Page 1 of 1
Clutch cable premature failures
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 6:46 pm
by dwerbil
On the /7, I've gone through probably 3 clutch cables the past 30k miles and am now needing a new one. The failure is the usual place in that the cable breaks at the hand control end. And yes, I grease the swivel end in the clutch lever. Must be junk OEM. Two have come from Max BMW; may be a bad batch. Other recommended sources? The clutch cable on my RS is more than 10 years old with 80k on it and it hasn't broken.
Thanks in advance.
Re: Clutch cable premature failures
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:22 pm
by Kurt in S.A.
OEM cables are the best...I don't think it's the cable source.
Have you looked at the "swivel" to be sure it really is moving in its bore? Besides this aspect, I think I remember reading that the slot that the cable moves through might be too small for the cable or really the swaged end of the cable. That swaged part needs to be ground down to move smoothly. Read the first part of Snowbum's page here:
http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/controlcables.htm
It shouldn't be too difficult to read this...he doesn't get that wild with the font!
Kurt in S.A.
Re: Clutch cable premature failures
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:43 pm
by Zombie Master
If there are problems with the clutch arm attached to the trans housing, you may have too much resistance. If the clutch stiff to pull?
Re: Clutch cable premature failures
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 2:23 pm
by Duane Ausherman
It is easy to test for proper action at the handle. Pull the lever very slowly and watch the cable move. If it is jerky, then you found the issue. It should be smooth, no matter how slowly you pull the lever.
Re: Clutch cable premature failures
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 11:36 am
by jimmyg
After about 30 years the original cable on my R90s finally snapped. I installed a new one I had kept as a spare and it broke at the handle within 1,000 miles.
As Duane suggests, I installed the new cable and pulled the lever in very slowly, noticing that the attachment point at the lever was not rotating very smoothly.
The cause? It seems as the new cable was just a smidgen thicker and as the lever was pulled the cable was not dropping into the recess in the lever properly, causing the cable end to bend.
Remedy? a very small rat tail file opened the lever area enough to remedy.
So look very closely at what the cable itself is contacting in the lever as you slowly disengage the clutch.
jimmyg