Clutch Cable Routing

[portugeezer]

I still have not changed my clutch cable. The reason is that it has always taken some gorilla grip to pull my clutch in. I let a couple of strong men try it and they all said they couldn't ride it this way. I suspect the cable was routed wrong when I got the bike. I now have a new cable so I think I should correct the problem. Without being able to use the string method how would I go about correctly routing my cable? Thanks in advance for the help! I greatly appreciate any input!

[Placerville]

Do you have a shop manual? If you don't, you can round one up on eBay. They're a must. If you don't want to buy one, here's one you can download for free.

Following is the adjustment procedure. It also gives you tips on changing out the cable.

Step One: RED Loosen the upper adjuster and nut all the way.
Step Two: BLUE remove the cable from the clutch lever. You might have to remove the lever from the handle bars to make this easier due to a stiff cable.

Step Three: RED Loosen the lower adjuster all the way.

Step Four: Remove the clutch arm cover on the back of the motor.
Step Five: BLUE Remove the clutch cable from the clutch arm.

[portugeezer]

Wow! Mine is run under the left side of the air filter box then bends toward the right then back left! I replaced it once when I first got the bike and used the string method! No wonder it's so hard!

[portugeezer]

BTW I have the Haynes manual. It has no info whatsoever on clutch cables. I also have the Clymer but that one shows no routing it simply says to note cable routing!

[portugeezer]

I replaced the cable this morning. The new one was shorter than the old. When I got the bike a guy had a deal on ebay for an entire set of longer cables. If I had gotten the standard length the first time it could not have been routed the way it was. The clutch lever is much easier to pull in now and I have no trouble at all finding neutral. Neutral was very hard to get in since I've owned the bike!

[Fred Camper]

Good to hear, did not know it could affect neutral. Nice to have that fixed.

[portugeezer]

I wouldn't have thought it would either but I rode a little over 50 miles and it went right into neutral every time. Before it was tricky. I had to lightly flick into it as I came to a stop. You had to be moving a little. Sometimes it would go in at a stop but that was rare. If I had a passenger on the bike they had to get off or it would not go into neutral at all! I have had the bike for two seasons prior to this one so I've gotten used to all it's weirdnesses