[WingMan71]

I'm in the middle of restoration work on my new-to-me red GL650I, and had to remove the clutch cover.

In the process I noticed that the plastic bushing on the cable end pivot pin is getting pretty chewed up.

Has anyone ever seen these bushings available separately from anyplace?

I've ordered replacement clutch cables before, but I've never seen this bushing included with the cable.

I also have always wondered what they're made of. Nylon, perhaps?

 

[Sidecar Bob]

I have no idea what they are made f or where to get one but none of the cables on my bikes have them and they all work fine.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

That's really there to lubricate the cable end. A little dab of lithium grease will do the same.

 

[WingMan71]

I'd really prefer not to have so much slop in the fit of the pivot pin in the hole in the clutch lever. There is considerable slop without the bushing in place.

Maybe I can make one out of a thin piece of nylon.

I actually found some online, but they're for Harleys and they have a 1/2" ID which is too big for these small pivot pins. (Not surprised since most things on a Harley look like they're modified car parts. Just way out of proportion.)

 

[Sidecar Bob]

I don't have a GL500 lever & perch on hand but if they are like the ones on my CX650E and GL1100 you won't see the end of the cable once the lever and cable are installed and since the lever is supposed to have free play before it starts to pull the cable (this is in the FSM) any slop between the barrel on the end of the cable and the hole in the lever will just be part of that.

 

[nolimitz]

Bob he is talking about the end at the engine, not the lever..

 

[Sidecar Bob]

I read "lever" and thought of the lever on the handlebar. Any slop at the lever at the engine end won't be noticed either and will also be part of the normal free play when the lever is adjusted properly.

 

[nolimitz]

I agree but if you had looked at the Op photo you would have seen it. Neiter of our GL's have that bushing and there have been no issues for years

 

[Sidecar Bob]

I wondered about that but we usually refer to the lever at the engine as the "clutch arm"....

 

[nolimitz]

The OP never said lever until post #4 5 hours ago TTKU or start from post #1

 

[Sidecar Bob]

Yes. I read the original post and I saw the pic but (as I said before) when he said lever I didn't think about the possibly of the "arm" at the engine being called a "lever" so I assumed he was talking about the other end of the cable.

 

[muzza]

some time with a drill and some files and a piece of suitable sized nylon rod will make a suitable replacement .

 

[bahn88]

Bluedogmotorbikes, ebay, in Oz has a range
Maybe something there....
Also british bike cable bits will have a close equivalent...if u convert the imperial to metric
(May have to add a nick/cut to feed in the cable)

 

[richnct]

If making your own starting from a suitably dimensioned plastic tubing might be easy.

 

[WingMan71]

Sorry about the inaccurate terminology. What I called a lever, is what others are more properly calling a clutch arm

Thanks for the ideas for fabricating a replacement bushing.

In my view, the purpose for these plastic bushings on both ends of the clutch cable is specifically to prevent metal-to-metal contact at those pivot points and prevent wear. Honda put them there for a reason. Makes sense to me.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

I've never seen a plastic bushing at the top end of the clutch cable. This is on your GL650?

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

I just checked my GL650 and a '79 CX500 Custom, and they both have that plastic bushing at the lever that I've never noticed. Weird.

 

[WingMan71]

I've never seen a plastic bushing at the top end of the clutch cable. This is on your GL650?

Yes, the bushing is on the handlebar clutch lever end of the cable on my GL650 as well. Both of my GL650s. Here's my red one. (Bear in mind that this was a one-owner bike and this is clearly the original clutch lever housing.)

Every 60s, 70s or 80s Honda I have ever owned have had the plastic bushing on BOTH ends of the clutch cable. As I mentioned, it's clear to me that this bushing is designed by Honda to prevent metal-on-metal contact and wear between the levers at both ends and the pivot pins on both ends of the cable.

Some of the bikes I've restored in the past 20 years or so have had either 2 bushings or 1 bushing or no bushings at all. For a likely reason:

My take on that is that these bikes are now 40, 50 or 60 years old, and these bushings have served their purpose for as long as they could, worn through, cracked and fallen off.

 

[Gerard]

Honda Cables came with bushings, aftermarket don't.

 

[bahn88]

Possibly a good molygrease dab or non washout cable lube like inox MX5...negates the need for these?