An Exciting Clutch Cable Failure

I had an interesting ride to work on the Victory the other day.  All started out well and good, like every other ride in to work, but about two thirds of the way into the ride it got interesting.  As I accelerated away from a traffic light and reached my left hand fingers out to the clutch lever to snag second gear I felt the vaguely familiar slipping pop of the clutch cable fraying.  As I went to shift into third gear it completely let loose.  The clutch lever was now no longer attached to the cable or able to disengage the transmission from the engine. The clutch cable had snapped at the perch; right where every other clutch cable failure has occurred in my personal experience.  At least I was already moving. 

How to Proceed?

Keep going or turn around?  That was my momentary quandary.  What were the chances I could ride the remaining 6 miles into work without having to come to a complete stop at any of the remaining 16 traffic lights? High unlikely is right.  But, on the other hand, what were the chances I could turn the bike around and make it back home over the necessary 12 miles and countless traffic lights without needing to stop?  Worse.  I decided it was best to continue on to work.

I was able to make it through the next four lights without having to stop but then I got stuck at the fifth; my luck had run out. How in the world was I going to get this 650 lb. beast moving from a standstill without a functioning clutch?  I tried Fred Flinstoning it up to speed and also I tried scootering it up to speed but each time I popped it into gear the rear tire would lock up and I’d quickly skid to a halt.  I finally figured out that If I scooted the bike along with both feet, got it coasting, and then used my left hand to shove the clutch fork in on the case I could hold it just long enough to kick the shift lever into gear and release the clutch fork just slow enough to enable the clutch to gradually engage and keep the bike going.  It was painful on my fingers but it kept me from being stranded.  I did my best to not come to a complete stop at traffic lights and coasted ever so slowly from a long ways out when the lights were red.  I think I had to come to a complete stop about three times the remainder of the ride in to work.  Pulling into the parking garage was a bit of a frantic shift session as I sought to find neutral in order to avoid getting intimate with a parked car or concrete wall. 

I made it!  Now I just needed to figure out a way to get home?

Finding a Temporary Fix

The shift fork on the outside of the case was designed for a clutch cable but I figured there had to be another way to actuate it.  If I could find something to use as a lever at work I should be able to rig up a way to engage the clutch with the shift fork much easier than just using my bare hand.  If I could figure this out I’d be able to ride the bike home and not need to haul it back in my truck.

The following video outlines how I set out to solve this problem.