Since getting the redoubtable Lucille
running again with a nice set of BS38 carbs that I bought from a Forum member, I have been noticing that the pull on her clutch has been getting REALLY heavy. She is rideable, but my left hand was getting sore and it just seemed that something was wrong. My biggest concern was that I might break the danged cable and have to do Fred Flintstone starts at traffic lights to get home (don’t ask me how I learned how to do this).
Sooo....I looked in my handy shop manual and I had routed the clutch cable incorrectly.
I had it on the outside of the LH carb instead of down between the two carbs under the fuel tank. Here is a photo of the proper routing of the clutch cable.
The real estate under the tank between the carbs is very tight - lots of fuel lines, filters, engine ventilator tubes etc. etc. in there, and so getting the clutch cable down through that busy intersection was a bit of a challenge.
While I was doing the re-routing, which required removing the LH engine case cover (but it doesn’t contain oil so no biggie), I thought, geez - I haven’t lubed the clutch cable in a while, so I did that too. I used one of those nifty little cable luber clampy things and it worked like a charm! One or two squirts up at the handlebar end of the cable and all kinds of schmutz came out of the lower end. Then, I just hooked it all back up, installed the case cover and we were back in business.
Here is everything you need to lube the clutch cable.
My test ride was A-1 - nice light clutch action, neutral comes up easily and no more sore hand! The entire job, including removing the LH case cover and the fuel tank took around 25 minutes - well worth the effort!
Yeah - my beloved Lucille is BACK!!