Hitchcocks Forum

I'm wondering if I have a stretchy cable?

Every time I go near the bike it seems I have to adjust the clutch cable. It will only be by one flat of the nut.

By the time I finish the ride, I'll have to adjust the cable again.

This is the current Classic 500 EFi, 2015 reg, probably 2104 build. So I don't have the rod and ball adjuster as on earlier models, just the cable.

The small lever at the engine seems to be in the same place. It seems to me that I just have to keep taking up slack in the cable. I suspect the outer has become spongy, and whilst not stiff, it doesn't seem particularly free moving. The cable is original fit indian, we've done about 900 miles. The clutch switch does pull the cable back into the handlebar lever which takes up slack from the clutch end. I'm setting slack to a scant 3mm.



Does this sound normal?

Has anyone else had the same problem?

What is the solution?

I would look into whether Hitchcocks do the English made cables and change them, the Indian ones are known to be not so good.

Hitchcocks certainly do english cables. I'm just hoping someone can confirm the problem is just the cable.

I'll give them a tinkle tomorrow, they're cheap enough for me to eliminate cable as fault by swapping it out.



I've also got 1/2-in slack on the indian cold start cable, no adjuster, that will have to wait until next tank-off. Fortunately the throttle cables seem ok.

My 2015 C5 seems fine. No adjustment needed in about 780 miles. Same slack on bi starter cable, but I don't bother with it any more; I just open the throttle a small amount. I got a spare of each cable with mine

Thanks Rattlebattle. I haven't heard of problems with this clutch. I've pretty well convinced myself I've got a squidgy cable.



The cold start cable is neither here nor there, the bike starts very easily. It ain't bust so I won't fix it until I get a tuit.

When I got my "classic" Bullet in 2007 I seemed to be adjusting the clutch cable up every fortnight. Then, after several months, it was normal and I've not touched it since..... atb Chris

On other models, this is a sign that the cable is slowly pulling out of the nipple down at the gearbox lever; an inherent manufacturing fault for which there is a modification- part available Might not apply to your model.

As an aside and for what it is worth, although I long ago swapped the Indian cables, I have always considered them to be potentially consumables and therefore have a spare set of English made cables in my small stock of "known to be fragile" parts.

I have had no further stretchy problems since switching to the english cable. The indian clutch cable outer appears to be very stretchy and spring-like, no security problem with the nipple or inner cable stretch. The first english proved a little short and had to have both nuts placed on the clutch side at the engine but still practically no slack. Hitchocks have been very helpful and sent a second cable that was some 3mm longer but also had a smaller clutch-end nipple; the narrow part of the nipple now fits through the hole as it should. However this provided only about 1mm slack with nuts fore and aft of the lug as is proper. The nuts are 4mm thick, so again both nuts on the clutch side and packing washers to give me 3mm slack. The washers being 1mm thick on the calipers and two washers gave me 2mm slack on the cable. Slack being needed to ensure the clutch never slips.