Waiting for custom clutch cable . . .

Yup, the old one finally gave up the ghost. Noticed it when I went to change the release lever to the right one. When my tranny was "rebuilt", they put the wrong lever on the ratchet top. Caused the wire to bend down, making it difficult to make adjustments. Custom ordered a new clutch cable from Motion Pro out in Calif. because the wire needed to be shorter than stock.

The old cable was made in the orient. Word to the wise: never buy cables from the orient - mine started fraying at the handlebar lever after only a year of riding.

So, I'll probably miss a couple weeks riding . . .

:gah:

Ha-ha! Tattoo made me aware of the wrong release lever. I always had a hard time adjusting the clutch and now I know why. Got a nice chrome one from J&P for around 20 bucks. Put it on and that's when I discovered the broken strands of wire on the cable. I figure I lucked out - I may have never found out about the cable until I was out in the middle of nowhere and - SPROING!

At least there's a good side to this little drama .

Frustrating all this waiting . . . talked to a tech over at Motion Pro and he says it's gonna be about 11 days before they can even get started making my cable.

Total down time for bike - 3 to 3 1/2 weeks. I spent nearly $100 for a $47 cable 'cause I thought I'd get it a lot sooner if I shipped the old cable to them Express mail. Big mistake . . . :gah:

Did you try Barnett??

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I won't miss that much riding as I found out that that is what I am waiting for with my bike as well. I called Derek and he told me that he is waiting for a new clutch cable. I didn't think that it would be so soon as he told me that the particular cable that I have was on Back Order or that company at least was having some issues. I find that I will have my bike back today.

See how long it would take Barnett to ship you one, if it's gonna take MP 11 days just to look at your order,I don't think they'd mind cancelling your order if yiou could get one quicker....


Barnett Performance Products | Products | Cables

Update so the thread won't die out . . . I hobbled together an old frayed (Braided) clutch cable I got from Tattoo - just something temporary so I can ride until my new one comes.

Well, I couldn't adjust this one properly, either, as the wire was about an inch too long. So, I adjusted the barrel on the cable out as far as it would go and dragged ass over to Tattoos shop. He couldn't adjust it any better, either. He got the idea to make a 1" sleeve to go over the wire and behind the release lever. Eureka! It took all the slack out and the barrel is holding steady at the halfway point. We put a section of shrink wrap over the sleeve to keep it from falling off. My new cable wire will be an inch shorter than the last one I had.
All this trouble started when I installed the new, and correct, release lever a couple weeks ago. Funny how a thing like that can mess up the cable length.

Yeah, Tattoo called it something unprintable - I called it hillbilly ingenuity. Went for a nice ride this afternoon, even with a 40% chance of rain. Changed the oil when I got home after putting around 500 miles on the oil over the past few weeks. Looked pretty dirty. I should be good to go now for normal oil change intervals. Dang, boys, it's good to have everything running like it should . . .

New Cable, Barnett friction discs, new steel plates with anti-rattle balls and clutch retainer should all arrive about the end of next week .

JB you seem to prefer the "Old School" approach to things, have you ever considered a foot clutch and hand shift set up? Takes the clutch cable equation right out of the picture.

Aloha...Mike

I have two Barnett cables on my ride - speedo & throttle. The speedo cable was custom made because I mounted the speedo over the rear rocker box. Not sure why I went with Motion Pro on the clutch cable. Anyway, it is what it is.

Mike, I have considered a jockey shift and may still go that way. But it would be better to have a front brake with that set up, don't you think? LOL. FabKevin makes a foot clutch that utilizes a short cable to the release lever. Another way to go is to use a longer custom made release lever (also a FabKevin item) and use a heim joint linkage system to hook things up.

It would be better to have a front brake PERIOD. My Indian was tank shift but I can't seem to recall if the front brake came into play much. I don't think it did. I know I liked the rocker clutch....being able to put it down and take my foot off of it and still have the clutch engaged. Come to think of it that may have been why the front brake didn't come into play so much.

Aloha...Mike

I'd probably go with the suicide clutch as I don't like holding the clutch in for extended periods of time - not good for the throwout bearing on a 4 speed. When I approach traffic lights and stop signs I find neutral, balance the bike with my right leg and have left foot on the peg ready to shift. If I'm on a downgrade at a light, then I must keep the bike in gear, balance with the left leg, and keep my right foot on the rear brake pedal. Upgrade, I feather the clutch to keep the bike from rolling backwards. Either way can be a PIA. Thankfully, it only happens rarely . . .

Yup, a front brake would make riding a lot easier, and if I ever go with a suicide clutch, I'll put one on.