November 28th, 2008, 01:03 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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DIY How to Lube and Adjust the 250R Clutch Cable and How to Add 10 HP w/ one Mod!!!
Okay most people new to bikes most likely don't know how to do this, but if your clutch is hard to pull, it makes working the engagement point that much more difficult.
By lubing and adjusting the clutch it will feel a lot smoother and you will be able to work it a bit easier if yours is dirty and corroded inside the cable. so, lets get started.... first, this is the clutch lever and cable that we will be adjusting. -015.jpg begin by turning the inner locking knob counterclockwise as far as you can go... -016.jpg next screw in the outer adjusting knob clockwise as far as it will go so it is closer to the clutch lever assembly... -017.jpg -018.jpg next, face the front of the lever assembly from the front and align all the slots in the adjusters and lever assembly... -019.jpg next part required 2 hands so I was unable to snap pics of the process, but pull the cable sheathing (the outside of the cable) away from the lever assembly by working the lever a few times while pulling the sheath. You need to work the sheath until the end of the sheath can slip over the end of the adjustor to free the cable. Once that is done, slip the cable through the slots that you aligned earlier. -020.jpg -021.jpg the cable terminates with a barrel on the end located in a round hole on the bottom of the lever. remove the cable from the lever. -022.jpg -023.jpg once free, this is what the cable end looks like. Clean up any grease, dirt or corrosion that may be on the end of the cable. -024.jpg this is what you will need to lube the cable. The blue thing in the middle is a cable luber available at most MC shops or online. I have no idea what they cost now, as I've had this one for a good 20-30 years. They sell cable lubricant for use with the luber, but over the years this combo of wd-40 and triflow has been my treatment for cables. The wd-40 is used to flush out the cable of all impurities (dirt, water, corrosion) and the triflow is used after the cable is cleaned to leave a layer of Teflon through out the cable as a lubricant. -025.jpg Put the cable luber on the end of the cable.. -026.jpg put the cable barrel termination on one side of the luber and the sheathing metal jacket on the other side, then tighten the screw on the luber to close up. -027.jpg -028.jpg this is where the clutch cable termintes. slide the little rubber booty down so the lubricant can flow freely though the cable. -029.jpg stick the plastic straw into the hole in the luber and spray away with the wd-40. cover it up with a rag as it can sometimes get messy. you should see the wd-40 exiting down by the engine case as you spray. look carefully and you can see a white milky fluid on the ground. I assume I had water in the cable from washing the bike. -030.jpg -031.jpg -032.jpg once you are satisfied the cable sheathing is clean of all dirt and debris, switch to the tri flow and repeat. -033.jpg next will be putting everything back together and adjusting. |
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November 28th, 2008, 01:04 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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it will be a mess on the other end, but that is easily cleaned up later.
-034.jpg remove the cable luber... -035.jpg -036.jpg Before reassembly, we need to grease the cable barrel end with grease. This allows the barrel to pivot smoothly in the lever to reduce friction. I use a HD wheel bearing grease here as most cable failures occur at this location with frayed cables being the biggest problem. -037.jpg -038.jpg stick the barrel into the hole in the lever assembly and assemble the same way to took it out, by working the sheathing back on the cable until you can slip it over the end of the adjuster. -039.jpg -040.jpg once over the end of the adjuster, turn the adjuster counterclockwise to take up the slack in the cable. -041.jpg adjust the lever spacing shown in this blurry photo to the factory spec of 2-3mm (0.08-0.12")... just call it a tenth of an inch. the main thing is to have some slack at the end of the lever to assure that the clutch is fully disengaged and not slipping. check your owner's manual pg.106 on how to properly measure this. -042.jpg after you have adjusted to the proper free play, tighten the inner locking knob and you're done. -043.jpg clean up the lever side and the engine case side of the cable and you are finished. don't forget to put the little rubber booty back into place. also, the lube will drip for a few days from the cable end by the engine. -044.jpg And now, to add 10 HP to your bike... -045.jpg -046.jpg the euro bikes have a 250R sticker on their rear side cowls, but they are plain black. With the addition of that red R, the bike picks up at least 10 HP... it's true... believe me. I find the black with red R the highest HP combo. If you are interested in obtaining some 250R decals, please contact forum member Beast on this site. He has them in many different color combos. -047.jpg Last futzed with by kkim; December 4th, 2008 at 04:16 PM. |
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November 28th, 2008, 04:01 PM | #3 |
That's me!
Name: TJ
Location: Ames, IA
Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r (Tis blue), 2008 CBR600RR Posts: 454
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Dang it This is still the "Next to-do" thing on my list. I was looking and you can get the cable luber 'combos' with the luber and the lube for like $15.00
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November 28th, 2008, 04:08 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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November 28th, 2008, 09:07 PM | #5 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Greg
Location: Goose Creek, SC
Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): 09 ninja 250R, 00 Yamaha WR400F, 98 Ducati 916 Senna #233, 94 ZZR400 Posts: 42
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That must mean the fender eliminator I put on today was good for at least 20 hp considering it probably cost $80 more.
