Clutch cable woes

Hey all. I have had a terrible time over the years keeping clutch cables in one piece on my KZ1000a. It is not uncommon to break at least one ayear if not more. Now I never claimed to be an ace mechanic but after installing the cable I've taken the bike to my local dealership and they say they are installed just like they should be. But, sooner than later, it will break right where the cable routes through the clutch lever. Right at the "ball" that fits into the handle itself.

Any suggestions? It's not much fun trying get a horse like that home riding through town with no clutch! LOL

Peace,
Rodger

Post edited by: R Dresden, at: 2005/10/12 23:11

Are you lubing it often enough?

You know it....as often as possible. It pulls silky smooth and then SNAP...I'm off to the dealership or calling the catalog company again.

Post edited by: R Dresden, at: 2005/10/12 23:20

On my KZ750H I had a similar problem, breaking a cable one month, then noticing I was down to a few cable strands only a few months later. I replaced that one with a cable which looked to be of much better quality (teflon lined, beefy looking sheathing, good solid end pieces). It has been working fine now for two years. I do not know the name brand, but I learned a lesson about getting the cheapest cable on eBay. For an extra five or eight bucks, go for a better quality.

Also, lube it with heavy weight oil or lithium grease, not with WD40.

The shorter bars on my KZ650 caused the cable to bend tightly and I went through a clutch cable from Parts Unlimited every 3 months. Then I bought a stock cable from Kawasaki at 3 times the price. It's lasted for over a year. I keep a cheap one on the shelf for a spare if I need it, but I will continue to order the stock parts from now on when it comes to cables.

In this case the stock part is worth the extra cost. Goto www.bikebandit.com for a good deal on the stock part.

Hey Dresden,
Watch the barrel end of the clutch cable as you pull it. Is the barrel turning so that the cable pulls straight or is the barrel bound up and causing the cable to bend every time?

Just a thought
KZCSI

I would say the combination of poor routing and being close to an exhaust header causes most of the failures. Additionally, some of the handlebar mounts (perches) get tweaked with the bike falling over and the cable doesn't get a straight path and scrapes on the mount.

Also make sure the mechanism behind the sprocket cover is greased and free moving, and the clutch pushrod isn't grooved and catching somewhere. One trick with the pushrods - on many engines you can clean them up and put them back the other way around to move the worn area to where it doesn't matter.

could be the lever it's self that's worn egg shaped where the cable lug rides, makes the cable twist a little with every pull, just a thought

ps: I've had the same cable for 24 years now

Post edited by: z1r rider, at: 2005/10/13 22:10

R Dresden wrote:

...But, sooner than later, it will break right where the cable routes through the clutch lever. Right at the "ball" that fits into the handle itself.

Any suggestions? ...

Geez, what brand are you using?

That is strange. Does the cable break from strands breaking, or does the ball become un-soldered?

:laugh: it's a stock Kaw piece, had to replace the original about a year after I got the bike, it was totaled when I got it and the cable had a nasty kink in it, the dirt bikes that we've had always seem to break the cables right next to the ball at the lever, after we put new levers on them we didn't break many cables

If I remeber right, they (cables) came from either Dennis Kirk or Parts Unlimited. The cable itself frays and snaps a little at a time. It has new levers on it so I know the ball isn't egg shaped or otherwise defective. It does route fairly close to the exhaust though. I run the 4 separate drag pipes for the exhaust and try to keep it as far away as possble. I would like to find either a steel braided cable or a kit that I could do it myself. Has anyone seen anything along those lines?

Thanks for the info guys. I really appreciate it!

Peace,
Rodger

The cables I ordered were also from Dennis Kirk (who apparently sourced them from Parts Unlimited).

Try ordering the stock Kawi piece it is much better. Again, the DK ones lasted 3 months on my bike, the stock kawi one hasn't broken yet. The DK ones are crap in my humble opinion.