DOHC CB750 - very stiff clutch lever

Jimbonaut

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Hey one and all, wondering if there's a trick to softening up the clutch lever on an '81 CB750. Pretty sure mine's given me tendonitis in the elbow. Cable replacement? Clutch itself? Anything to loosen the thing up would be an improvement - pulling that lever is a massive pain in the arm.
 
first try a new cable

and check the factory service manual by year addendum to make sure you have it routed correctly

you would not believe how much force a wrong turn or bend can take
 
I'll do that - pretty sure the clutch cable is original so it's not exactly new, and the routing may well be - er - creative. Thanks man, I'll investigate further...
 
I was thinking that the new springs in the clutch might have been stiffer but since you didn't change them that's a no. Maybe the cable is frayed and close to breaking, or bound like he said.
 
Did you change the bars? If you replace the stock higher bars with flat, clubman or clip ons then the cable may bind creating resistance.
 
I had a problem with a stiff clutch and not being able to go into neutral at idle. I found from another forum a mod. Replace the oil pusher with a modified one and replace the riveted plate with two regular steel plates and the clutch was smooth as butter. I also switched out the lift plate on the clutch from the 750 to an 1100f. It’s beefier. The clutch pushers are from a company called cbxtras
 
That's great info, thanks a million - I did indeed change the bars, not clubman or clip ons but Renthal ultra low tracker bars. That would certainly explain it.

What exactly is an oil pusher? And a lift plate? Please bear with me, I'm learning all this as I go! I'll have a google and see what I can learn, and thanks again!
 
leave the b-plate (riveted plate)if its in good condition

its a shock absorber for the clutch and extends its life
 
The Jimbonaut said:
That's great info, thanks a million - I did indeed change the bars, not clubman or clip ons but Renthal ultra low tracker bars. That would certainly explain it.

What exactly is an oil pusher? And a lift plate? Please bear with me, I'm learning all this as I go! I'll have a google and see what I can learn, and thanks again!

Jim the cable is likely routed with to much bend. I put low bars on the GL and had to try 2-3 different routes to get it to not require a vice to operate. even just a few inch lower bars or like you I put lower & wider bars can make the factory routing no longer work. Try and get a big gradual arc to the cable, if you get to much curve in too short of a section you'll have trouble. Also when you are routing it and testing it, turn the bars full lock in both directions and make sure the pull doesn't change, of it does it's binding someplace and that's not good. If you can source one a shorter cable will help, but knowing how much shorter can be tough.
 
Cool thanks man - great to hear from you! Hope you had a good christmas and new year and all that, not freezing your balls off over there, godammit it got cold in a hurry...

Gonna check out the routing of the cable again but you're definitely right - I would have gone for aesthetics over usability, and in doing so no doubt put too much bend in the thing.

Holy f*ck pulling that clutch lever has shafted my elbow - haven't ridden Rhonda for a while now but it's still well painful. Hope you're well mate, keep on keeping' on
 
You can also shorten the existing cable, I need to do this on my SR500 that has a 4LS front brake with GT750 brake cables.

https://youtu.be/FzARBO7Zcnc
 
CrabsAndCylinders said:
You can also shorten the existing cable, I need to do this on my SR500 that has a 4LS front brake with GT750 brake cables.

https://youtu.be/FzARBO7Zcnc

Gotta love an Ichiban vid - I need me some of them wirecutters :D
 
Thanks Jim, had a great holiday time, hope you did too. Hope you guys aren't getting the big storm we are today and tonight. 1-1 1/2 feet of snow with high winds, going to suck balls. Do what CXman says and get an new cable and route it right.
 
I'll do that Mike, and thanks one and all once again. It's a positively tropical minus 11c here today, no snow or wind. It's all going off though - eastern seaboard in the US is in the middle of some kind of weather bomb, snow in Florida for the first time in 30 odd years. Look after yourself mate, MTL sends its best wishes =)
 
Record accumulation here 13" in less than 12 hours. That's to quote Gord "an inch an hour' 2 feet a day!." Had 6 ft drifts in my driveway ffs.
 
Got the clutch cable on order, should be here next week. Dropped to minus 22 today, minus 32 with windchill. Snow in the forecast for this afternoon - looks like what you had we'll be having soon...
 
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