Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Iron Barrel => Topic started by: Ice on December 31, 2010, 04:08:09 am
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I had three clutch cables fail at the transmission end in one 1,800 mile period.
The problem in my estimation was one of tolerance stack up, meaning the cable ends were sized and shaped just a tad up from spec and the clutch arm cable slot was not chamfered enough if at all.
When the cable was pulled, the cable end could not rock enough in the clutch arm slot and all the stress of flex was applied to the very end right at the lug.
A few minutes with a hand file to radius the lug shoulder into a more hour glass shape and a little relieving on the clutch arm improved things dramatically allowing the end lug to pivot in the arm.
It's been over 4,500 trouble free miles since performing the mod so I think its o.k. to post about it now.
Before and after pics below with the modded parts in between.
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Good job Ice! Not familiar with the workings in that part of my bike yet but i will look in to it if needed.
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That lift mech. is from a five speed box, I think, and it was prone to the problem that Ice's adjustments have solved. If you have the older 4 speed box, then clutch lift is via a vertical spindle with a long actuator arm, to provide mechanical advantage, and a short lift arm with screw and nut adjuster to push on the clutch lift rod. The length of the actuator arm provides a gentler radius of movement, so it doesn't tend to stress the cable end like the later 3 ball and ramp arrangement.
However, it would be well worthwhile eliminating any burrs or poor finish on the cable nipple, or what it engages with, whatever model of box you have.
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It's four years on now with well over 20k miles on the same cable and no troubles since the mod.
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I HEARTILY endorse this mod.
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Thanks to Ice, I did this mod to the Harris Scrambler at 18,000 miles and now at over 35,000 miles, same cable and no troubles. That's over 17,000 miles on the same cable. I highly recommend this modification, it works!
Royal Enfield people are good people
Cheers,
Bill
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I had a clutch cable break the first summer I had my bike. At about 6000 miles. But mine broke at the other end at the hand lever.
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Cross linking for the good of the order.
Photos by Tarnand are better than my own and can be seen his thread.
https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php/topic,21846.30.html (https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php/topic,21846.30.html)