Clutch Cable Smoothness Question

I use the baggie method to clean and lube cables.

OKC_Kent wrote:

I use the baggie method to clean and lube cables.

That is pretty slick too. I can't tell from the pic how you keep the baggie in place. Do you use tape or something else?


Update after the ride yesterday:

Well, oiling the cable helped a lot but I still noticed the rough jumpiness that I mentioned before. After I got back I thought that perhaps the clutch bar was binding and decided to lube up the joint really well. This had no effect. Then I put my ear down by the clutch part of the engine and heard that the sound and roughness is definitely coming from inside there. I also notice that when I shift gears up or down, it lets off a loud 'thunk' each time. It feels like a clunk to my body while riding as well.

I'm guessing that that points to what you guys already mentioned about lubing up the release mechanism. If not, let me know what else I might need to check while inside there.

All of my bikes (mechanically identical to yours) make a noticeable "clunk" when shifting gears. I stopped worrying about it years ago.

Cut the corner off a baggie, (very small cut) and shove the bag over the cable using some black tape around the cable end. Flush it with solvent to clean it, then light oil. Double check the cable is not kinked, and the cable isn't frayed at the lugs. Replace the cable when they get like that.

Trannys will clunk less if the oil is fresh. I use Rotella 15w-40 and change it every 1500-2000 miles. By that mileage the tranny gears have really done their work on the oil.

Like Kazoocruiser said, clean up the clutch mechanism under the side cover and grease it up. Adjust the clutch. My tranny clunks more shifting from N to 1st. Then another clunk from 1st to 2nd. Smooth after that.

Good luck and have fun!