Hard clutch lever

[oneliterbeater]

So, the 750E we picked up for my gal last night has a stiff clutch lever. It works and shifts fine, but it's far more difficult to pull the clutch lever on it than it is on my 1000. Just a dirty cable? I'm assuming I can take it off, clean and lube it and be ok as long as it's not frayed, etc. What kind of lube should I use?

[Steve]

Use some light oil, but do yourself a favor, do it in a new cable.

OEM cables are preferred, as they last longer, but Motion Pro will work for a while, too, just lube either one when you install it.

.

[oneliterbeater]

Are you saying that if I'm at it I might just as well put a new one on?

[koolaid_kid]

Many 750s (we don't know the year of yours, hint, hint) have a clutch activation rod that goes across the engine, left to right. The cable goes down into the sprocket cover on the left. There is a screw mechanism inside the sprocket cover that gets gunked up and makes it difficult to pull the lever. It needs to be removed, cleaned thoroughly, lightly greased and re-installed. It is not a requirement to replace the cable, but it is a good idea to replace it and keep the old one as a backup.

[Steve]

Are you saying that if I'm at it I might just as well put a new one on?

You catch on quickly, Grasshopper.

Look at it this way: you have a metal cable that is sliding inside a nylon tube. It works GREAT for a few years and a few thousand pulls on the lever, because it has a very small area of contact. However, it will eventually wear a groove in the nylon, because it's pulling in the same place, time after time after time. The groove just happens to be exactly the same diameter as the metal cable, so by the time the groove gets deep enough, you have half the circumference of the cable dragging on the nylon, instead of a very small sliver.

By the sound of your description, you either have a gunked up mechanism, like koolaid_kid suggested, or a cable with a groove worn inside it.

A new cable is about $15, cleaning the gunk is almost free. Splurge, do BOTH.

.

[oneliterbeater]

Makes sense guys. Thanks. And I guess I spaced the year. Its a 79 same as my 1000.

[oneliterbeater]

Ok, I'm ordering parts today, and can find the aftermarket clutch cables, but if the OEM is better I would like to find one. Can I get them online? I haven't found an OEM one online yet. Or am I going to have to go to the dealer?

[sedelen]

Ok, I'm ordering parts today, and can find the aftermarket clutch cables, but if the OEM is better I would like to find one. Can I get them online? I haven't found an OEM one online yet. Or am I going to have to go to the dealer?

I tried to find you an OEM cable at Boulevard Suzuki, no longer listed, so I guess they're no longer available. Sometimes NOS OEM parts show up on e-bay, but you may have to wait, and there's no gaurantees.

[oneliterbeater]

Yep, I looked there too. And Z1. No luck on either, but Z1 does have aftermarket. Guess I'll hit up the local shop tomorrow and hope it's one of the parts they are reasonable on.

[koolaid_kid]

In the mean time, I strongly suspect that a good cleaning and lubrication will make it acceptable. It has for me in the past. Just a thought.

[oneliterbeater]

I'll give that a try also. Ordered some new bars for it(old ones are bent on one side), so when they arrive I'll dig into the clutch cable.

[1_v8_merc]

I always order new cables immediately on new bikes....regardless of how good they look.

Almost all the cables on my bikes were splintered or had hidden damage...of course I couldn't see it until I pulled the cable off of the bike!

I just use the cheaper Motion Pro's......no problems.
(I think they're made in Taiwan...just for reference purposes.)

[koolaid_kid]

I also keep my old cables as backups, especially when I go on long trips. Nothing like being caught in the middle of the Smokey Mountains with a broken clutch cable and no backup.

[mcycle-nut]

I put Barnett clutch springs in my 750 and couldn't keep clutch cables for more than a few months before they broke, although I was using Motion Pro. I finally got my local shop to MAKE me a cable out of a thicker gauge of cable and that seemed to work.

[koolaid_kid]

Barnett must vary the spring tension per model. I have a full set in my GPz and they are awesome. Perhaps slightly higher pressure at the lever, but not by much. And most certainly not uncomfortable.