My super awesome ride t... SNAP

[zeocen]

So I looked out the window today and saw nothing but blue, excitedly I had my bowl of light'n'tasty and antibiotic for my ear infection, geared up, snatched the camera and some $$ for petrol and new batteries and off I went!

I decided it was such a nice day that I would take my ipod with me, so here I am cruising to maraetai with some good music to listen to on the way.

I get to maraetai, boy it's packed, but it's a great day - I wave to a few bikers I pass (the summer must make everyone happy, even the cruisers waved/nodded back!) and go along the main street, boy it's still packed... I venture along some quiet roads to find another spot on the beach that wasn't so full. I stop there and content with my bike parked on the grass next to a bench I have a good rest while watching the aqua ocean.

Some pictures!

1- Maraetai
2- My behemoth 250
3- Said behemoth from an artistic angle

[zeocen]

So I'm pretty happy with the days events and I toodle off back home, I'm coming up a hill when I pull in the clutch and something sounds off.. I let go and pull it in again and... *SNAP* the cable snaps clean in half inside the plastic.

So I'm at Maraetai on a bike with no clutch, this was fun.

I somehow manage to keep it going in first gear and wish for luck that I don't have to change down too much on the way home.. I'm doing 50 - 60k in 3rd the whole way home to Manurewa from Maraetai indicating left and pretty much riding on the curb with angry, angry looking cages passing me in blurs.

I finally make it home with a bit of luck (thank god the lights were on my side, god knows if I would have been able to get it going without jolting like a rollercoaster in traffic) a bit disgruntled as I had a bloody good morning and lunch, just to be ruined by one bloody cable that I have *no* idea how to fix.

:(

And that's my story, it was boring, I know.. I just wanted to vent. This weather doesn't look like it's going to change much and now I have a broken bike :(

Picture of said snapped cable:

ps: If anyone has any ideas on how to fix it or how much it will cost (oh, god.) to fix it don't hesitate to post! I'll love you so much it will hurt!

[Disco Dan]

If anyone has any ideas on how to fix it or how much it will cost (oh, god.) to fix it don't hesitate to post! I'll love you so much it will hurt!

Just a suggestion, but I fixed the brake cable on my first bike with a bicycle cable... same cable I think your'll find.

It's a biatch to cut though, and best to 'solder' it then cut it to stop the ends fraying. (you can always put a blow torch to it and melt it off once its installed)

Of course buying the proper length cable etc is the best option.. but things never break when you have money. only when you dont! It's 'sods' law that is!!

Good Luck!!

PS - Dont try and 're-join' the cable together!!!!!! It will only break again, as it will never be as strong again.

You only need to replace the inner cable, which can be pulled through the tube. Tape the new wire from your push bike to the broken bit and use the old cable to pull it through. Then re-attach and bobs ya uncle.. fannys ya aunt!!

[Ixion]

Easy enough. You need a new cable (not worth fixing that one), from you friendly local bike shop. Remove broken cable from where it clips in at lower end (dunno your bike, but it's usually staright forward - but you may have to remove all the fairings again - naked bike looking good ?), fit new cable . Wiggle cable up to handlebars (more fairings, prolly) and hook into clutch lever.

They do break. On long trips I carry a spare. But you can ride withut a clutch.

[Colapop]

Check the connectors you may have a set length cable. If that is the case the you may have to get a shop bought one. If the connectors are small cylinder type thingys you'll be able to get them from a nuts and bolts shop (just solder them on at the right length) and you're away laughing...

[Ixion]

You need to pretty good at soldering to do that, and have a blowtorch or heavy duty soldering iron. ordinary electronics one won't work. There's been a few threads on it.

Problem is though that cable broke well back from the end. So you'll have to shorten the out cable, and then the whole thing may be too short.

New cables usually run around $50 to $80, depending on ripoff factor.

