[ddouble]

I decided to get a haircut on the way home from work today. This is relevant because if I hadn't the problem would have been much worse. I would have been on the highway with mucho traffic at 60-65 mph when the throttle cable snapped. Instead I was on a frontage road ready to pull in to the barbershop. Coasted right in and sat there twisting the grip and watching nothing happen. I was getting mad for two reasons, my bike is broke, I have made it a point of pride that my bike has never been on a trailer or in a truck. I thought back to a story on a board about how you could use the return cable in an emergency. The tool kit on the KZ is pretty good, I have enhanced it a bit with real tools. With the tools spread out and the tank removed operation get'er home started. Surprisingly thirty year old screws came out, nuts backed off, housings separated, it was like the bike wanted to get home under her own power. Twenty minutes later I was getting a haircut and the bike was waiting to take me home.

Thanks to all the stories and tech tips my bike has still not been in the back of the truck.

Dan

 

[A2rider]

You did an awesome job. Thinking under pressure is tough, but you did it!

And yes, it's depressing to see your bike on a truck/trailer. But better for a small thing than being wrecked!

 

[gpzrider]

When I was a kid, my brothers and I had an old Indian 74cc dirt bike. One day the throttle cable broke and my oldest brother decided to just put a "T" handle on the broken cable with a small stick to get it home. That worked and we were able to get home. Once at home he came up with the ingenious idea to wrap the end of the cable around the twist grip so that when he twisted the grip, the cable would wind tighter and off he'd go.

He started the bike, twisted the grip, everything seemed to be working as planned. Rode forward, got up some speed, and decided to turn left in front of the electrified barb wire fence. Throttle cable pulled tight, reved up, and refused to allow him to turn further causing him to fly into the fence. It wasn't a pretty sight, you could hear the sizzle as he tried to get away from the barb wire embedded in his side.

Glad to hear your story had a much happier ending.

 

[Alizard]

I decided to get a haircut on the way home from work today. This is relevant because if I hadn't the problem would have been much worse. I would have been on the highway with mucho traffic at 60-65 mph when the throttle cable snapped. Instead I was on a frontage road ready to pull in to the barbershop. Coasted right in and sat there twisting the grip and watching nothing happen. I was getting mad for two reasons, my bike is broke, I have made it a point of pride that my bike has never been on a trailer or in a truck. I thought back to a story on a board about how you could use the return cable in an emergency. The tool kit on the KZ is pretty good, I have enhanced it a bit with real tools. With the tools spread out and the tank removed operation get'er home started. Surprisingly thirty year old screws came out, nuts backed off, housings separated, it was like the bike wanted to get home under her own power. Twenty minutes later I was getting a haircut and the bike was waiting to take me home.

Thanks to all the stories and tech tips my bike has still not been in the back of the truck.

Dan

Wait until your clutch cable snaps and you have to ride it home "kick shifting" it all the way.

That's really fun.:wink:

 

[ltdrider]

My throttle cable snapped recently, too. I was riding with friends that had the know-how to swap the open cable with the close cable (it's always the open cable that fails).
Now I ride with a spare throttle cable, and a spare clutch cable, coiled up and stored under my side panel.

 

[elr658]

Same thing happened to me. Downtown New Haven.

 

[ddouble]

When the clutch went south I replaced everything from lever to basket. I've had to bang gears before, not the best of feelings.

Dan

 

[AK82kz440]

I guess I really lucked out when my clutch cable gave out, in the home area about a mile from home. Rode home in second gear rolling through stop signs. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: