Clutch cable snapped today...

jdoucet93 · October 1st, 2011, 07:41 PM

So I was just riding along on a little joy ride today. Everything seemed normal. Then all of a sudden, I was downshifting coming up to a light and SNAP. My clutch cable broke about 3 inches from where it hooks to the lever. My bike only has 2800 miles on it and I have no idea what caused this. Yesterday when I was riding, it seemed like all of a sudden there was an unusually large amount of play in my clutch, so I came home and tightened it and it was fine. Rode another 150 miles or so then it snapped. I'm still a bit of a noob but I'm just wondering if there is anything i could be doing wrong or if it was just a defective part? I'm going to the dealership either monday or tuesday to get it replaced. (still under warrantee.)

Alex · October 1st, 2011, 07:52 PM

Not the first time someone has posted up about a snapped cable, but 2,800 miles is awful early as well.

jdoucet93 · October 1st, 2011, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

Not the first time someone has posted up about a snapped cable, but 2,800 miles is awful early as well.

I know I've seen a couple of posts but yeah, I thought the others had quite a few more miles. Definitely a very inconvenient thing to happen 25 miles from home.

Jiggles · October 1st, 2011, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdoucet93

I know I've seen a couple of posts but yeah, I thought the others had quite a few more miles. Definitely a very inconvenient thing to happen 25 miles from home.

A great time to practice clutchless shifting!

jdoucet93 · October 1st, 2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiggles

A great time to practice clutchless shifting!

I definitely got plenty of practice with that. The starts from a stop are whats difficult... lol

Jiggles · October 1st, 2011, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdoucet93

I definitely got plenty of practice with that. The starts from a stop are whats difficult... lol

I can imagine lol! Push from neutral and shift to first?

jdoucet93 · October 1st, 2011, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiggles

I can imagine lol! Push from neutral and shift to first?

precisely. Just incase you didn't know, you receive some really strange looks from people when you jump off your bike, start running with it, then jump back...

Mountain Dew · October 1st, 2011, 09:57 PM

Nah, you gotta give it some throttle then bump it into first.

...

jdoucet93 · October 1st, 2011, 10:06 PM

tried that a couple times. didn't work out too well...

Mountain Dew · October 1st, 2011, 10:36 PM

My bad, I meant you need to just do burnouts at stoplights and slowly let go of the front brake as your traction returns.

jdoucet93 · October 2nd, 2011, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

My bad, I meant you need to just do burnouts at stoplights and slowly let go of the front brake as your traction returns.

Man didn't even consider that one. Next time for sure

But all jokes aside guys, does anyone think I might have been doing something wrong? Or do you think it was just a defective part that will be perfectly fine once replaced?

CThunder-blue · October 3rd, 2011, 01:47 PM

Sounds like maybe the cable was too tight from the factory. The extra tension from pulling it during normal operation caused it to slowly stretch. Then the adjustment you did took it's toll. It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. Just make sure it's adjusted according to spec.

Havok · October 3rd, 2011, 02:19 PM

My guess is it was not seated correctly and it was rubbing on the lever a bit. I had this issue on the fazer and as it rubbed it would break strands (i noticed it but thought it was not to badly worn lesson learned) it finally snapped one day and i had to do what you did to get home.

etiainen · October 3rd, 2011, 03:33 PM

Mine broke Sunday...sucks being out of commission while waiting for a new one...please please show up before my 3 day weekend!!! :/

jdoucet93 · October 3rd, 2011, 05:09 PM

yeah i'm just going to order one from cheapcycleparts.com. The dealer where I bought the bike is about 60 miles from my house. A nice little ride when the bike is functioning properly but a pretty expensive one in my 12mpg cage. I just cant justify making a $50 trip to get a $20 part for free. So I guess i'll be down for a week or so =(

alex.s · October 3rd, 2011, 05:50 PM

just so you know, if you're on flat ground you can use the starter motor to push start you... not as efficient or cool looking as the push'n'jump but if you've got weak legs... (also works in a car) leave it in gear and use hold the starter until she goes.

etiainen · October 3rd, 2011, 08:39 PM

cheapcycleparts.com just told me this is on backorder :'(

CZroe · October 5th, 2011, 08:31 AM

I found a place to repair mine.

Anyway, when it was loose, it probably got kinked and frayed. After it was tightened, the fray started unraveling and started a cascading process of broken cords until the entire cable was gone.

jdoucet93 · October 5th, 2011, 09:57 AM

That makes sense. I found a local dealer that will do it under warrantee. So I should be back on the road by the end of the week!