[zeocen]

Easy enough. You need a new cable (not worth fixing that one), from you friendly local bike shop. Remove broken cable from where it clips in at lower end (dunno your bike, but it's usually staright forward - but you may have to remove all the fairings again - naked bike looking good ?), fit new cable . Wiggle cable up to handlebars (more fairings, prolly) and hook into clutch lever.

They do break. On long trips I carry a spare. But you can ride withut a clutch.

What do you mean "in at lower end"? Like, right next to the clutch? I can get to that without taking fairings off and if I have to feed something through the middle I may be able to do that also without taking off the fairings (no! naked bike doesn't look good! :shutup:)..

I guess I'll have a look at it and figure it out some how :( Thanks for the help so far guys (I say that a lot it seems.)

[zeocen]

I just checked the cable and all I could find on it were some numbers saying 11-1261, it looks pretty rusted right down to the clutch so I guess I'll be forking out $50 - $80 somehow, I'm no good at soldering :P

[Disco Dan]

I just checked the cable and all I could find on it were some numbers saying 11-1261, it looks pretty rusted right down to the clutch so I guess I'll be forking out $50 - $80 somehow, I'm no good at soldering :P

If the tube is rusted then you should replace it... as it will gouge at the inner cable and break the next one...

If you really cant afford to fix it, take out the inner wire and squirt some rust killer down the tube and up it. over the rust. then flush that out with some light oil or CRC etc. Should be enough. Get your push bike cable and check its length with your snapped one.

To solder the spot where you need to cut, just put the cable in a vice and hold the iron on the cable to heat it up, just apply the solder sparingley so that it joins the braids together. get ya hack saw or side cutters and snip! If you went over board with the solder, just sand it flush with the rest of the cable and/or file it. Its verys soft so wont take long.

The only prob I can think of is re-attaching it, as the ends may have special connectors on them... but have a look at your old ones and see what 'mc giverisms' you can figure out!

:yes:

[James Deuce]

Make sure you buy a cable lube device when you get the new cable and then go through and lube any other cables on the bike. They mostly break because the cable has gone dry and then frayed through the friction generated by operation.

Don't use CRC in the cable. It's kerosene effectively and it removes lubricants.

[zeocen]

I didn't mean the tube was rusty, but there's some naked wire down the bottom that looks pretty rusted.

And with everything else you've suggested, sorry but that's just flown right over my head :(

[Disco Dan]

PM Skidmark... he should have some cable for his mini that he bought off me... gave him a big box full of parts.. spedo cables, acellerator/brake cables etc etc... Hes near you too, so may even give you a hand...

[avgas]

yeh dont fret about the new cable thing too much, i broke 4 on the ol RGonefiddy and for 6 months that bike didnt even have a clutch cable. everything was sweet. except stopping at starting @ lights

[Crisis management]

Buy a new one from a Kawasaki agent, fit it and forget it.

[zeocen]

Hmm, would anyone know where abouts in South Auck I could go get one from?

[zeocen]

Well I just got off the phone from a few motorcycle places, rang kawasaki to see if they had any for my bike and they did.. then ordered one for red baron for $55.

I assume they come with screws/plastic stuff/cable etc? It doesn't seem too hard to put back together if I have all the bits and bobs needed

Ahhh never a dull day when you own a 16 year old bike :P

[NinjaNanna]

Depending on how long it will take red barron to get it for you, you may like to know that one of the motorbike wreakers on Barry's Point Rd Takapuna can rebuild your existing cable for you, just take the 2 pieces of the broken inner cable and the outercable with the adjusters to him and he can fix it.

[Donor]

PM headed your way dude...

[zeocen]

WOOT!

Picked up the new clutch cable from Red Baron just before and managed to get it all done, went out around the block and everything was all sweet.
So yay! I'm back on the road ready to tackle those corners at nana paces once again!

Thanks to Donor and FireFight for their help and offering their help, it's nice to know there's people like you guys out there, and thanks to all who have pretty much given me lessons in bike-repair-101. I would be completely lost without this forum! :rockon: :done: