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Author Topic: Clutch cables  (Read 726 times)

Vegasrandall

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Clutch cables
« on: February 13, 2011, 07:06:29 PM »
What are the differences between clutch cables on the R bikes? Is it just the length?

Offline Bob_Roller

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Re: Clutch cables
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2011, 07:49:14 PM »
It's just the cable length .

There are about 5 different lengths available for the twin shock bikes .

The measurement is for the inner cable part, not the outer conduit or sheath .
'81 R65
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I'll give up my R65, when they pry my cold dead hands from the handlebars !!!!!

Vegasrandall

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Re: Clutch cables
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2011, 09:25:23 PM »
So any outer would work if I got the inner length right?

Offline Rob Valdez 79 R65

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Re: Clutch cables
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2011, 10:46:42 PM »
You want the appropriate length cable (inner & outer) for your handlebar height.

What Bob said is mostly right.  All of the different length cables will (should) have the same cable-to-sheath ratio.  
The free-play in all of the cable assemblies should be the same, because you want the same clutch adjustability, regardless of handlebar height/clutch cable length.

With the low bars like you have, you would want one of the shorter cables, so there is not a lot of slack hanging around - which usually would be down by the lower R-H side of the engine/frame, at the front.

Too short, and you would not have enough free-play in the sheath, causing binding when the handlebars are at full lock, one way or the other.
I think the only clutch cable that would be too short would be the one for the R100RS (L=1386MM), with it's very low, narrow handlebars.

R100RT - L=1520MM

R65 low bars (European models) - L=1386MM - Whoops!  Same as the RS!

R65 high bars (US models) - L=1495MM - shorter than the RT.

I got all of these figures from RealOEM.