Vampyre · October 5th, 2011, 10:14 AM

I have found that if the slot in the adjuster is facing just the right way, and you put a little too much pressure perpendicular to the clutch lever downward, the cable will slide across the corner of that slot and fray the cable. Happened to mine.

jdoucet93 · October 5th, 2011, 10:50 AM

that totally makes sense. Thanks for the heads up

nickjpass · December 17th, 2011, 10:50 PM

BUMP because I have a question. Sorry about my noobiness, but I'm confused. Why do you have to push the bike in neutral? Can you put a bike in first gear without the clutch?

Scattcatt · December 18th, 2011, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickjpass

BUMP because I have a question. Sorry about my noobiness, but I'm confused. Why do you have to push the bike in neutral? Can you put a bike in first gear without the clutch?

Because when stopping in first gear without using the clutch, the bike will stall. You use neutral to get some speed first before jumping on the bike and putting it into first or second gear then driving off.

Skippii · December 18th, 2011, 03:17 PM

Fanders cable sells call kinds of cable parts. I made my own clutch as well as throttle cables from their parts. I could link to their website, but their website is so ungodly awful with horrific navigation stretched across three different domains all featuring yellow text on a bright red background, that in the interest of your own sanity I recommend you call them and never go to the website.

Skippii · December 18th, 2011, 03:39 PM

I once broke my clutch cable riding dirt--way out in the woods. I used a knife and pliers with wire cutters to cut the clutch cable housing to about half the length, so I had a few inches of the inner wire exposed. I ran that wire through a screw hole used to hold down the gas tank (there was one on each side, so I figured removing one screw wouldn't matter. Then I clamped Vise-grips onto the end of the wire, close as I could get it to flush with the tank. I was then able to use my right knee to pull the vise-grips downward, which pulled the cable, and disengaged the clutch. Was a bit awkward, but it did allow me to get moving from a stop without stalling. I got out of the woods and all the way home.

October 1st, 2011, 07:41 PM	#1
jdoucet93 ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Lafayette Louisiana Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 R6 Posts: 509	Clutch cable snapped today... So I was just riding along on a little joy ride today. Everything seemed normal. Then all of a sudden, I was downshifting coming up to a light and SNAP. My clutch cable broke about 3 inches from where it hooks to the lever. My bike only has 2800 miles on it and I have no idea what caused this. Yesterday when I was riding, it seemed like all of a sudden there was an unusually large amount of play in my clutch, so I came home and tightened it and it was fine. Rode another 150 miles or so then it snapped. I'm still a bit of a noob but I'm just wondering if there is anything i could be doing wrong or if it was just a defective part? I'm going to the dealership either monday or tuesday to get it replaced. (still under warrantee.)

October 1st, 2011, 07:52 PM	#2
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	Not the first time someone has posted up about a snapped cable, but 2,800 miles is awful early as well. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

October 1st, 2011, 09:57 PM	#8
Mountain Dew Ambrosia. Name: Jaymie Location: Oahu, Hawaii Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 1974 Honda CB550K0 W.I.P. Posts: A lot.	Nah, you gotta give it some throttle then bump it into first. ... __________________________________________________ Life's better on the Mountain.

October 1st, 2011, 10:36 PM	#10
Mountain Dew Ambrosia. Name: Jaymie Location: Oahu, Hawaii Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 1974 Honda CB550K0 W.I.P. Posts: A lot.	My bad, I meant you need to just do burnouts at stoplights and slowly let go of the front brake as your traction returns. __________________________________________________ Life's better on the Mountain.

October 3rd, 2011, 01:47 PM	#12
CThunder-blue ModMy250.com Name: Tri Location: St, Louis Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R, 2005 R6 Posts: A lot.	Sounds like maybe the cable was too tight from the factory. The extra tension from pulling it during normal operation caused it to slowly stretch. Then the adjustment you did took it's toll. It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. Just make sure it's adjusted according to spec. __________________________________________________ The www.ModMy250.com guy

October 1st, 2011, 10:06 PM	#9
jdoucet93 ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Lafayette Louisiana Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 R6 Posts: 509	tried that a couple times. didn't work out too well...

October 3rd, 2011, 02:19 PM	#13
Havok Internet Slut Name: Jeff Location: L.A. Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): 04 FZ1, 07 FZ6 Posts: A lot.	My guess is it was not seated correctly and it was rubbing on the lever a bit. I had this issue on the fazer and as it rubbed it would break strands (i noticed it but thought it was not to badly worn lesson learned) it finally snapped one day and i had to do what you did to get home.

