Clutch Cable Snapped

[Kokosun]

I've had clutch cables snap on me in the past. It's always been a relatively benign experience. One minute you're happily riding along, shifting up or down, then 'clunk', no clutch. It's usually a nuisance because chances are you're not close to home so now you have to either; ride home without a clutch, stop and call a recovery service, stop and call a friend with a truck. None of them are great options and the first is a definite no-no for an inexperienced rider. But, it's just a nuisance ... that's all.

Well, this last weekend the clutch snapped on me just as I was approaching a fast bend and I was shifting from 4 down to 3 and getting ready to wind-up the throttle.

What a mess. The bike jumped into third, the rear wheel skipped, the engine whined, I got unbalanced, I straightened for a split second thinking "oh s***", I saw the other side of the road approaching and managed to recover fast enough to pull more lean angle and wind up the throttle, and made it round the corner.

Whew!

But ... it was close.

Next time you're out burning up the road give a little thought to mechanical issues on your bike. Don't ride at 100%. Leave 1% for the little things that go wrong from time to time.

[nickjpass]

Mine snapped while parking at work. I got lucky. I however had to ride the bike home, took over 45 minutes longer than it usually did. Glad you saved it!

[NevadaWolf]

I've heard a trick for some long long distance riders that they zip tie a second clutch and throttle cables into place so if they do have a break, all they do is swap out the ends. Half tempted to do that but wasn't sure how common a fault that is.

Might rethink that belief now...

[Klondike1020]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

I've heard a trick for some long long distance riders that they zip tie a second clutch and throttle cables into place so if they do have a break, all they do is swap out the ends. Half tempted to do that but wasn't sure how common a fault that is.

Might rethink that belief now...

That is a great IDEA for long trips!
Ive always just waited for stuff to go wrong then deal with it lol

-glad you saved it ... I have had close calls but none with a clutch cable yet/

[ally99]

Originally Posted by Kokosun

Next time you're out burning up the road give a little thought to mechanical issues on your bike. Don't ride at 100%. Leave 1% for the little things that go wrong from time to time.

Thanks for such a great reminder! One correction though. When you're riding on the road, leave a much larger margin than 1% for the little (and not-so-little) things that go wrong from time to time. A solid safety margin for the street is riding at about 60% and leaving 40% in reserve for the myriad of possibilities of things that could (and will) go wrong.

[nickjpass]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

I've heard a trick for some long long distance riders that they zip tie a second clutch and throttle cables into place so if they do have a break, all they do is swap out the ends. Half tempted to do that but wasn't sure how common a fault that is.

Might rethink that belief now...

If you lube it properly and replace it often enough, you'll never be caught in a jam.

[ez12a]

dang a '12 ninja cable snapped? that's like only a few years old..

i lubed mine the other day just for peace of mind. some black stuff came out the other end. must be the sheath material wearing away inside.

[Klondike1020]

black stuff.... probably corrosion I would think

Ridding the street hold back

ridding the track leave 1%

racing competitively - hold nothing back
guts and glory

[dcj13]

So it's OK to lube the Ninjette cable itself? BMWs have had teflon-lined cable jackets for the las 30 years, so we only oil the drums on the ends of the cables, as lube will gunk up the cable-to-jacket interface.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

If you lube it properly and replace it often enough, you'll never be caught in a jam.

You will note damage way earlier than any snap, as the recommended gap will become slowly bigger.
All you need is to clean, to inspect and to apply lubricant at the intervals recommended by the factory.
Molly grease should go into all the articulations of the levers (yes, upper and lower) and cable's barrels.

Originally Posted by dcj13

So it's OK to lube the Ninjette cable itself? BMWs have had teflon-lined cable jackets for the las 30 years, so we only oil the drums on the ends of the cables, as lube will gunk up the cable-to-jacket interface.

We have threaded steel sliding inside coiled steel.
Any light lubricant (oil or lithium or Teflon) help with reducing friction and preventing corrosion due to water intrusion.

[nickjpass]

I use PJ1

[menikmati]

I've replaced the clutch cables for both of my bikes and have been religiously lubing them every 1,000 miles. I definitely noticed the cable fraying based on the feel of the clutch and the engagement point/friction zone before any actual snapping occurred.

[7oxSin]

good job! mine snapped once in 5th shifting down on the interstate merging. i like the idea about zipping the spare on.