So, last night was about 70 degrees here in Oklahoma, and I thought I'd take a ride to the local hang-out, for a couple beers with some riding buddies. I stop at a light, when it turns green I take off, hit 2nd gear, and hear a loud SNAP. At this point I realize that I'm holding my clutch lever tightly against my left grip, but I'm twisting the throttle, and moving along at the same time. My freakin clutch cable snapped! The eyelet that attaches inside the clutch lever housing is still attached, but the metal cables inside the braided cable broke. I called a buddy who just happens to drive a tow truck, and he gave me and my scoot a ride home. Really sucked. Just a couple of questions- has this ever happened to anyone else? Any ideas of a cause?

 

Yes, but not on a Harley. Broke the cable on my Triumph,Bonneville in Wichita,Kansas. I had to walk the bike 9 miles, to a dealership. It was around 100 degrees out, so I lost a lot of brain cells that day. I wasn't going to leave the bike sitting and there weren't any cell phones back then.
Tom

 

...not on a bike.

was it old? or just overadjusted? You don't really "need" the clutch on a motorcycle once you're going, it's not like a car... you can shift without it no problem...

 

What I can say is BAD LUCK

 

I've lost 2 clutch cables and 1 throttle cable over the years on my dirt bikes...clutch cable isn't that big a deal but the throttle cable was a "stranded" event....way out in the woods....sucked.

 

beaureed445,
I have had two cables break and noticed a few fraying while checking my bike(s). This is over a lot of years and three or four bikes. Lack of lubrication on the cable and the pivot points for it on the lever, sharp edges against the cable at the lever pivot point, and just plain defective cables are the causes I have seen.

 

the eyelet broke on my clutch, (riding from houston to lafayette) had to push the bike a mile or so to a family members house. Called Cajun Harley Davidson and they fixed me up within an hour...Thanks Cajun Harley..ya'll are good people

 

The best prevention is lubrication, every time you drop the oil, lube your cables.

Your bike is pretty new, I am sure the cable was defective.

 

Good looking bike, I noticed that it's a 2007? The clutch cable on my '07 Deluxe snapped at the same location yours did. I was sitting a a light in neutral, waiting to make a left turn. When the light turned green, the cable broke when I went to shift into gear. Sounds like there may have been a bad batch of cables. (Lucky for me, there was a Hooter's in the strip center parking lot, so I had lunch and some refreshing adult beverages while I was waiting for the tow truck.)

 

yup... on a dirtbike 17 miles from home. You can still shift without damaging anything if you do it just right. I just got it in 3rd and putted home.

clutch helps though.. lmao