'82 Kawasaki KZ 550A Clutch Cable

Hello everyone.

Firstly, I'd like to say I'm ecstatic that there is a website specifically for KZ's! I already feel like this will be a great home for me to soak in knowledge and share and read stories with you all. I'll begin with my first story...

I picked up my first motorcycle yesterday. Took a motorcycle course 6 months back, then bought a Yamaha Zuma 50cc Scooter. It felt time for a motorcycle and I'm happy I found the KZ.

I found a beautiful 1982 Kawasaki Kz550A w/ 17,000 miles on it. Like'd it when I saw the ad and then fell in love with it when I saw it in person!

I took the train down yesterday, as the bike was in my old town and I now live in San Francisco, CA. I picked it up, drove around the neighborhood blocks for a good half-hour to get a feel for it, then headed on the main street back to SF; wasn't ready to go on the FWY yet.

On my way home I'm at a red light and I remember just basking in the bliss of having my first motorcycle. The light turns green and I get ready to go, then BAM the clutch lever gives and has no resistance.

Here I am, 23 riding back to SF, over a 50 mile drive, on my first motorcycle and I'm stuck in the lane at a light not knowing what just happened. Lol it was a great feeling though!

I realized what happened seconds later and rolled it to safety.

I read an article on shifting without a clutch cable while I was sitting in the bank parking lot I parked at. I gathered my thoughts and then pushed it to start. I rode it to my friends house and had a adventure riding it. Parked it in his garage and took the train back home today.

Oh, I forgot to mention when the cable snapped and I rolled it to safety, first thing I did was pull out my phone, but then I realized my phone had no battery! Luckily I had the charger with me and was able to make some calls. Called some shops but none had the part, it makes sense though it's an old bike and it would be unusual to have a store carry the parts.

I ordered a Motion Pro Black Vinyl OE Clutch Cable 03-0060 off of Amazon. I was in a rush to get it shipped out asap. I hope that is a quality cable, any thoughts?

Anyways, I'm back home studying for finals for college and am awaiting for the cables to take the train back and work on the bike.

My dilemma is I'm not an avid motorcycle mechanic, although I have taken courses and working with cars and have some experience with that, plus I am a bit of a handy man. If I know the step-by-step I can get it done.

I read two other thread's on this website about a broken clutch cable, but wasn't 100% sure on how to replace it after reading them.

I haven't yet bought the service manual, but will when I have more money.
I was hoping to get a step-by-step instruction for how to change the clutch cable for a beginner motorcyclist with some mechanical knowledge OR given a link to an already created thread I missed on the issue..

From what I saw the clutch cable snapped at the clutch lever.

Thank you in advance and looking forward to chatting with you all.

ps I will post pictures of my bike when I get the bike back home and clean it up

A clutch cable breaking at the lever seems rather typical, as it can collect road grit & dirt and the lube gets dried out, then the cable end starts binding & it breaks.

Replacing the clutch cable is fairly straight forward. Note its routing before removal.
To install the cable, you have to remove the left side engine/sprocket cover, but other stuff has to be done first. It's kind of a dirty job once you get the cover off.
Turn in any adjusters to get some slack in the cable. There should be a thumb adjuster at the lever & there may be a barrel adjuster approximately midway on the cable.
Remove the shift lever & left side foot peg.
You may have to remove &/or loosen the starter motor cover bolts. On my 81 KZ650 I remove the one nearest the engine/sprocket cover & just loosen the other one.
Remove the 4 bolts securing the engine/sprocket cover, then pull the cover off. It will probably feel like it's getting hung up on something - usually the shift lever shaft seal - so just pull the cover straight off. I position a shipping box on the floor to have something to lay the cover on for support. There is going to be a grungy mess - I use Gunk. Also, LiquidWrench silicone spray lubricant is a good cleaning solvent.
Note how the cable is routed at the sprocket cover & how it's seated in the clutch release mechanism. There should be a cotter pin. Some say it isn't necessary, but I prefer to install a new one to help keep the cable end in place.

loudhvx Motorcycle Stuff page zloudhvxz mcstuffpage

Rear brake shoes. If you don't know the age of the Rr Br shoes, replace them.

Thanks martin.

I skimmed through it and I think I can put it together. I'll read it much more thoroughly as soon as finals are done for school.

Do you recommend a certain service manual for the 1982 KZ 550A?

EDIT: Nvm I was able to find this site w/ references: http://http://www.repairmanual.com/category/1982-kawasaki-kz550a3-sports/#gsc.tab=0

Just ordered the 1979-1985 Kawasaki KZ500 550 ZX550 Repair Manual by Clymer

In general a Kawasaki factory service manual is preferable to the aftermarket manuals, but a Clymer will have more detailed repair procedures - the factory manual assumes the mechanic is already competent in some of the stuff. I looked on ebbaayy but didn't see a Kaw service manual that includes your model which should be a KZ550-A3.

I don't recommend getting this particular manual, but here's one for the 1980 550A et al:
Kawasaki KZ400 KZ500 KZ550 Factory Service Manual KZ 400 500 550 .
Note the model application chart on the back cover. Before buying a manual, make sure your bike is included on the list.