Anyone snap their clutch cable?

[J. Kidd]

Mine popped on Friday. Luckily I was about 0.5 miles from home when it went. I haven't removed it yet to see exactly where or why it snapped. Is this unusual for a 12 year old cable?

And, for the new one, how/what do you guys use to lube the cable?

Thanks.

[paradoxmd]

12 years old? I'd say you got more than your money's worth out of that cable. Cables get old, worn out, and eventually fray. Once enough strands go you'll snap it. They're around 20 bucks - maybe less.

[Sin]

12 years old? I'd say you got more than your money's worth out of that cable. Cables get old, worn out, and eventually fray. Once enough strands go you'll snap it. They're around 20 bucks - maybe less.

yup what he said 12yrs a good long run as for lubeing the cables i use the chain lube and a cable lube tool

[thetable]

I never liked the idea of lubing cables. It is an OK solution to sneak a little bit longer out of a dead cable, but from my experience with bicycles, any lube on the cable always seemed to pull dirt in to the lining of the cable housing. That would in turn eat up the nice slick liner that the cable usually slides in, at which point you have metal on metal friction and wear. Maybe on a motorcycle there is not enough contact with the elements to cause concern. JMHO.

[source]

Suggested maintanance for clutch cable is to check/adjust every 4,000 miles. If the action is hard or stiff when using, it is suggested to attempt to lubricate using an all purpose grease. If that doesn't restore full motion, the cable should be replaced.

I agree--12,000 miles isn't bad for a clutch cable, but I've seen them last much longer. Depends on the frequency of use, riding style, climate & whether it is garaged or not.

When I was younger, I didn't have a garage, so had to store one of my previous kat's under a tarp for the winter outside. It was kept safe from the elements of the cold new england winter, but the clutch & choke cables had to be replaced in the spring.

[amsanders]

i have

I have had clutch cables break in the past. It happens with age

[InvaderZim]

I busted one. Once I had that new one in and realized how stiff the old one was in comparison, however, I didn't mind the change!

[The CyberPoet]

I have your replacement clutch cables here, if you need one. Cheap and ready to ship out immediately... could be on your doorstep by Friday

Generally, many bicycles tend to have exposed cable runs, where the center of the cable is open-air exposure and only sheathed at the ends where it bends (e.g. from the controls to the frame, etc).

Motorcycle cables are virtually always fully sheathed (you have to go back to early 1940's bikes to normallly find open-run cables), and lubing, or more accurately rinsing away contaminants with fresh lube (esp. displacing water) is always a good idea. That said, I don't tend to lube my cables regularly either [maybe once a year?], simply replacing them if they get sticky or go bad. 12 years is more than a reasonable lifespan for a bicycle cable, much less a motorcycle cable (since the motorcycle usually sees far more mileage and more vibration in the same time).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[J. Kidd]

Follow Up:

So, I ordered the clutch cable from a dealership I trust about 3 miles from home (sorry, Cyber...didn't know you dealt in EVERYTHING - I'll check with you first next time).

So, 3 days later I got a call from them telling me my throttle cable was in...WTF?!?! I stopped in, viewed the fische with the guy and made sure they ordered the CLUTCH cable this time (and they sent back the throttle cable).

So....3 days after that, they call telling me my clutch cable is in. I pick it up and immediately get to work on the bike. Upon pulling the cover off the clutch, I realize my entire clutch cable is still good. Not broken at all. What IS broken is the bracket on the clutch release lever that holds the end of the clutch cable!!!! The metal bracket just snapped. I saw no evidence of anything else wrong in that area (ie. wear patterns, debris, etc.). So, ordered a new clutch release lever assembly. Figure I'll put the new clutch cable on since I have it and most of the work (other than stringing the new one) is done. I'll keep the old one hanging downstairs for a spare.

I did a quick search online and apparently this type of failure is more common that I originally thought.

[md86]

Yeah , seen it before . Mine I've lost one of the bolts that holds the lifter mechanism in place , but not snapped the bucket . So now I check THAT before ordering new cables .

[J. Kidd]

Follow Up:

OK,

Installed the new clutch release lever (along with new spring) and did put the new clutch cable in as well - figured 'what the hell', I already had it and had the bike apart. The old clutch cable is still in good shape (no frayed strands or anything) so I'll keep it for a spare in case the new one lets go.

I did the plugs, too, since I had the tank loose and they were due mileage-wise. They were in perfect shape after 8k miles. The gap was still right on and their color was ideal. I could probably let them go longer next time. At least I have the piece of mind that the carbs are tuned correctly.

Very smooth action and the lever really POPS back in to place. It's good to have her driveable again

I also got some piece of mind because I was able to do a visual inspection of the front sprocket (which I replaced over the winter) and everything looked good there. Seems I didn't screw that up!

[PCastilloSR281]

Hey sorry to bring up an old post, but I had the same thing happen to my clutch cable and I just went and orderd a new cable. I was wondering if the whole thing comes as a whole assembly with the screw that goes into the lever or not?

[md86]

Yup . Cable comes with screw part .

[AP Crimson]

Snapped mine recently, too. Should be getting the new one tomorrow.

I couldn't find a How-To on replacing the cable. I'm not exactly the most mechanical person, and am new to the world of motorcycles. Does it involve much?

[katman05]

Download a manual here http://www.katriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13439 it will show you how to go about it.