They don't make 'em like they used to....

mikesim

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After 42 years and 14K miles the clutch cable on my Yammy bit the dust yesterday. I'm assuming that with only 14K miles it was the OE cable... geez.... ain't nuthin' built to last anymore ;^). Amazingly, the cable is still available from Yamaha so one was promptly ordered and is on its way. Am I correct in assuming that the replacement is pretty straight forward after the left side engine cover is removed? Any pitfalls that I should be aware of? After removing the protective booty over the cable I can see that it has been badly frayed for sometime and had been at the point of failure for a good while. I was lucky in that it failed only about two miles from home and I was able to limp back into port in second gear. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Mike
 
Routing is critical, if you've changed handle bars a change from factory routing is advised. Minimum bends NO tight bends is the mantra. There are two lengths of factory cable, special and standard. Cables do NOT come prelubed oiling is necessary. Routing at the carbs is tricky and changes on different models. On some routings slightly straightening the elbow at the clutch cover is popular.
Some cable routing ideas here. http://www.xs650.com/threads/short-...utch-cable-rerouting-ideas.41987/#post-419895
 
Also if I might add, get yourself a cable made by Motion Pro, it is a far superior cable. Heavier cable, easier to pull, it has an inner nylon lining where it goes through the metal elbow to help the cable glide through it easier. As Gary said, it is best to hang them up and drip oil through the cable before installation. I also apply grease on the final few inches where the cable slides in and out of the sheath. Like you, I had a dry neglected cable snap on a bike that I was riding , a long way from home and it was a learning experience for me. Now I keep a close eye on them and lube them frequently. ;)
 
Thanks Gary! I was planning on just taping the new cable to the old one and fishing it up using the original routing. That has always worked with my other scoots, although it looks like the cable is tied to the frame under the tank and may not work.

Mike
 
Yes, the cable should be lashed to the frame in possibly two spots. I doubt you can easily pull it through with the old one. Take the tank off. And this is a good time to service (grease) the worm too.
 
Many cable failures occur at the upper end of the cable at the ferrule. The ferrule is supposed to rotate slightly in the lever socket so it is not in a state of bend when the lever is squeezed. Lubrication at this point is often overlooked.
 
I’m sure other people carry them I just know I used to get them from Flanders.

they make barrel ends that screw onto the end of a cable, not a bad idea to have a few into the tool kit. It’s much easier to clean up the frayed end with some snips, let out the slack and attach a temp barrel to limp it home than it is without having a clutch at all. I believe they also sell something similar to attach two cables so if it snaps farther down there is still a temp easy fix.

http://www.flandersco.com/action.la...ator=Contains&Type=Fitting&Catagory=CablePart

they work really well and hold quite well. Used to use them when I had to make custom Lambretta cables.
 
One other source is:
https://www.venhillusa.com/products.html

A few years back I needed a front brake cable for an XS400 and after explaining to these guys we came up with actually a universal clutch cable kit that had all the bit's in it that I needed to fabricate a new cable that worked fine and looked close to stock.
 
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