As many others on this forum have already said: Lube your cables.
For the clutch it is also important to lube the barrel at the top of the cable, so that it can rotate in its socket, so as not to bend and fatigue the cable.
I have hand guards on my Versys which obscure that clutch cable barrel, so I got complacent and ignored checking and lubing it.
Today, on the highway about 2 miles from the office: Snap! Clutch handle against the hand grip. Oops.
I made it to the office with clutchless shifting and luck that the lights were green. I have a replacement cable at home, but now I have the challenge of getting that to my Versys here at the office. Oh well, I will figure it out.
Wow, bummer. Nice to see you made it to work, but how did you stop the bike without the clutch? That must have been a little rough...
When you get around to do the replacement and lube, take a few pictures to point out where we need to squirt the goo and what kind if you have a preference.
I have been lazy lately too. I need to go home today and do some maintenance. Glad you were not out in the middle of nowhere when it happened.
I carry a spare under my seat with an extra for my wifes bike too. Not easy finding a way to wrap them so they don't kink, but it can be done.
Good luck on the fix.
A good place to carry spare cable is to route spare alongside connected clutch cable. Repair is much easier if you do break cable ball end. Have never had clutch cable issue since I began keeping ball end at lever well lubed.
FWIW after I lubed the clutch cable it still didn't feel right, so I checked the routing. I found the cable bracket that's on the frame behind the steering head was pinching the cables so tight there was a dimple in the clutch cable cover. I pulled it away, and the clutch now feels perfect. Just an easy thing to check.
Hey Shaun, I just ordered mine through the dealer. I can't remember how much I paid for it but you should check around. Might save a few bucks.
I been stuck before with a broken cable and could not get one locally. What an ordeal!
I bought those cable lubrication devices, alluminum, very small and easy to use.
I just put WD40 on it and I could see how dirt comes out from the other end... that's the way to know it's working... but I must say I have WD40 leaks in the device (is not much hermethic) while doing this so have a cloth in your hand or put below the operation area.
"Leaks" is an understatement.
You're a non-native speaker, so your input is still welcome.
More comes out of the device than actually goes in.
It's a matter of the design - the rubber enclosure doesn't fully seal around the ball end.
If you haven't yet, I suggest you try to re-route the cable around the top clamp. Invader and others report a smoother pull from the relieved kink in that area.
And definitely put a good glob of grease around the barrel, where it holds in the lever. That's where my last one broke. Repeated stress on the cable due to the little barrel seizing to the hole instead of twisting inside it.
If anybody needs a Big Ol' Syringe, let me know. Our animal lab uses them - I could probably scrounge up a box.
Or, we could just set up a circuit - mailing it around.
I have never given any thought to lubing cables on any of my motorcycles, never had one break, but think I may want to learn the proper way to do this.
Can anyone post a few links to a good cable lubing device that you have personally used that works well? Also any photos of how to use such tooling! I assume you need to unhook the cable from both ends before beginning??? I am a complete newbie at this but feel that I should take a preventative stance since cable fatigue and snapping seem to be a little more common on this bike from all the stories I read.
I have the same or a similar device. I wrap a shop towel around it to minimize the lube spraying everywhere. I think I got it at the "local" (80 miles away) Cycle Gear but I have seen them in most motorcycle shops.
I have the same or a similar device. I wrap a shop towel around it to minimize the lube spraying everywhere. I think I got it at the "local" (80 miles away) Cycle Gear but I have seen them in most motorcycle shops.
FWIW, I simply remove the top end, hold it up with wire pulled out, use 3 in 1 oil, it has a small tip, drip it into sheath, move cable wire up and down, repeat, takes 5 min. and notice a little dampness at lower rubber boot, DONE, put blob of grease on the barrel, insert and adjust, ensuring the adjuster slots are facing down and/or back so as not to collect water in the sheath.
Ride On!
Good vid, btw.
CHEERS!
A must must must, learned it the hard way. Wish someone from the Dealer would have mentioned that, knowing the V was the first bike I was buying and riding.
I was riding on Saturday and notice the clutch lever was hanging and not opening all of the way. I messed with the adjusters (while sitting on it not bothering to inspect it where it connects to the barrel) and made it home. So I went out to inspect and lube it after work tonight and my inspection results were disturbing--that the mother bear is frayed and will go at anytime! Just shy of 20K miles and roughly 8 months new.
Now I am wondering if the clutch cable is covered under warrantee or it is considered a high wear item.
I was riding on Saturday and notice the clutch lever was hanging and not opening all of the way. I messed with the adjusters (while sitting on it not bothering to inspect it where it connects to the barrel) and made it home. So I went out to inspect and lube it after work tonight and my inspection results were disturbing--that the mother bear is frayed and will go at anytime! Just shy of 20K miles and roughly 8 months new.
Now I am wondering if the clutch cable is covered under warrantee or it is considered a high wear item.
Have had one of those cable lube gizmo's for about 40 yrs. Works great! Leaks a bit more on some cables than others but gets the job done!! Haven't broken a cable since my BSA days in the 60's!
my DL650 has a rubber boot/cover over the clutch lever pivot. maybe i will see if it would fit my Versys. i wonder if that would make the cable last longer. i don't see many problems with the DL clutch cable.
my DL650 has a rubber boot/cover over the clutch lever pivot. maybe i will see if it would fit my Versys. i wonder if that would make the cable last longer. i don't see many problems with the DL clutch cable.
The V-Strom's cables come pre-lubed with teflon and thus don't require lubing (it's not even recommended)... All I have ever done is lube the barrel end at the lever with grease.
One way to get lube through the entire cable....Take it loose from the lever and prop/yie it in the upright position....Take a sandwich bag,cut off one corner just enough to fit the cable through....Put a zip tie around the bag and cable caseing sealing it off,and fill the bag up with lube high enough to cover the cable where it enters the caseing plus some,and let it set over night...Gravity will pull the lube completely through the cable....
The wifes V would run nice, then after a while it would get harder to use the clutch. She had a mechanic re-route the cablc last year, but it still did not help much.
So while it was snowing I did a little maintenance. Radiator Flush, Oil change, replace and re-route clutch cable.
Here is where I started to remove some stuff , a wire-hanger under the fairing,
Once I removed the hanger, I saw how tight it was. There were indentations in the plastic housings
The top cable is the NEW clutch.
I decided to bend the hanger a little so that there was breathing room for the wires and cable. RED is the original bend, I hope you know what the green is for
After about 15 minutes of trying different ways to lay the cable, turning the stem in both directions, looking for rubbing or kinking. we chose to use only one of the three hangers that Kawasaki has mounted. Below you will see I have the cable going OVER and into the hanger, then up to the handle. Other hangers seem to bee to restricting and may pinch.
Of course I lubed the cable and did a final adjustment. We rode for a few miles, but the real test result will be next week when the weather clears up
I lube my v clutch cable twice a year, using one of those lube clamp thingies. I can actually feel the clutch cable dragging, which tells me its time to lube it. I usually lube it when I take it out of storage in the spring, and then mid summer.
My clutch cable broke at about 15000 miles also. I was in Key West so had to improvise with a Mo-ped cable. It got me back to RI and looks good so far, but I know its not a permanent fix so need to get on it
I have seen topics and how to lube clutch cable but never seen something about the front brake cable. Is the brake cablble removable? Will it be good to lube it too? My brake lever stucks for the first couple presses after a night. I suspect the cable may need lubing but can't find how to detach the brake cable. Do you have any idea about the problem?
The front brake is not a cable. It uses hydraulic fluid. If your brake lever is sticking, I would recommend getting a little grease in the pivot point of the lever.
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