Clutch Cable Questions.

GoldenMotor.com

sniperxfire

New Member
Mar 6, 2013
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Canada
Does anyone know if i can use a bicycle cable as a clutch cable?

My clutch cable is too long and also, the wire inside is messed up.
 

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
4,032
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USA
Sure, but be sure to lube it well and solder it well at the point at which you will need to cut the inner.
 

fatdaddy

New Member
May 4, 2011
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San Jose, Ca.
I use bike cables all the time. I try to get the bigger heavy cable for the clutch. there's a lot of pull pressure on that cable. and crassius is right, soldering where you cut it will keep the strands together.
fatdaddy.
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
Soldering is a great idea, unless, you use stainless steel cable. Lead solder won't stick to stainless. Be sure to clean the cable with a good degreasing solvent and use flux to assure good penetration into the cable strands.

Tom
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
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Central Area of Texas
Soldering is a great idea, unless, you use stainless steel cable. Lead solder won't stick to stainless. Be sure to clean the cable with a good degreasing solvent and use flux to assure good penetration into the cable strands.

Tom
That is very true and an excellent point Tom, made that mistake with a stainless cable myself....lol!

Map
.wee.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
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living the dream in southern california
I use Jagwire bike cables. they make a compressionless cable that's a thousand times better tham the mushy kit cables.

If you buy a cable from a bike store, you can get little crimp on ends to keep it from fraying. they usually give me a couple free if you ask nice.

Side note, you can't solder stainless cables but you can weld them. i zap em with my miller and you can make little throttle cable ends.
 

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
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Vancouver, B.C.
Cutting a clutch cable down isn't hard to do. I've done a few with a dremel cut-off disk, the metal tip for the cable housing pulls off pretty easily and slides on to the cut end without a lot of hassle. A quick squeeze with the pliers is all it takes to keep it in place.

Regular bike cables work well, also. I modded one to to the job some time ago.
 

FMB42

New Member
Sep 27, 2013
107
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Idaho
Also keep in mind that there are bicycle "brake" cables and bicycle "shifter" cables (the two should never be interchanged with each other.)

Anyway, I'd recommend that you use a bicycle brake cable as a temporary or "inexpensive" replacement for your motorized bicycle kit clutch cable.
 
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