| Author | Message | ||
     Xbolt12 |
Just over 12,000 miles today and my clutch cable broke up in the mountains. That was loads of fun riding it all the way home without a clutch! Anyway, everybody with a 12 seems to be breaking the clutch cable, which to me indicates it is stressed too much. Seems like a redesign of the cable, or the clutch is in order. Just my opinion. xbolt12 | ||
| Spiderman |
Have you lubed the cable since your purchase? | ||
| Trenchtractor |
I got back from Paluma yesterday with about 3 SS threads still attached, so I was lucky... My bike has less than 9,000k's (14,400mi) on the clock and it is shot. The bike won't even leave the garage now until a new cable turns up... Major PITA, though. I don't know any other bike that would snap a clutch cable before 9,000k's. BTW, pics from yesterday here... http://www.themuell.com/article.php?id=40 Not many bike pics, but the car following us didn't really keep up all that well!! | ||
| Gowindward |
Where on the cable did it break? | ||
| Dbird29 |
Hydraulic | ||
| Trenchtractor |
Mine broke where the SS strands go into the swage in the clutch lever, so lubing it wouldn't have helped anyway, just a weak swage, I guess. | ||
| Xbolt12 |
Thats where mine broke, just a weak cable in my opinion. xbolt12 | ||
| Tbs_stunta |
If its an issue, you should carry a spare. Coiled up they aren't all that big. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Mine broke where the SS strands go into the swage in the clutch lever, so lubing it wouldn't have helped anyway, just a weak swage, I guess. Did it in fact break or did the strands pull out of the swage? One of my old Honda's kept "breaking" there until the shop I kept getting replacements from looked at it (three clutch cables in 2 months) Told me to "lube the hell out of it, then lube it some more. Once a week for awhile lube it." When I asked why his comment was that when the cable ran near the exhaust the heat was burning off the lube in that spot and the cable was pulling itself out of the swage. | ||
| Spyder12s |
mine broke as well ..under 7k mi ...limped home on 2 strands...just got a luber ..going to watch it this season ... | ||
| Cataract2 |
Don't suppose we can get a hydrolic clutch by chance? | ||
| Nedwreck |
JUICE CLUTCH! JUICE CLUTCH! Bob | ||
| U4euh |
Seems I have seen a conversion kit somewhere, any sponsers out there got one? | ||
| Kernalbuell |
I have a juice clutch on my ktm and it rocks. It only makes sense to put one on an xb. With some inginuity one could probably use parts from the motocross world.  | ||
| Glitch |
Don't suppose we can get a hydrolic clutch by chance?  Racing Motor XB9 & XB12 Hydraulic Clutch Kit Take the strain out of changing gear with this hydraulic clutch kit specifically designed for the XB9. Comes complete with braided hydraulic hose, adjustable lever and all fittings. http://www.trojan-horse.co.uk/ Price: £475.00 # XCRRMXB012 | ||
| Ejiii |
Just did the 1000mi service on my XB9SX. Seeing this post I lubed the heck out of the clutch cable. Hopefully doing that at each major service will do the trick. I have had real good luck with Motion Pro cables. Their Terminator series of cables uses a larger inside diameter and a spiral wire outer (rather than the coiled steel of the stock cable) which really makes a difference. Well worth checking out before you go for a hydraulic set up. | ||
| Midknyte |
So can someone either respond or start another thread with lube instructions with pictures? Thanks in advance... | ||
| Opto |
You're all missing the point as to the cause of failure. It's the swaged end not rotating smoothly in the clutch lever causing the fractured strands. Pull in the clutch slowly and you can hear the swage going tick, tick, tick if it's binding. You can also see it binding, this stresses the cable right as it enters the swage. I've been using WD40 on the swage, got a spare clutch cable, and have done around 11,000 miles on the original, only because someone reported them breaking at this location some time ago. Thanks to that person! (Opto ducks for cover with flame retardant suit on) | ||
| Trenchtractor |
Good load of comments here. I wa pretty •••••• that mine broke, so I just parked it and left it to sit over night while I calmed down. There is a nylon sleave around the swage, so yeah, you need to lube that bad boy up... I was about to post that info here, and you know what, Opto beat me to it. Good fun to you changing the clutch cable on the side of the road... Make sure you know what you are doing, other wise the cable will be worthless... I'll be using graphite spray on my next cables swage, fairly regularly, like every wash. I'm gonna look into some other 'wash time maint' which I've never bothered with on my previous sports machines... Seems I should be treating the Muell like my thumper dirt bikes... | ||
| New12r |
I never lubed my cable and it broke at about 12,500 miles, installed a new one and keep it lubed. I will post againg at the end of summer when I have 26,000 miles on the beast. | ||
| Midknyte |
It's the swaged end not rotating smoothly in the clutch lever causing the fractured strands. That's what I thought. Ok, that's easy. A drop of oil on that puppy now & then. | ||
| Tbs_stunta |
>>Good fun to you changing the clutch cable on the side of the road... Make sure you know what you are doing, other wise the cable will be worthless... As opposed to sitting by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere? Even if its a temporary fix to get you home where you can double-check your work its worth the money. | ||
| Sparky |
Oiling the pivoting plastic sleeve will attract dirt and eventually cause it to bind. I use white grease at the swage to lube it and keep dirt out, and Cable-Life with the applicator on the cable. Keeps the clutch action light and like new even after 30k miles. Sparky | ||
| Henrik |
I have had very good experience lubing MC cables using lubes developed for the mountain biking crowd. They sure see their share of dirt, and would be equally hosed if cables started to stick  . The brand I'm using is "While Lightning". What I have is called Race Day, but I guess they don't make that exact "model" anymore. My guess is this is the newer stuff: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=2395&subcategory_ID=4213 If they sell it, get a "needle style" applicator. It screws onto the bottle and makes it easy to "flood" the cable until you see it dripping from the other end. Henrik | ||
| Spike |
Erik- If you are reading this, please DO NOT start using soggy, spongy hydraulic clutches that suck up all the lever feel. Some of us actually like the smooth and linear feel of a properly lubed and adjusted cable actuated clutch. My XB12R never saw a garage until last month. It has been parked and ridden in rain, sleet, and snow for over 15k miles and the clutch cable shows no signs of wear. Same goes for the belt. Mike L. '04 XB12R | ||
| Bubabuell |
Good point, Spike. I hate that about hydro clutches. Though over another broken cable I'd consider it.  | ||
| Kaese |
Mine broke at the swage point also at about 21,000, never lubed it. Luckily I was only 1/2 mile away from work and it is down an incline. Thought I might change it at work, but it was a little more complicated than that. Ended up trucking it home for the repair. $475 is out of my price range for the Hydraulic Clutch. My conclusion from this post is to grease the swage and lube the cable. | ||
| Whistle |
If you have the hydro clutch then you've got to bag along fluid in case the level drops...or worse yet if you have to bleed it while you're out. Follow the maintenance guides in your owner's manual and you'll be Okie Dokie. (Just keep an extra cable in the garage and check it like you should check everything else on your bike. If it wears out, replace it. hmm that wasn't hard.) Not baggin on the guys that had a cable break on the road. Had one break on my '83 Honda, but that was probably the original cable and was in 2001...no fun trying to push a 600 lb bike up to speed before slamming it into 1st while in traffic! ha later, Nick | ||
| Hattrick |
Is it hard to replace the stock clutch cable? | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Depends on the model of bike. The Lighting(S) is more involved. The Firebolt(R) is out in the open so its fairly easy. |
