Broken Clutch cable

[GLoweVA]

Can you believe it. Just 9 months ago I had to replace this sucker and here I am again.
So, on my way home from work sitting at a stop light (1/4mile from home) and go to pull the clutch to get it in gear and SNAP. It breaks right there at the handle. (just like before)
So what to do.... light turns green, I'm 4 cars back, I decide maybe if I get a running start, I can get in into first and not stall.
Nope, stall. Now I'm first at the light. I restart (Back in neutral)
light turns green again, but this time I get a bigger running start and click into first, vroom, then 2nd and creep it home.
Pull into the driveway and have it stall.
Oh well, time to tear it apart tommorow.

[Cobia]

Hey Bud,
Had a similar experience last Sat night..
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34287

And mine would not get going in first with the starter so I started in neutral waited for the revs to drop and.... read the story..
It seems you have an issue with the tension on your clutch cable, I think.
Often I've thought about the same thing since I normally down shift into first when approaching a traffic light and just wait there in first with the clutch disengaged and the lever gripped back. I wonder about cable stretch while I'm sitting there waiting for the light to change..... but I guess the stress was more on the lever than the cable in my case..
For what it's worth, failure finds the weakest point to strike..

[3Phase]

George, I know this doesn't help you this time....

I replaced the clutch and throttle cables before one of the long trips on my XS and I zip-tied the old ones to the frame under the seat and fuel tank.

After almost driving through the front window of a bar & grill when the front brake lever snapped off as a young lady and I pulled up to park, I came all too close to a highside on the way back to her place after dinner when a deer ran in front of us. I reached for a handful of front brake that wasn't there any more then had to try to use the rear brake to panic slide/stop.

I decided right then and there that a spare set of clutch and brake levers would come in real handy, too, and they're even easier to carry so I bought them on the next trip into town when I picked up the new front brake lever at the dealership.

[CaptonZap]

It would seem to me that if the clutch cable broke at the grip, after only nine months in service, you have something wrong with the set up. If this was a commercial cable, with the round button on the end, and, the socket for that button, that is in the handle, was not boogered up, and the button and socket was lubricated with some Dri-Slide, that cable should last for years.
Did the cable snap next to the button? Make sure that the slot in the handle that the cable goes through is wide enough to accommodate the cable. When it is installed, and before the cable housing is put into the socket, check that the cable and button swivel freely.
Does the inner cable enter the outer housing in a straight line, so that there is no rubbing where the inner cable goes into the ferrule? If the hand grip stem, that holds the cable, is bent, that can cause that situation. A properly aligned and lubricated setup will last for years
And definitely tape a spare along side the one in use. CZ

[GLoweVA]

I haven't taken it apart yet, but I think I might have a rubbing problem near the handle. kinda like it was sawing at the cable each time i pulled on it.
Gonna have to look closely at that failure point. That's where it failed last time.

Anyone know of a sutiable replacement? (ie. different model that might fit)
the dealer can 'order' me a stock one $$$$ and the aftermarket ones are out of stock too.
It's just that she is my daily rider and I want to get back on the road asap.

[3Phase]

George,

XSChop found one a few years ago for a V-Star and the dealer might have one in stock but if you think $25 for the stock clutch cable is bad, that one's $41 at boats.net :-

v-star SS Clutch Cable STR-5EL48-20-SD


Motion Pro#: 05-0058 is $15.72

STR-5EL48-20-SD is $41.30

Old number from the '78 Standard: 2H7-26335-00-00 has been superceded.
New number from the '79 Special: 3H3-26335-00-00 is $25.47

1990-1999 FZR600: 3HE-26335-01-00 is 14.91

2002-2006 Banshee YZF350: 5FK-26335-00-00 is $10.20

It looks like '26335' means 'clutch cable' to the parts department in Yama-mutter.

[GLoweVA]

Thanks 3phase, I called every yamaha dealer in our area code and nobody carries cables in stock. I ended up getting one off ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=130579100845
Hopefully it'll get here soon. Monday being a holiday and all.

I did find that my clutch lever wobbled a bit up and down because the pivot bolt was loose. I'll have to make sure that the new one is lubed up good and fits in the hole correctly.

I might have to seriously think about getting a spare and putting it in my saddle bag.

Thanks for all the quick replies.
(see the ''what did you do to your bike' thread for more of my woes)

[yamahansolo]

Dennis Kirk sells them cheap. I broke 2 Yamaha Ines and 2 of the Dk ones before I realized my Daytona bars were putting them at the wrong angle.

[clcorbin]

" She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. "

That quote from your tag line, yamahansolo, made me want to watch Star Wars all over again. Sigh. Too bad "Episode One" sucked so bad it just about ruined the whole series for me...

<ON TOPIC!>
I was noticing a bit of slack in my clutch cable (replaced about 20k miles or so ago) the other day and thought I REALLY should buy a new cable now instead of waiting for this one to break!

[CatatonicBug]

go to pull the clutch to get it in gear

Just a side note - NEVER a good idea to sit in neutral at a stop! Keep the thing in gear with the lever pulled so you can grop it into gear to get outta dodge if you need to!

[Hmar]

Mine went last Monday, at least I was only about 1/4 mile out of work. Pushed it back in the lot and got another ride home. I couldn't find one locally either, so I ordered one from BikeBandit. Hopefully be here soon.