Since '02 xBhp is different things to different people. From a close knit national community of bikers to India's only motorcycling lifestyle magazine and a place to make like-minded biker friends. Join us

Castrol Power 1

Work on your panic braking skills.

Our Partner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Clutch cable issue in Yamaha Fazer 153cc

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Clutch cable issue in Yamaha Fazer 153cc

    Hello Frens, not sure if any other FZ/Fazer owner is facing similar problem as I didn't find relevant post anywhere.

    ISSUE: Inadequate clutch cable life.

    Bought my Fazer on October 2010 and at around 8000 kms, the clutch wire snapped off while on the move. Fortunately I was able to pull over without risking anyone. The Yamaha service supervisor gave me road side assistance within couple of hours. But, I had to bear the cable cost (130) as it's a part which is susceptible to frequent wear & tear and is not covered under warranty (as told by the service supervisor). Now, at 14,000 kms the clutch wire snapped off again. Got road side assistance this time too and I was told to keep a spare cable underneath my seat in case I'm out of reach etc.

    Now, about the way I handle my bike. I don't do much clutch holding like many do while braking. I use clutch only when I want to shift gears and some times have to do clutch riding in Bangalore traffic. I was riding HH Splendor (before buying Fazer) for about 30K kms and never had a problem with clutch mechanism. I explained this to the supervisor and he gave me a clear reason why it didn't cut in splendor but in Fazer. In Fazer, the cable is routed in such a way that it has to take several sharp bends to reach LHS of the crank case. Whereas, Splendor and most other bikes have their clutch cable terminated on the RHS of crank case and so lesser bends which automatically proves that there is more friction in Fazer design.

    Since it appears to be a design flaw, I asked him if this is an issue faced by many other Fazer owners too, and the answer was YES. He himself has seen around 15-20 cases and escalated them to Yamaha design team (including mine) it seems. Looks like Yamaha has made a study and sent a redesigned clutch cable for field evaluation (which would suit our traffic usage). Will there be a total recall (which I'm not optimistic about) or replacement for bikes with issues (which is more likely) alone is not known yet.

    Since, it's a matter of 130 rupees, I don't think many would have really bothered to pay for it. This post is just to give you a warning about the unreliable clutch wires. Check with the nearest Yamaha A.S.S. immediately if your clutch free play becomes abnormal (beyond adjustable limits).

    Suggestions are very much welcome.

  • #2
    Query approved
    Happiness is finding you have another Gear left....

    Join xBhp On

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by pdydeva View Post
      Hello Frens, not sure if any other FZ/Fazer owner is facing similar problem as I didn't find relevant post anywhere.

      ISSUE: Inadequate clutch cable life.

      Bought my Fazer on October 2010 and at around 8000 kms, the clutch wire snapped off while on the move. Fortunately I was able to pull over without risking anyone. The Yamaha service supervisor gave me road side assistance within couple of hours. But, I had to bear the cable cost (130) as it's a part which is susceptible to frequent wear & tear and is not covered under warranty (as told by the service supervisor). Now, at 14,000 kms the clutch wire snapped off again. Got road side assistance this time too and I was told to keep a spare cable underneath my seat in case I'm out of reach etc.

      Now, about the way I handle my bike. I don't do much clutch holding like many do while braking. I use clutch only when I want to shift gears and some times have to do clutch riding in Bangalore traffic. I was riding HH Splendor (before buying Fazer) for about 30K kms and never had a problem with clutch mechanism. I explained this to the supervisor and he gave me a clear reason why it didn't cut in splendor but in Fazer. In Fazer, the cable is routed in such a way that it has to take several sharp bends to reach LHS of the crank case. Whereas, Splendor and most other bikes have their clutch cable terminated on the RHS of crank case and so lesser bends which automatically proves that there is more friction in Fazer design.

      Since it appears to be a design flaw, I asked him if this is an issue faced by many other Fazer owners too, and the answer was YES. He himself has seen around 15-20 cases and escalated them to Yamaha design team (including mine) it seems. Looks like Yamaha has made a study and sent a redesigned clutch cable for field evaluation (which would suit our traffic usage). Will there be a total recall (which I'm not optimistic about) or replacement for bikes with issues (which is more likely) alone is not known yet.

      Since, it's a matter of 130 rupees, I don't think many would have really bothered to pay for it. This post is just to give you a warning about the unreliable clutch wires. Check with the nearest Yamaha A.S.S. immediately if your clutch free play becomes abnormal (beyond adjustable limits).

