Hello! New owner of a 1980 SR250. Runs great but clutch lever was very hard to pull because of dirty old cable. Okay, no problem. First repair...jump right in and replace clutch cable. Removed old cable, bought new cable, hooked into clutch lever on handlebars, then threaded through bike, went to attach bottom end into the clutch lever and SNAP!

One of the ends of the little spring there under the arm (to pull it back as the cable tension is relaxed) popped right out of it's groove and became unsprung. So now it appears that I have to somehow wrap it back around ~1.2 times, and get the end with the little loop on it, back into it's groove.

Any tips?

cant see you needing to wrap it back anything like the amount you are saying, secure the fixed end into the case? then just hook the moving end over the arm...that's it

I did that, but the spring doesn't seem to be supplying enough 'pull back' force on the cable, so I assumed it had come unwrapped at least one time. It barely even brings the clutch lever on the handbars back to the released position.

So are you saying that on your bike, if you unseat one end of your spring from the groove in the case. it maybe unwraps like, what, a half turn? or something?

In any event, I'll try it again though when I get back home....(had to drive the stupid %&$! car to work). ;-)

Thank you *very* much for your help!

Barb

yeah barb maybe your spring has been strained it isnt normal in my experience to have to turn them more than about 1/2 turn as you say. The clutch plate springs should do most of it though so i'm wondering if there is something stiff or the cable not routed right as well?

Excellent. That info completely removes 'unwrapping of the spring' as a variable (whew). Given that the whole clutch system (including plate springs) was working relatively fine with the old cable, I now feel confident that the problem is with, as you suggest, my adjustments/routing on the new cable. Yay! Will let you know....