How to Fix a Motorcycle Clutch Cable

Difficulty shifting on a motorcycle is often due to a faulty clutch cable. Proper maintenance is often capable of fixing a sticky or loose cable and allowing many more hours of enjoyable use of your motorcycle. Here are few quick and easy steps to help you fix motorcycle clutch cable.

Instructions

1. Trace your clutch cable from the grip on the left handle bar to the clutch box. Remove the rubber covering at the clutch and loosen the clutch cable until it is totally slack.

2. Take the upper end of the clutch cable out of the clutch cable perch and squeeze 8 to 10 drops of lubricant between the clutch cable and the clutch cable sleeve.

3. Reset the upper end of the clutch cable in the clutch cable perch, being sure it stays in place until the whole system is under tension.

4. Keep pulling on the inner cable until the clutch lever is about a dime width from the clutch cable perch. This is creates a little bit of play in the clutch for greater control when shifting.

5. Tighten the cable back up by the clutch box until there is good tension in the wire and the clutch lever has about one eighth of an inch play.

6. Slide the rubber covering back over the end of your clutch cable, where it enters the clutch box.

Tips & Warnings

• If your transmission makes a loud grinding noise before your bike stops shifting then you have a transmission problem not a clutch problem.

• If your bike won't shift after sitting for a long time the clutch box might be seized up. To loosen it accelerate your bike to around 20 miles an hour pull in the clutch and slam on the rear brake. This should un-seize your clutch box.

Resources

• A V-Twin enthusiast's website.
• A forum for Sportster enthusiasts.