Clutch cable broke - Shoulda seen it coming

[wysper]

Hey there Noobs and even old bikers like me.

Just had my first ever clutch cable break. Luckily it was before I had even started the bike so I was at home.

After doing some reading online I have discovered there are signs that are there BEFORE your clutch cable breaks. In my case it was difficulty getting the bike into neutral. The last couple of weeks this has been getting increasingly difficult. Not impossible just harder than normal. I thought it was a crap Suzuki gearbox and I would need to look at it. But no, this is a good sign your clutch cable is on the way out.

So if this starts happening to you - check your cable. Cheap to fix and worth doing, especially if you do it before you are stranded!!

Better than having it break on a ride and maybe leaving you in the middle of nowhere.

Here ends my public service announcement. If I save just one biker from a broken clutch cable it has all been worth it

[newbould]

And since clutchless upshifts are much easier than down if it breaks mid ride you are just going to go faster and faster and faster.
But this does give me an excuse to practice them. Is this bad for my gearbox? Down especially?

[wysper]

Worse is with the engine cut outs you can't actually even start the bike(well I can't)! Cos you gotta start it with the clutch in.

I am pretty sure you can damage yourself if you don't get the downshifting right LOL

[Katman]

The engine cutout works off the clutch lever itself so even if the cable is broken, pulling in the lever should allow it to start.

There is no reason to be stranded by a broken clutch cable. Bikes can be ridden without using the clutch.

[wysper]

The engine cutout works off the clutch lever itself so even if the cable is broken, pulling in the lever should allow it to start.

Really! I didn't know that.

[Latte]

I've pretty much always shifted without the clutch. Unless i'm slowing down to a stop light etc and feeling lazy. I'm sure it's more wearing on the gears/bearings but enough to notice? Not yet..

And if you get a running start and pop it into 1st or second if you really need to

[Supertwin Don]

Aren't you the lucky one!
I had a clutch cable break on me in heavy, stop-start traffic on the A1M - on a bike with a sidecar!
And the chair had my 5 year old son in it!
It was something like 5 miles before I could get off the motorway, and then I had to spend an hour or so re-soldering the nipple with a cigarette lighter!

[BMWST?]

mine broke on sunday after requiring a lot of adjustment in the few days prior...so i had about a 40 k ride on mostly highway but with quite a few traffic lights,had no problems slowing and snicking through the gears and find neutral.Taking off was a bit more difficult,just scooted along for a bit then stomp into gear.....upchanges into second was a bit rough but mostly ok after that.