The perils of clutch cables

[wildpudding]

I learned a thing or two on the ride home today I normally do not get to experience:

1) Clutch cables, while quite inconspicious and unassuming are quite useful for the proper function of the motorbike.
2) Clutch cables can break.
3) MacGyver type efforts to restore the full use of the clutch will only result in dirty hands.
4) MacGyver does not live in Hamilton.
5) Motorcycle gear, while very useful in protecting from impacts is not suitable attire for manouvering a medium size motorcycle around.
6) Hamilton is very hot in the afternoon on a sunny day in summer
7) Medium size motorbikes are heavier than one might think.
8) Winding the idle stop out may increase chances of riding a motorbike under certain circumstances.
9) No amount of trying to drop a motorcycle into first gear while stationary on the road will work.
10) However, dropping a motorbike into first gear while stationary on grass may in fact work.
11) Pirelli did not design their Supercorsa Dragons to be driven on grass.
12) 2nd gear on a CBR600 will get the rider from 5km/hr to 107km/hr
13) Intersections, while in normal and everyday use are quite easy to pass through but can provide challenges to one whom is not able or not wanting to stop.
14) These challenges are not insurmountable to one with a bit of luck and some timing.

The end.

[AlBundy]

Clutchess upchanges are easy... Down changes are possible, ask Troy Bayliss.
The kill switch is a good standby for slowing down...

Only 107 in second?

[Blackshear]

Downchanges are like going around corner for me now.
Going up is a little harder. I get neutral from 3rd to 4th mostly.

I can tell when my bike is at 7,500rpm now. Seamless down change blip
I could function my bike without a clutch, it's just that pushing the bike to about 7k's from the lights and clicking into first, would be rather tedious after a while.

WHERE'S MY CABLE OIL. WHERE IS IT NOW!
Srsly. Can I just squirt some chain oil down there?

[AlBundy]

Downchanges are like going around corner for me now.
Going up is a little harder. I get neutral from 3rd to 4th mostly.

I can tell when my bike is at 7,500rpm now. Seamless down change blip
I could function my bike without a clutch, it's just that pushing the bike to about 7k's from the lights and clicking into first, would be rather tedious after a while.

WHERE'S MY CABLE OIL. WHERE IS IT NOW!
Srsly. Can I just squirt some chain oil down there?

If you get a lot of false neutrals shifting up, it may be worth lowering the gear lever one spline...
Most bike shops have cable lube thingyjobbies, which make it easy to lube the cables. Disconnect it at the clutch lever, use crc or similar oil. WD40 is a water displacement fluid. It'll lube but then mostly evaporate, so doesn't stay lubed...
You may as well lube the throttle cables too, if you're gonna play...

[Blackshear]

If you get a lot of false neutrals shifting up, it may be worth lowering the gear lever one spline...
Most bike shops have cable lube thingyjobbies, which make it easy to lube the cables. Disconnect it at the clutch lever, use crc or similar oil. WD40 is a water displacement fluid. It'll lube but then mostly evaporate, so doesn't stay lubed...
You may as well lube the throttle cables too, if you're gonna play...

Haven't really tried to master the ups, feel like a twat jerking around when I miss the buttoning off

I don't use WD40, it's kinda nasty.
I learned this with pushbikes and their chains.
JUST DUBBYA DEE FORTAY IT!
And so my mate does.
But I use industrial grease, oh woe is my small penis.
Lasted 4 years longer than his though...
OR I'M JUST SILLY!
But ya

Chain lube in a can, not WD40, but 'Chain Lube'. Is it good enough?
Will do both.

[AlBundy]

You want something that's going to flow down the cable/ penetrate...

Not sure if chain lube will be good. It may not flow down and some of them get/stay tacky... Not good for a cable...

[Blackshear]

You want something that's going to flow down the cable/ penetrate...

Not sure if chain lube will be good. It may not flow down and some of them get/stay tacky... Not good for a cable...

It's like WD40 but leaves an oil residue.
I'll use some on my pushie and see if it sticks at all during the week.
Cheers dude!

[glice]

this happend to me on my first bike, and I rode it around for afew weeks that way. you just have to slip into nutral coming up to an intersection and then when you want to take off, just stand beside the bike and jog afew steps and then jump on and ride like usual.

[ZK-Awesome]

I oiled my clutch cable a few days ago. I used this thin "cycle oil" made for old bicycle chains I think... anyway it was easier than I thought. The clutch action is now much smoother.

Question: When you lube it, are you supposed to disconnect it at the bottom end as well, so you can see when its completely oiled? I ended up over-oiling mine and the excess oil went into the drive sprocket area (so no harm done)

[AlBundy]

I oiled my clutch cable a few days ago. I used this thin "cycle oil" made for old bicycle chains I think... anyway it was easier than I thought. The clutch action is now much smoother.

Question: When you lube it, are you supposed to disconnect it at the bottom end as well, so you can see when its completely oiled? I ended up over-oiling mine and the excess oil went into the drive sprocket area (so no harm done)

Lol, apologies for the threadjack... This one's gone off course...

As for disconnecting, doesn't matter really. As long as the oil eventually goes all the way, that's the only way to know the whole cable is lubed. There is usually a period where it'll dribble out the bottom. If anything, extra is better, since it 'flushes' all the debris out...

[Subike]

I use boiled linseed oil to lube my cables. I also use it mixed with meths to clean water marks off of crome, glass and polished alloy.
Works great on crome mufflers and matt black headders, mine dont show rust (yet).
It has a nice woody aroma when hot which is not unplesant to the nose.
Dont know if it would be any good for chain lube, dont have a chain,All a shaft dive needs is a grease gun.

[MarkH]

That takes me back:
Many years ago I went to take off from and intersection and the bike went out from under me. I picked it up and looked back at the intersection - saw a rainbow on the wet surface, freaking oil on the road - figures! Anyway the bike (1979 GT250X7) was OK except the clutch lever had broken off. After a few stalls I found that all you needed was a rolling start and then click it into 1st. Luckily home wasn't too far away and a new clutch lever the next day got everything all OK again.