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November 28th, 2008, 09:19 PM | #6 |
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November 28th, 2008, 10:21 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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November 29th, 2008, 10:56 AM | #9 |
IC2(SW)
Name: Kerry
Location: Pensacola
Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: A lot.
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Whats the velcro for on the dash??
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November 29th, 2008, 03:31 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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lol... that's to mount the "video" camera that I used in this thread, along with some duct tape
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...1173#post11173 I had them custom made. Check your PM. |
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November 29th, 2008, 06:16 PM | #12 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Alex
Location: Belfast, ME
Join Date: Jul 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Honda NT-700-V, formerly, Green 2008 Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.
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Kelly, I use an insulin syringe with WD-40 followed by Finish Line Pro Road. I also use Pro Road on my chain. Works great on my racing bikes and seems fine on the Ninja.
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March 28th, 2009, 09:21 PM | #13 |
Ramen Rider
Name: Gary
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2015 BMW R1200R, 08 Honda VFR800A (sold), 09 Ninja 250R (sold) Posts: A lot.
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is there any time table as to how often this should be done? or only when the clutch gets "hard to pull"? i checked the periodic maitenance chart and didn't see this listed.
thanks. |
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March 28th, 2009, 09:34 PM | #14 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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under the periodic inspection table in your owner's manual, check the "clutch operation" schedule.
pg 105 gives you the details on what to check and mentions to "check that the inner cable slides smoothly". ...but basically, I do it to lessen the pull needed to operate the clutch at the lever. Coming from dirt bikes, where cables can get gunked up pretty easily, it followed over to lube the cables on the street bike to ease clutch operation, especially on the 250 where you shift a lot more than on larger displacement bikes. With dirt bikes, a broken clutch cable can mean the difference between getting out of a muddy valley or not. |
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March 28th, 2009, 10:41 PM | #15 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Tim
Location: Portland, OR
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2009 SE Ninja 250R Posts: 796
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ooo good bump. Thanks for the, yet another, DIY kkim
But what do you keep your wd40 can in? Rusty water?! |
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March 29th, 2009, 06:20 AM | #16 |
Ms. Personality
Name: CB
Location: Murvill, TN
Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): Depends on the week you ask Posts: A lot.
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Ya, but without the sticker everyone thinks it's a 600. Which is good for like, what, 80-90 hp?
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March 29th, 2009, 09:59 AM | #17 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Yes
Location: Webster
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March 29th, 2009, 10:41 AM | #18 |
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I was on my back, of course.
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March 29th, 2009, 10:46 AM | #19 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: David
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 08 Ninja 250R in Green! (Sold) Now 2011 Triumph Daytona 675 SE Posts: 564
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Yeah, that is right, the number of people that have asked me if mine was a 650 is amazing, mainly due to the sound of the AreaP
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2008 GREEN Kawasaki Ninja 250R. AreaP Quiet Core Carbon Fibre : 8000k HIDs : Dynojet Jet kit : Double Bubble Windscreen |
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June 14th, 2009, 10:55 AM | #20 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Francisco
Location: Bradenton
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 09 Ninja 250R Posts: 18
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What if the inner lock knob is way too tight to loosen? is there any other way to go about loosening it? Don't know how but the know on my bike is tight touching the clutch handle
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June 14th, 2009, 11:00 AM | #21 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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are you talking about the larger "wheel" in this photo?
if so, grab it with a pair of pliers and turn it CCW as you are looking at it from the center portion of the bike. |
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June 14th, 2009, 12:38 PM | #22 |
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Name: Rick
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Thanks for the DIY KKim.
Shouldn't this have gone into "general motorcycle" since this is aplicable to the pre 08 models as well? |
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June 14th, 2009, 02:35 PM | #23 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Francisco
Location: Bradenton
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 09 Ninja 250R Posts: 18
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damn i was twisting counter clockwise facing from the left of the bike, thanks
does this screw serve any purpose? because im apparently missing mine |
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June 14th, 2009, 02:48 PM | #24 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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no, that was a left over from some other model that had a mirror threaded into that hole.
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September 16th, 2009, 09:27 AM | #25 |
total tinkerer
Name: Danno
Location: NE Kansas
Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): Ex250 2003 Posts: 8
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awesome DIY —especially the combo trick of the wd40 and then the teflon lube.
