Shipper
XS650 Addict
Had to ride the last 10k home with vice grips in place of my clutch handle lever.
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First for Me
- Thread starter Shipper
- Start date
Don't recall having done that for the clutch, but similar things have been done to throttle cables a few times.
Shipper
XS650 Addict
The trick is/was to wedge the vice grips (obviously clamped to the exposed cable end) against the handle bars and rear view mirror clamp. Shifting gears was a pull/push/release process and turned some heads on the quarter line. Lol
McGivored it home.
McGivored it home.
I snapped a clutch cable away from home once on my old BMW. I rode it without using the clutch through stop and go traffic. When I stopped I just killed the motor, then started it in gear, it would lurch and take off, then bang through the gears without a clutch. I only did that for a few miles until I came upon a motorcycle shop and bought a clutch cable to replace out in the parking lot. I probably didn’t do my bike any favors but it was a tough old bastard! 
I had a similar experience on my first shovelhead. Except it was the clutch perch that broke, not the cable. I wasn’t far from home, but was able to McGuyver a temporary fix using my leather belt by wrapping it around a few times. It only had to hold for a few lights and a couple stop signs. Sometime you just have to use what you have on hand. And sometime you just get lucky.
Shipper
XS650 Addict
So here’s the thing. As per the attached pic’s, the cable is clearly frayed but the cut from the grommet is as clean as can be. Looks to me like there may be a rough edge inside the lever where the cable meets the grommet. Anybody ever seen that before? Don’t know how I’m going to get a file inside the lever groove.
Attachments
YAM277
Yamaholic
We might have to make a new category named "Now I've Seen "Em All"
Every vehicle i get i practice driving/riding without using the clutch............. My Father had a 42 Jail bar grill, Flathead V8 truck with a crash gearbox, had to learn to double clutch going up gears and double clutch with engine revs to downshift.
Looks like the multi-strand cable just pulled out from the nipple? Can't quite make out from the picture of the nipple - I do hate when people don't get nipples in good focus . . .
That happened with the clutch on my XS but very luckily it happened in the back yard as I was about to set off for a run. New cable and we were good to go.
That happened with the clutch on my XS but very luckily it happened in the back yard as I was about to set off for a run. New cable and we were good to go.
Out of all the miles iv put on throughout the years only one clutch cable has broken. I make it a habit to look for frayed wires, also keep the balls lubed
check that the cylinder turns freely in the lever. I'm guessing the cylinder was bound and the cable was constantly getting bent back and forth as the lever was pulled. A good time to remove the lever from the perch, check the pivot bolt and bushing, I usually find them badly worn.
https://www.xs650.com/threads/clutch-lever-pivot-bushing.41532/
Lube the new cable, check routing for few gentle bends.
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