Replacing The Clutch Cable On The CB750
Taping the two cables together to place the new one while removing the old one. Those two knurled wheels above Roy’s hand are where it feeds into the clutch lever.
I had had the impression for some time that something was not right with the clutch on my 1980 Honda CB750 Custom. At a stop, if I didn’t hold the brake on, the bike would creep forward, even with the clutch lever all the way in.
At first I thought if I just adjusted the tension using the little wheels up by the lever that that should do it. I tried that, though, and the adjustment helped but things didn’t seem right. Plus, I noticed that the cable at that end was badly frayed. Consulting with Roy, my local motorcycle repair guru, we agreed that I needed a new clutch cable. I found one online and soon had it in hand. Meanwhile I watched a few YouTube videos on replacing the thing.
When Roy could work it in to his schedule he came over and we got to work.
Roy thought I might need to lift the tank but in the best video I watched the guy said that would make it easier but it wasn’t really necessary. He and Roy both suggested connecting the end of one cable to the opposite end of the other and pulling the new one through as you extract the old one.
I had figured to just duct-tape the ends together but Roy’s approach was to wrap the two together with a bit of wire and then cover that with duct tape to streamline the connection and avoid having anything sticking out to catch on something. I pulled and Roy worked the other end and it came almost all the way but then got stuck. I found I could reach up under the tank and fiddle with the cable but just couldn’t find and undo the snag. So the tank would have to come off.
Here I actually knew more than Roy because I had watched the video. All I needed to do was remove the seat and then undo the bolt right at the back end the tank. I did and the back end lifted right up. I had expected to have to shut off the petcock and then disconnect the gas line but that wasn’t necessary.
Still Roy couldn’t find and fix the snag so he told me to just pull it toward me and then lift it up. Turns out at the front end of the tank two U-shaped seats slipped right onto–or off–two round pegs on the steering column. Pull back and then the tank is free to be completely removed. But I still didn’t have to disconnect the gas line. Now Roy was able to work through the snag.
Next, put the tank back in place, screw in the bolt, and get the new cable hooked up. Except removing that duct tape was killer. As Roy commented, and I agreed, this must be really good duct tape.
Roy did all the real work. He hooked up both ends of the cable and made all the adjustments and then had me get on, start the bike, put it in gear, and see how it feels. It felt great. He showed me the amount of free-play desired in the clutch and told me a new cable will stretch so I’ll need to adjust it in a while and this is what to aim for.
And now I have a functional bike again, plus I learned a whole bunch about working on my bike. That’s a good day.
Biker Quote for Today
You might be a Yuppie biker if your Harley shirt has a collar.
Tags: motorcycle clutch cable
