[armando_chavez]

so my clutch cable broke a couple weeks back and i let the bike sit n my garage.  got the cable today installed it.  for some reason this cable didnt come with that metal 90 degree bend. 

when i pressed the E start button it wouldnt start.  Kicked it, wouldnt start either. checked my plug for a spark, it was good.  took the old gas out of the float bowl. still no start.

i tried once more for good measure and the loudest noise came from the piston area.  it sounded like a loud metal collision.  like two pieces of metal hitting each other.  I kicked started it once more and the kick start lever kicked back the other way right after the same loud metal noise came.

Could it be the piston hitting something?  i dont want to damage anything hopefully it isnt already damaged. 

before the cable broke it was riding like a dream

[Adrian]

A backfire will produce a horrible clang/crunch noise in the sprag clutch as the crank tries to turn it the wrong way. Not nice, but I get this sometimes if my Electra-X is playing hard to get when starting.

Kick the bike over slowly with the plug out just to make sure nothing is actually wrong in the top end, then clean the plug and kick over with the plug in and ignition off and fuel off to make sure you have compression as normal. I'd also have a good look at the pilot jet to make sure there's no blockage. After that, fuel on, cold start plunger out, kick the engine over a couple of times with the valve lifter/decompressor open, then ignition on and try starting as normal.

It's unlikely that a failed clutch cable would damage the engine, I've had several fail over the last 8.5 years, the last one on Thursday!

Regards,

A.