kz1000 snapping brand new clutch cables...

it is an aftermarket cable. and yes an earlier kz. I'll check the clutch linkage under the cover and go from there. thanks.

Touche' Ron.


Kingcobra,
There is some truth to poorer quality in some aftermarket parts, cables being one of them.

Get some popcorn and soda ready, this is a lengthy story.:ohmy:


A while back I got a great deal on a set of Motion Pro throttle cables off eBay for my KZ650.
When finally presented with the chance to put one into use (during morning rush-hour freeway traffic no less:pinch:), it exhibited the same probs you seem to be having with the clutch in it feeling "hard" to actuate.

Once I got home (and was able to release my cramped hand from the throttle), I pulled that cable back off to examine it.
With the cable assy straight, the inner cable would glide through the housing butter-smooth. If I bent the cable into an arc however (like when mounted), it would literally take all I had to make that inner cable budge.
Upon closer examination of the entire cable and housing, I noticed the chrome cap on one end of the housing where the cable slides through had a small "lump" of chromed material directly in contact with the inner cable.
It was small enough to not cause a prob if the cable was straight, but would cause it to bind when bent.
I contacted MP and explained the prob, and they said they would gladly replace it at no cost had I bought it directly from them or from a retail establishment.
I ended up just ordering another MP cable from Z1 Ent, and that one turned out to look and work flawlessly.

So basically, you just might have gotten a couple of cables that squeeked past the QC dept.
It still couldn't hurt to thoroughly check the clutch lever and perch for signs of wear and/or damage that could be causing the prob.

As I said before, I have broke oem and after market cables, I keep a spare at the shop for just such an emergency, in fact it happened a few mths ago and yes it WAS a oem cable that broke.
Back to the origonal problem if you have checked the mech portion ofthe clutch and lube everyhting up, then next check the routing of the cable to make sure it is not getting to close to the header thus causing the failure

Poor KINGCOBRA, asks a simple question about a cable and gets an online "BRAWL". :laugh:
Poor guy says "ill check the clutch linkage under the cover", and if we can see him, he;s probably runnin for cover!
My .02 cents, Ive had numerous occasions where ive bought an alternator or starter,fuel pump, etc for a car and have had those parts be defective, i.e not work. Could be the cable itself, but to be sure you have to figure out WHY its so hard to pull in first, then your answer will come from that. Good luck, and remember all, tuck and roll!! :lol:

Kingcobra wrote:

it is an aftermarket cable. and yes an earlier kz. I'll check the clutch linkage under the cover and go from there. thanks.

had a similar problem on my 750. The release assembly has an "arm" on it the cable hooks into. That needs to be positioned so it's at a right angle to the cable, or it will:

1) be hard to pull

2) put excess tension on the cable

Mine came from the factory adjusted wrong and I didn't know it at the time. I ended up having to replace the release assembly because the two years I ran it like that put enouch force on the helical grooves the ball bearings run in that it wore them out.

If the release assembly is set up right, you should have a clutch that's easy to pull and won't snap cables.

violentvintagecycles wrote:

Poor KINGCOBRA, asks a simple question about a cable and gets an online "BRAWL". :laugh:
Poor guy says "ill check the clutch linkage under the cover", and if we can see him, he;s probably runnin for cover!
My .02 cents, Ive had numerous occasions where ive bought an alternator or starter,fuel pump, etc for a car and have had those parts be defective, i.e not work. Could be the cable itself, but to be sure you have to figure out WHY its so hard to pull in first, then your answer will come from that. Good luck, and remember all, tuck and roll!! :lol:

If the release assembly is not adjusted so the arm is at a right angle to the cable, you lose leverage and it gets hard to pull. Surprised me how little off it can be and get hard to pull. I snapped the factory cable after maybe 18 months and never knew the clutch was way harder to pull than it should have been.

No more fighting!

RonKZ650 wrote:

All I know is anything I own lasts longer and looks better than anyone elses

that is an incrediblly bold statement ron,
beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
how dare you attempt to force your Opinion on everyone else and say they drive an inferior machine?
you do have very nice bikes, i will give you that.
too bad your head is so far up your a$$ you can't see the beauty in anything else.


btw kingcobra, you got some really good advice so far.
only thing i can add is to make sure the pivot is cleaned and lubed. good luck.

kawsakiman wrote:

RonKZ650 wrote:

All I know is anything I own lasts longer and looks better than anyone elses

that is an incrediblly bold statement ron,
beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
how dare you attempt to force your Opinion on everyone else and say they drive an inferior machine?
you do have very nice bikes, i will give you that.
too bad your head is so far up your a$$ you can't see the beauty in anything else.


btw kingcobra, you got some really good advice so far.
only thing i can add is to make sure the pivot is cleaned and lubed. good luck.

OK I'll take the challenge. All 80,000 mile KZ1000s and 160,000 mile KZ650s step on up. Anyone that gets over 60,000 miles out of a chain also so I can learn the way to make them last. Of course any advice I give is "bad advice".
One thing I think I can safely say is I've ridden a KZ more miles by far than anyone else here and to have people tell me "I give bad advice" is a bunch of crap because I have been over the road and learned how to make stuff last better than average. I'll say that instead if it makes you happier. Funny in whatever miles I've done on a KZ, which I figure is 310,000 give or take, I've never had a clutch cable problem except for the normal wear and tear although I have had used KZs where the clutch was hard to pull and guess what? They all had aftermarket cable and replacing with factory fixed the hard pull. Of course this fact is regarded "rediculous". So my advice is wrong. I really don't care what people think, all I can relay is my own experiences. If they don't agree with you, you can do what you like.

I bought a Motion Pro clutch cable from Jeff at Z1 about 3 summers ago. Lubed the poop out of it with a product called Fluid Film. (The can says it's a wool-wax formula) I checked the lever and perch for burs and cleaned and lubricated everything. I even used a new cotter pin. To date, the clutch pulls like velvet, no fraying on the cable. $13 and superior service from Z1, what I think is a decent quality part and I'm a happy (riding) camper.

Ron, there's no question you've managed to get way above average mileage out of your bikes. However, that reflects a style of riding (and maintenance) that most 20-30 year old bikes haven't received.

I'd like to think I could get 250,000 miles out of my truck, but I put it through very harsh duty, so it's questionable that I can. Yet I know if the hands of someone doing highway mileage, 250,000 miles would be a breeze - 300,000+ miles wouldn't be unreasonable. But in my case of short trips, ploughing, towing a 20' enclosed trailer, and hauling all sorts of 'stuff', the poor truck gets used and abused.

The problem with statements you can get 100,000 miles out of a KZ650 engine isn't that you can't do it, but it's dependant on factors that most bikes don't experience -truly the exception, not the rule.

Having pulled a fair number of engines apart, I've seen most 40,000 mile engine totally worn out, yet others with more miles looking like new. The key is the combination of maintenance, how the bike is ridden, and how the bike's been stored.