      Suggestions are very much welcome.
      No such experience. My last one lasted 12000Km when I changed it according to the manual specs....The mech said it will last another 6K minimum.
      Yamaha Fazer 2011 13600km in 8 months and counting

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by greenknight View Post
        No such experience. My last one lasted 12000Km when I changed it according to the manual specs....The mech said it will last another 6K minimum.
        Thanks for the response. Good to know that.
        OT: I don't see any factory recommendation to replace any cable after 12000 kms. Also, I don't think any manufacturer recommends periodic replacement of cables, but just to check and adjust free play. Yamaha recommends to replace spark plug, air filter, oil filter & lubrication of bearings at 12000th km and nothing more (unless anything is damaged/worn out).
        Last edited by pdydeva; 02-21-2012, 12:31 PM. Reason: Updating a better quality capture

        Comment


        • #5
          Looks like you've a very little play or almost no play with the clutch lever. Check on that pls.
          Skill is what keeps you on a Motorcycle
          Awareness + Skill is what keeps you out of harm's way
          ATGATT + Awareness + Skill means you might Live To Ride another day

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by aargee View Post
            Looks like you've a very little play or almost no play with the clutch lever. Check on that pls.
            Thanks Aargee. But, I always make sure that the freeplay is as per factory recommendation.

            Comment


            • #7
              YFS SVC guys recommend 12K replacement for cables as a safety measure...
              Yamaha Fazer 2011 13600km in 8 months and counting

              Comment


              • #8
                Do you wash your bike too often? Due you live in a humid area? That might be a reason. Because I broke my acc cable due to rusting .
                Cheetahs are faster but the lion is still the KING

                Being In Love with a Girl is like being a superbike fitted with SPEED LIMITER

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by greenknight View Post
                  YFS SVC guys recommend 12K replacement for cables as a safety measure...
                  No wonder they recommended it, even though factory doesn't suggest the same

                  Originally posted by Vishakh View Post
                  Do you wash your bike too often? Due you live in a humid area? That might be a reason. Because I broke my acc cable due to rusting .
                  Well, in my case the cut wire doesn't look rusted

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    OFF TOPIC:
                    My Fazer also had starting issues. After a long drive, the bike wouldn't start and the starter will be completely dead. The battery was perfectly fine and all other electrical systems would work without any issues. Service people said it might be due to a loose contact of the battery terminals. After a 2nd opinion with another mechanic, it turned out to be starter capacitor issue.

                    Got the starter capacitor replaced under warranty.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Sorry for updating this thread after 6 months of time. Recently I got to know from the service that the new Yamaha FZ/Fazer's (2012 model) clutch cable doesn't fit with the previous versions as the newer one is bit more lengthy. The newer clutch cable is designed in such a way that the friction is lesser under Indian riding conditions.

                      Also came to know that Yamaha designers have reworked on the clutch cable based on the service feedback. Looks like there were unusual number of clutch cable failures due to the excess friction of clutch wire inside the cable. Reason being, the way cable has been routed in FZ series. As far as I have seen, Yamaha bikes have the clutch cable routed with too many bends which attribute to higher friction and lesser life. Japanese must have considered Indian traffic conditions wherein clutch usage is higher in peak traffics.

                      Thought of sharing this information to know if anyone else came across such news.

                      PS: My bike's mileage is almost 18k and the last time I changed the cable was at 12k kms. Touch wood.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        So your problem is fixed? If not, then you can re-route the cable, using the newer, longer one.
                        http://www.facebook.com/ateesh.kumar

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          my fazer is an 2011 model and i clocked 12.5 k without any clutch issues. but thanks for the post surely i'll have it checked at once

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Honda_CBF View Post
                            So your problem is fixed? If not, then you can re-route the cable, using the newer, longer one.
                            Heard from the service that the newer one may not fit in pre-2012 model. Next time I'll take a look of both the cables side to side.

                            Originally posted by Vicky ram View Post
                            my fazer is an 2011 model and i clocked 12.5 k without any clutch issues. but thanks for the post surely i'll have it checked at once
                            Lucky you. Do you lubricate the clutch cable regularly? In my case, I was told by the service supervisor that the cable is self lubricating and doesn't require any lubrication.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by pdydeva View Post
                              Heard from the service that the newer one may not fit in pre-2012 model. Next time I'll take a look of both the cables side to side.
                              well, doing some juggad would do the trick I think. It will be peace of mind (if newer is really worth it)

                              Originally posted by pdydeva View Post
                              Lucky you. Do you lubricate the clutch cable regularly? In my case, I was told by the service supervisor that the cable is self lubricating and doesn't require any lubrication.
                              never heard of self lubricating cable (in reference to current desi bikes) though all cables are pre lubricated and dont need lubrication from outside unless its damaged in any way.
                              http://www.facebook.com/ateesh.kumar

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X