How bad is it for the transmission box to ride without a clutch ?
Riding to shop without clutch
- Thread starter Ugur Dinch
- Start date
I tried it once when I was young and craZY i DON'T RECOMMEND IT. I got 2 km from the shop and had to stop because of heavy traffic. I don't know how much damage it caused, it seems maybe none, but it is dangerous. Trailering is much safer. I was on the 401 when I gave up and had to be rescued by Rosey Toes in heavey 401 traffic. A couple of guys on this sight apparently do reasonable rates for moving bikes, and I think one is covered under caa if you have it.Good luck.
This all depends on how good you are at shifting up and down without the clutch in the first place....
However even if you are really good starts from a stand still are rough, and stops you will have to kill the engine and coast under engine braking
However even if you are really good starts from a stand still are rough, and stops you will have to kill the engine and coast under engine braking
Trailer is not an option.
I'm in Miami Beach, and out of the 20 shops I called around, Jacksonville is the closest. That is 600kms north from where I am :violent1:
I don't think I have problems with the application, but just wondering the outcome on the transmission box.
I will be cruising in the 6th on a highway 99% of this trip, and I can arrange the hours just so that it's only me on the roads.
Still 600kms tho...
edit: I will attempt this. Any objections ? =)
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Yes and the outcome will depend on how well you can shift smoothly without the clutch in the first place...I can go up and down on my bikes at high or low RPM without causing any damage weather my clutch cable is broken or not, others cant do it without being clunky at all...clunky = damage, so you will know the outcome as you do it...If its making clunky sounds and your miss shifting then your going to be causing damage..If you can do it butter smooth then you wont be.....
I never broke a cable but Ive broken a lever and had to make it home without a clutch in the past, although not 600 kms
Can you not get a cable delivered or go pick one up in a car? Thats a long distance to go....If your good at clutchless shifting already I might give it a go, but if you plan on learning how to clutchless shift during this trip Id say no. Also being able to clutchless shift into neutral for stops will help alot
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Cool ! Thanks for the input.
I will drop a line on the outcome in a few days.
I will drop a line on the outcome in a few days.
the27thelement
Well-known member
No offence. But there is no way the closest place is 600km away. You would be better off overnighting the part and doing it yourself.
Thanks !
Noone has it in stock.
My plan was to head back north tomorrow, but given the sunday and the holidays and the lack of clutch cable, earliest I'd get the part in would be sometime on tuesday, so I figure I mite as well head into the Kawi dealership on that morning and just get it done by afternoon.
And all the dealerships are well connected here. They can check each others' inventories and such. So, all the places I called told me Jacksonville was the place.
The other fail I think is the fact that noone rides 250s here. They are unheard of. So, I think that's why dealerships don't have it in stock. There is probably a better chance asking for a part of a 83' Kawi and finding it in stock than the 250.
Aside from that extreme example, I was thinking why not other bikes' cables, but none of the people I talked over the phone, who perfectly understood that I was in quite a situation, suggested this. So, I figured theres gotta be a reason ?
I made up a cable from a bicycle brake cable for a friend, it lasted a month until the proper one came in for his bike. I slid the brake cable into the clutch cable and rigged up a clamp at the clutch end.
How to clamp ?
I could tie it up to the clamp, but then adjusting the thing is an issue
I could tie it up to the clamp, but then adjusting the thing is an issue
Did the same for a throttle cable on my wife's old car. Lasted years, until we sent the car to the scrapyard.
I had a machine shop at my disposal so making the tumbler for the cable was easy. Your case is a little different. I would try to find a screw and nut that had the same thread pitch but different size. Given you're in the states, I'll use imperial sizes since they'll be much easier to find there. See if you can get an 8-32 bolt, and a 10-32 nut. Place the exposed cable part on the thread of the bolt and then screw the nut onto the bolt/cable combination. I've never done this so it's just a theory, but hopefully the nut will ride the threads of the bolt properly and clamp the cable in between. Again, I have no idea if this will work, but it's worth a shot.
I had a machine shop at my disposal so making the tumbler for the cable was easy. Your case is a little different. I would try to find a screw and nut that had the same thread pitch but different size. Given you're in the states, I'll use imperial sizes since they'll be much easier to find there. See if you can get an 8-32 bolt, and a 10-32 nut. Place the exposed cable part on the thread of the bolt and then screw the nut onto the bolt/cable combination. I've never done this so it's just a theory, but hopefully the nut will ride the threads of the bolt properly and clamp the cable in between. Again, I have no idea if this will work, but it's worth a shot.
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Hey dude, sorry to hear about your luck. Call up a shop that does custom Harley's and the like. They should be able to make up a clutch cable no problem. Unfortunately, they're probably all closed until Tuesday. Try a bicycle shop, bicycle brake cables and clutch cables are pretty much the same thing. Might be hard to find one open as well.
Here's another idea that should work. Buy a bicycle brake cable for a rear brake, Walmart or any sporting goods store should have one. Cut off one of the ends and thread it through your existing cable cover. At the side where you cut off the cable end, finish it off with one of these http://www.jbugs.com/product/111129921.html (Autozone or any parts shop), or a bolt with a nut on the end clamping on the cable. You could still adjust it with the barrel adjuster at the lever.
PS, using a cable from another bike would probably be hit and miss since the length might be too far off to make up with the barrel adjustment. The bicycle cable idea is probably your best bet. Otherwise, if you feel comfortable riding the bike without a clutch, I doubt it's the end of the world. You would just have to bump start it from every stop, good thing Florida is flat as a pancake
Here's another idea that should work. Buy a bicycle brake cable for a rear brake, Walmart or any sporting goods store should have one. Cut off one of the ends and thread it through your existing cable cover. At the side where you cut off the cable end, finish it off with one of these http://www.jbugs.com/product/111129921.html (Autozone or any parts shop), or a bolt with a nut on the end clamping on the cable. You could still adjust it with the barrel adjuster at the lever.
PS, using a cable from another bike would probably be hit and miss since the length might be too far off to make up with the barrel adjustment. The bicycle cable idea is probably your best bet. Otherwise, if you feel comfortable riding the bike without a clutch, I doubt it's the end of the world. You would just have to bump start it from every stop, good thing Florida is flat as a pancake
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you could use a small u-bolt type cable clamp:
I used an actual part from my bicycle that clamps the cable in a loop.
So I made it to the shop after getting lost in Jacksonville and got a new cable on now.
Before I took off, thinking about when and how I could have issues without a clutch, one issue I completely overlooked was the slow speed manoeuvres. They were tricky as hell and u-turns are no fun without a clutch =)
I don't think I damaged the tranny at all and I never head any miss gearing or any other issues during the ride to shop.
Before I took off, thinking about when and how I could have issues without a clutch, one issue I completely overlooked was the slow speed manoeuvres. They were tricky as hell and u-turns are no fun without a clutch =)
I don't think I damaged the tranny at all and I never head any miss gearing or any other issues during the ride to shop.