October 3rd, 2011, 03:33 PM	#14
etiainen CBR250R Traitor Name: Jon Location: Greater Philadelphia Area Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Red CBR250R 2009 Ninja 250r SE(With 2008 Fairings)(sold) Posts: 924	Mine broke Sunday...sucks being out of commission while waiting for a new one...please please show up before my 3 day weekend!!! :/

October 3rd, 2011, 05:09 PM	#15
jdoucet93 ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Lafayette Louisiana Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 R6 Posts: 509	yeah i'm just going to order one from cheapcycleparts.com. The dealer where I bought the bike is about 60 miles from my house. A nice little ride when the bike is functioning properly but a pretty expensive one in my 12mpg cage. I just cant justify making a $50 trip to get a $20 part for free. So I guess i'll be down for a week or so =(

October 3rd, 2011, 05:50 PM	#16
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	just so you know, if you're on flat ground you can use the starter motor to push start you... not as efficient or cool looking as the push'n'jump but if you've got weak legs... (also works in a car) leave it in gear and use hold the starter until she goes. __________________________________________________

October 3rd, 2011, 08:39 PM	#17
etiainen CBR250R Traitor Name: Jon Location: Greater Philadelphia Area Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Red CBR250R 2009 Ninja 250r SE(With 2008 Fairings)(sold) Posts: 924	cheapcycleparts.com just told me this is on backorder :'(

October 5th, 2011, 08:31 AM	#18
CZroe CPT Falcon Name: J.Emmett Turner Location: Newnan, GA Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '08 CP Blue EX250J, '97 unpainted EX250F, 2nd '97 unpainted EX250F (no engine), '07 black EX250F Posts: A lot.	I found a place to repair mine. Anyway, when it was loose, it probably got kinked and frayed. After it was tightened, the fray started unraveling and started a cascading process of broken cords until the entire cable was gone.

October 5th, 2011, 09:57 AM	#19
jdoucet93 ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Lafayette Louisiana Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 R6 Posts: 509	That makes sense. I found a local dealer that will do it under warrantee. So I should be back on the road by the end of the week!

October 5th, 2011, 10:14 AM	#20
Vampyre ninjette.org sage Name: Joseph Location: Winter Park, FL Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 250R Black, 2005 ZX-6R Blue Posts: 623	I have found that if the slot in the adjuster is facing just the right way, and you put a little too much pressure perpendicular to the clutch lever downward, the cable will slide across the corner of that slot and fray the cable. Happened to mine.

October 5th, 2011, 10:50 AM	#21
jdoucet93 ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Lafayette Louisiana Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 R6 Posts: 509	that totally makes sense. Thanks for the heads up

December 17th, 2011, 10:50 PM	#22
nickjpass #squid Name: nickypoo Location: Five Guys Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): Track dedicated 2008 ZX6R Posts: A lot. MOTM - Jul '16	BUMP because I have a question. Sorry about my noobiness, but I'm confused. Why do you have to push the bike in neutral? Can you put a bike in first gear without the clutch? __________________________________________________

December 18th, 2011, 03:17 PM	#24
Skippii Milkshake Drinker Name: Skippii Location: Richmond, Va Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Orange DRZ400-S, 2005 Ninja 250 & Custom Thundercunt Dirt Chopper Posts: A lot.	Fanders cable sells call kinds of cable parts. I made my own clutch as well as throttle cables from their parts. I could link to their website, but their website is so ungodly awful with horrific navigation stretched across three different domains all featuring yellow text on a bright red background, that in the interest of your own sanity I recommend you call them and never go to the website. __________________________________________________ "What a sweetheart."- ninja_sleeper to me

December 18th, 2011, 03:39 PM	#25
Skippii Milkshake Drinker Name: Skippii Location: Richmond, Va Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Orange DRZ400-S, 2005 Ninja 250 & Custom Thundercunt Dirt Chopper Posts: A lot.	I once broke my clutch cable riding dirt--way out in the woods. I used a knife and pliers with wire cutters to cut the clutch cable housing to about half the length, so I had a few inches of the inner wire exposed. I ran that wire through a screw hole used to hold down the gas tank (there was one on each side, so I figured removing one screw wouldn't matter. Then I clamped Vise-grips onto the end of the wire, close as I could get it to flush with the tank. I was then able to use my right knee to pull the vise-grips downward, which pulled the cable, and disengaged the clutch. Was a bit awkward, but it did allow me to get moving from a stop without stalling. I got out of the woods and all the way home. __________________________________________________ "What a sweetheart."- ninja_sleeper to me

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