes a bearing that the belt rides on at idle. This is the normal thing to do in the UTV world as it allows you to run the belt tighter, so you have less slip to start with.
Note: All of our current clutch kits, overdrive covers, and belts work on 2024 to current models as none of these changes have impacted these items.
The non-bearing clutch found on the 2024 Ridge and 2025 regular cab models is an odd choice by Kawi. This design is used mostly on snowmobiles and other vehicles with much less weight. The primary clutch must engage, make up the belt slack, then it will finally engage the belt and transfer the power. This is not ideal and while I admit it worked better than I expected it to, it’s still not the best. Upgrading to the bearing clutch is the best route if you are having issues with belt slip at or just past the engagement point.
For 2026 Crew models, Kawi changed the primary clutch to have 130g (more) clutch weight for more clamping force off idle, which will lower overall RPM, but the profile of the weight is still the same. This weight ramp profile is not good as it’s too flat with a dip in the center. The secondary helix angle was also changed in what looks like to reduce shift out which is a good thing to help belt grip, and to combat the heavier weights so you don’t lose so much RPM.
The 2026 standard cab models now have the primary bearing and the same 122 gram weights found in the 2025 crew. This is a good upgrade, but again, it’s not a great fix as our clutch kit will still smooth out engagement, and better power, or lower cruising RPM depending on how you set our arms up.
Some have said the 2026 clutches have an improved ratio. We have noticed no measurable differences in shift out with the 2026 primary clutch we have in our possession and run on our Ridge. Our overdrive cover is still a great option.
See our Ridge products here: https://aftermarketassassins.com/products/ols/categories/kawasakiridge
See the comparison chart below:
