[spooka]

Hi Guys,

Spooka here writing in from the Ivory Coast! I was hoping to tap you guys for some tips!

After about 24,000km's of Europe and West Africa the stock clutch cable has decided to let go today. I tried to replace it on the road with a spare that I was carrying. But, given that I've never done this before and am a complete mechanical greenhorn I had some issues...

The pack from Hitchcock's came with cables in plastic sheathes but no instructions, so I improvised. I clipped the end off one of the cables and slid it out of it's own sheath (does this sheath serve a purpose!?) and through the existing cable conduit still in place. All good, but then there was no way (that I could see) to affix the connection to the pivot at the transmission end. The thing was just sliding up and down the cable. The crowd that had arrived had some choice recommendations, all involving some terrible bodges, but I was convinced that there was a better way and that I just wasn't seeing the solution.

After sitting on my hands for an hour I had no solutions. Just frustrations. So, in the end, I bodged it by putting a kink in the cable at the transmission end after the "stopper" to hold it in place and stop it sliding and then tied a knot. Photo's of the bodge attached for your consideration and amusement. It's the gold piece, the "stopper" that I can't affix...

So, what was I actually meant to do to do a proper job? Find a welder or a solder? Or was there in fact a solution there somewhere to make the "stopper" sit still without having to result to bodges?

Any help (especially the quick variety!) would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks again guys,
Spooka

[suitcasejefferson]

Not sure I understand. You actually cut one of the ends off the cable? Both ends are requires to install the cable. They are what holds the ends of the cable in place, one end in the clutch lever, the other end in the clutch linkage on the left side of the engine. At the end that attaches to the engine, there is a rubber accordion  boot, and a threaded section with 2 nuts, which are used to hold the engine end of the cable in position and to adjust it. My cable does not have a "sheath" just a standard stranded inner cable, and a spiral wound metal outer cable covered in plastic. If you actually cut the cable itself, you will need a new cable.

[spooka]

Hopefully it will be more clear when I can upload photo's, but right now "computer say's no". Gotta love African internet...

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, I did cut the cable. Look's like it might have been the wrong choice! But, luckily I have a spare of the spare... I'll try again to get the photo's up!

[spooka]

Top view of bodge

[spooka]

Side view

Sorry for the size of the files, it wont work any other way for now!!

[spooka]

Picture of my spare, spare cable i.e. what it looked like before I had at it!!

[Craig McClure]

Hey Spooka, You pretty much RUINED that cable when you cut it. You should have used the entire cable & casing to replace the old cable & casing. Once they are cut they can be re-soldered, but it will be shorter, as the cable needs to go through the end piece and then be soldered to be strong enough. The casing would need to be shortened equally as well.
  Your best bet is to just get another cable, & read up on any operation you intend to perform ahead of time. Here is a good rule to follow in machinery repair: DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING, DO NOT ALTER ANY PART, IT IS MADE TO BE REPAIRABLE WITHOUT CUTTING, GRINDING, OR HAMMERING.
  It IS possible that a skilled mechanic can repair the cable you cut, If you can find one who will agree to do it (liability is involved). Get a good book on basic motorcycle repair. Good Luck.

[suitcasejefferson]

Ok. I get it. Yes you need a new cable. The end you cut off goes into a slot in the fitting that you have it tied to. It looks like the rest of it, at least on the engine end, is installed properly. You will notice both ends look the same. One fits into a slot in the clutch lever, the other fits into a slot in the fitting on the engine. You then use the 2 nuts to adjust the free play on the clutch lever. With them loose, you can slide the cable back and forth inside the fitting on the engine, then tighten the nuts when you get it right.

[mattsz]

On the clutch cable on my 2011, the ends are not the same.  The handlebar end has a large barrel-shaped lug, and the "engine" end has a smaller knob to fit in the clutch lever.

Spooka, to replace the cable, you replace the whole black housing, not just the interior cable.  It's pretty easy - it's a good clear lead through the headlight nacelle and down to the clutch.

Glad you have another undamaged spare!

[spooka]

Thanks Craig and Suitcasejefferson and Mattsz. I figured as much that I'd botched it! Bummer. I sat looking at the cable for a good hour or more before I decided to make the cut and then another hour or so trying to figure out how to hold the stopper in place without making a further bodge. It wasn't a brash decision but one made out of necessity of the moment, I was on the side of the road in Africa!

I'm afraid I'm still not understanding the installation instructions though. Pardon my thickness if it's obvious! I understood that one of the cylindrical metal hunks went into the clutch handle, no problems there, but the other hunk wouldn't fit through the section where the nuts are and also wouldn't fit into the pivot where the final connection was made. It was just too big and I couldn't figure it out, hence the cut!

Not to mention that the spare cable doesn't come with it's own section where the nuts are for adjustments, which leads to the conclusion that you have to re-use that nut section, but how can you do that with a big metal cylinder attached to one end of the spare cable!? I'm still baffled!

Any advice on how to deal with the metal cylinder on the transmission end would be awesome! Thanks again guys!

Cheers,
Spook

[suitcasejefferson]

First of all, make sure you have the right cable. If you do, it will fit. The cable for your bike definitely includes the threaded section, and looking at the spare cable for my bike, the ends ARE different. The cable you posted the picture of looks more like a throttle cable.

[Craig McClure]

Hey, on the transmission end of my cable, the threaded nipple is made onto the cable & isn't removable. This threaded nipple & cable end will fit through the anchoring loop on the engine case (the adjusting nuts will slide over the cable end to take off & on), then the cable end will slip into the slot in the stirrup shaped bracket on the engine clutch lever. if you remembered to put your nuts on the new cable - adjustment of the cable tension is the last step, the nuts are to hold it in place after adjusting tension..

[mattsz]

Good point - do you have the correct cable?  Here's a quick, crummy computer-photo of my cable ends:



"Sideways" barrel at the handlebar end (on the left in the photo), slightly smaller knob end for the clutch end (right in photo).  The  adjustment threads at the clutch end (below the rubber bellows cover in the pic) are part of the housing, and fit as Craig says...

[suitcasejefferson]

Good point - do you have the correct cable?  Here's a quick, crummy computer-photo of my cable ends:



"Sideways" barrel at the handlebar end (on the left in the photo), slightly smaller knob end for the clutch end (right in photo).  The  adjustment threads at the clutch end (below the rubber bellows cover in the pic) are part of the housing, and fit as Craig says...

Yep, that is exactly what I have. I have not replaced one yet, but it looks like a 10 minute job.

[spooka]

Alright it's all starting to come together!

I don't have the correct cable, like you've got mattsz. Installing that baby would have been breeze! So I've made the mistake a long long way back by ordering the wrong kit from Hitchcocks. Woops. All things considered, I'm pretty happy with my bodge effort today, making the most with what I've got, very African!

Tomorrow I'll find someone to solder it on properly or come up with an even better bodge.

Fun and games!

Thanks again guys for all the help and advice, you're all champions to help me out so fast. I'm glad it's all made sense in the end!

Cheers,
Spook

p.s. now to take a closer look at that spare throttle cable...