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September 16th, 2009, 12:48 PM | #26 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Deb
Location: Philly
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October 16th, 2009, 10:01 PM | #28 |
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May 16th, 2010, 12:14 AM | #29 |
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Name: Greg
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So I decide to remove the clutch pivot bolt and regrease it. The threads on the pivot bolt stripped while REMOVING the bolt. And yes, though I sometimes mess things up, I did turn the bolt counterclockwise while holding the nut steady. The nut had what appears to be a bit of blue loctite in it. I tried to use the nut to rethread the pivot bolt, but no luck. I put it back on as best as possible, maybe catching one thread, and will order a new bolt and nut on monday.
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May 16th, 2010, 03:05 AM | #30 |
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Great wright up. You make me think of the little things that get neglected on a race bike. I am going to lube my cables today.That is a great idea. Good job.
A little chrome will give some better bottom end power to go with the sticker. |
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July 24th, 2010, 08:13 PM | #31 |
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Name: dawn
Location: portland, or
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so exactly how hard is it supposed to be to pull the cable sheath off of the cable? cause i was not able to do it...i kept working the lever and trying to pull it back, but it wouldn't happen...it got to the point where i was pulling so hard, i was afraid i would break something...i had the inner locking knob loosened, and the outer adjusting knob as far in as it would go, while still allowing the openings to line up...i had the bike in neutral, as this made the most sense...not sure if it makes a difference? i ended up taking out the pivot bolt to make it happen
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July 24th, 2010, 08:44 PM | #32 |
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Sometimes it can be difficult to get the end of the cable past the end of the adjuster. What I do is pull the clutch lever in and grasp the cable with my other hand. As I let go of the clutch lever, I pull on the cable. The jerking motion of when I let the clutch lever go plus the force of me pulling on the cable is enough to get the cable just past the end of the adjuster. It may take a few times, but it works for me.
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July 24th, 2010, 08:57 PM | #33 | |
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Name: Kit
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Quote:
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"Well you know, for me, the action IS the juice" |
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July 26th, 2010, 06:40 PM | #34 | |
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Quote:
I'd hate to see kkim's 50 year old (still sealed Twinkie) Collection! @ my work, we have a can of spray paint that dates back to 1972. it sits on the desk of our mechanic. he doesnt want anyone to use it, cuz he wants to take it home with him the day he retires! haha |
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January 22nd, 2011, 09:39 PM | #35 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Max
Location: san marcos
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how often are you suppose to clean/lube your clutch line? wat are the obvious signs that i need to know when my clutch line needs cleaing and lubing.
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ride it like you stole it! |
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April 1st, 2011, 05:12 PM | #36 |
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Name: lux
Location: NY
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I haven't found Triflow Superior Lubricant with Teflon, or Bel-Ray Waterproof Grease. Is white lithium grease OK to use as the lube? And is Castrol Multi-Purpose Wheel Bearing Grease OK to use for the cable barrel end? http://www.castrol.com/castrol/secti...tentId=7036194
Thank you for any assistance. |
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April 1st, 2011, 05:24 PM | #37 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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I wouldn't use the lithum grease in the cable. It would be too thick and sticky and add drag. The Triflow can be found at Ace hardware... at least that's where I get mine, here. if nothing else, clean the cable out with the wd40 and just leave it like that so the cable slides easily within the sheath.
Yes, any type of wheel bearing grease on the cable ends is better than none. I like the Belray cause it's a HD, waterproof wheel bearing grease. A lot of bike shops carry it. remember to lube the pivot bolt on the clutch perch, too, with some grease when reassembling so the clutch lever action is as smooth as can be. |
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July 6th, 2011, 07:25 PM | #38 |
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Name: Moe
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Help
Ok guys, I need help.
I had a helluva time getting the cable out from the lever but I did and lubed it and everything now I'm having trouble getting it back to normal. Ok so I got the adjuster screw to screw back into the lever housing as you can see but there is no slack in the clutch cable. When I got it to screw in I could only turn it about two times by hand before I had to use pliers to screw it in a little more. I am afraid to keep screwing the adjuster in because it's getting tighter and I don't want to break something. I can pull the lever but it is pretty stiff and there is no free play at the end of the lever. Can anybody see/tell what is wrong? Btw while doing this I also swapped the stock levers for some new pazzos
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'09 Ninja 250R SE TB Slip-On l Puig DB l Pazzos l Pro-Grips |
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July 6th, 2011, 07:48 PM | #39 |
Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.
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sounds to me like you stripped/cross threaded the threads in the lever housing. take the clutch lever back off, and remove the cable. the adjuster should be able to screw freely in and out of the lever perch.
does it? if not, remove the adjuster from the clutch perch and inspect the threads in the clutch perch and adjuster. |
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July 6th, 2011, 08:01 PM | #40 |
Jigglin' your Jiglets
Name: Sean
Location: San Jose, Ca
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And a 650R sticker will add about 50hp right?
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If the Ninja 250 doesn't have enough power for you, then you don't know how to ride it. AFM #676 Supersports are for n00bs |
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