clutch cable keeps breaking

If you don't lube the barrel end what happens it doesn't rotate in the lever and bend's the cable right
at the barrel and work hardens it and that cause it to break.
I lube all moving part's of the lever with normal wheel bearing grease and never have an issue.
I have ran a lot of motion pro cable's there not junk there just installed dry most of the time
and THAT is why they break and that's the same for a factory cable.

The Motion Pro cables are not all that bad. Of course use Kawasaki if you can get them, but I believe they have discontinued most cables for KZs. Despite all the lubing and such in the advice, which is good advice obviously, I did all that and still had cable failures about every 16,000 miles give or take. One thing to watch for if you're afraid a cable is possibly going bad, they break always at the lever like I said, and they usually don't snap all at once, usually one small cable breaks, then another, then at this point the cable needs tightening to get your lever play back correct, then another strand breaks and so on till the last strand breaks. So word of advice is if the cable needs adjusting, it is probably beginning to fail. I never cared, and just rode til the last cable snapped, then replace the cable and good for another couple years.
Of course how much you use the clutch has the biggest determining factor in life span. My 650s were my city bikes, my work bikes. On the highway like I used the KZ1000 I never had a failure in 80,000 miles. Different set of circumstances completely.

RonKZ650 wrote: ......Of course how much you use the clutch has the biggest determining factor in life span. My 650s were my city bikes, my work bikes. On the highway like I used the KZ1000 I never had a failure in 80,000 miles. Different set of circumstances completely.

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That really is an excellent point! My old BSA clutch cable used to break VERY frequently, but 90% of my riding was in the city. My Kawasaki cable has never broken, but 95% of my riding is on country roads. Ed

Also, be sure to adjust for the proper amount of clutch lever free play. usually a few mms.
I use brake caliper grease on the lever & cable ends, and either gear oil or Liquid wrench chain lube on the inner cable.

To lubricate the inner cable I shove clear tubing over one end & shove different sized tubing over that so that a funnel will fit, use masking tape so it stays put & put masking tape around the center adjuster, hang the funnel from the eaves with a coat hanger, then spray or pour some lubricant. If spraying, insert the nozzle tube down into the tubing.

City riding, around here, means traveling one car length at a time. There isn't even much room to filter through. Like Ron said, the first clue (besides just looking at the cable wires) that you will need a new cable is it will start to get more slack. If you find you need to adjust it more often, check the lever end for broken threads in the cable.

Also, learn how to ride without a clutch cable. It's really not that hard as long as the bike is in good tune. I don't advise it for normal riding, but it will get you by in a pinch.

I use to shift without the clutch until it KILLED my 2nd gear. Once in a while is OK but not all the time.
Steve