K75 clutch cable replacement

[TriSpark]

So this happened.....our inquisitive Honda Service Writer at work was looking at my Brick last week while I was away, and managed to break it.  It was parked on the side stand, with the stand retractor engaged. He was wondering why the clutch was so hard to pull in, so he pulled harder and harder until....SNAP !

What a pain in the bum.....I was stuck at work and had to borrow a Ducati Multistrada to ride home. Life is SO hard sometimes.......New clutch cable is on the way from Max BMW, and he'll be paying for it. On the bright side, it's better it broke while parked up than at high speed on the highway, and after 104,000 miles I suppose it has had a pretty good service life.

I've never replaced the clutch cable on a K bike before, so any tricks or tips to it?

[Chaos]

Can't be done, you'll have to keep the Multistrada  :clap:

[Martin]

First remove the cable from the lower arm, pry back the arm with a large screwdriver and disengage cable end. Do not let the arm snap back, let it return gently. Remove the lever and disengage the cable, attach the lower end of the new cable to the upper end of the old cable with insulation tape. Gently pull the cable through if it snags, pull it back a bit and try again. Once it is in remove the tape and reattach at the top, and grease the nipple and lever. Pry back the clutch arm with the screwdriver and reattach the cable. Adjust the cable to the specifications in the manual. While your there you might want to install a grease nipple to the clutch arm. Greasing allows you to push out the road crap and keeps water out.
Regards Martin.

Clutch grease nipple 2.jpg (41.2 kB . 768x576 - viewed 1573 times)

[TriSpark]

Thanks Martin! That would certainly be easier than taking the tank off to get access to it.

[RobP]

I just did the clutch cable on my K100RS.  I removed the plastic panel around the handlebar lock and cut one tie-wrap behind the battery cover.  Disconnected the old cable at both ends.  I duct-taped the top of the new clutch cable (hand lever end) to the bottom end of the old cable and then used the old cable to pull the new cable thru the routing path.  Saved me from removing the tank.

[stokester]

So this happened.....our inquisitive Honda Service Writer at work was looking at my Brick last week while I was away, and managed to break it.  It was parked on the side stand, with the stand retractor engaged. He was wondering why the clutch was so hard to pull in, so he pulled harder and harder until....SNAP !

Possibly a blessing-in-disguise, that cable must not have had many strands left to break by pulling.


I've replaced two while traveling and the suggestions below are spot-on.  Pulling the new one through by taping on the the old will ensure you have it routed properly.


- always carry a spare -

[billday]

Martin said this, but I'll reiterate it: Be sure you grease the barrels on both ends. Fraying and eventual failure at the hand control end comes from the barrel in the hand lever not rotating freely.

Plan to adjust the clutch lever a second time after you've been riding with the new cable for a while. It will stretch a bit.

BY THE WAY: Does anyone have the .jpg on adjusting the clutch that has disappeared from this page:

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,332.0.html

It would be nice to have it there again.

[Laitch]

Click on the pdf links just above the images in the first post. Those might be what you're after.

[Chaos]

and lube this barrel, the cable breaks here because the barrel binds up and stresses the cable.  Everybody should go out and do that right now.

[billday]

Click on the pdf links just above the images in the first post. Those might be what you're after.

Right you are, thanks Laitch.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I make lubing the clutch cable ends a part of my spline lubes.  The wheel is off so it's easy to get to the lower barrel and I have my brush with moly spline lube in hand.  Put a drop of oil on the felt sleeve where the cable goes into the jacket.  When done, adjust the cable(also easy to do with the wheel off) and shoot some grease into the zerk fitting you installed in the the clutch lever on the transmission. 

During the riding season I have a small oil can in the garage near my bikes.  Every couple of weeks I put a drop of oil on the barrel at the handlebar end.

[Martin]

I use the white spray can lithium grease on both end of my all my cables. And I'll repeat myself, I lube all my inner cables with a PTFE based lubricant designed for bicycle cables (Tri Flo). Some other lubricants will degrade the inner Teflon cable on OEM cables over a period of time. I'll probably have to replace my 25 year old cables eventually but in the meantime I'll keep doing what I'm doing it seems to be working.
Regards Martin.

[Laitch]

Everybody should go out and do that right now.

Will you post the audio file or YouTube video link for that procedure soon, before the rain starts here?

[TriSpark]

and lube this barrel, the cable breaks here because the barrel binds up and stresses the cable.  Everybody should go out and do that right now.

That's exactly where it broke.


Thanks to everyone for the good advice on this.

[Scott_]

Also know that a side effect on not lubricating the upper barrel is that the hole in the handle will wear and eventually become no longer round and further causing the barrel to bind and break the cable........

So keep it lubricated.