Topic: 550 vs 750 clutch stiffness?

[Popwood]

I have both ‘75 CB550 and CB750. I’ve always wondered why the clutch lever on the 750 takes so little effort compared to the little brother 550. I can easily pull the 750 lever with two fingers, but I need a handful of clutch lever to pull the 550. Is this just a matter of stiffer springs in the 550? I wouldn’t think the 550 wet clutch would cause this. I keep the cables lubed and I don’t think the 550 cables have been misrouted making tight bends. Is this just the nature of two bikes.

[seanbarney41]

It's because of the weaker design/less mechanical advantage built into the clutch actuation mechanism down on the case.

[Popwood]

Thanks for the response. Guess I’ll eventually have a Popeye left forearm.

[bryanj]

Also cable quality and route makes a big difference PLUS if you lube an original Honda cable it makes it worse as the rubber wire cover binds on the nylon outer liner if lubed

[Popwood]

bryanj, thank you thank you. This afternoon I installed a new Motion Pro clutch cable that I bought several years ago but never installed. I’d guess there’s at least a 50% reduction in effort required to work the clutch cable lever. The cable I removed had the rubber coating on the cable itself inside the exterior sheathing so it’s probably original to the bike. The cable moves freely when it’s straightened out, but when bent even a little the cable moves much less freely. So, if you are running a bike with original Honda cables, DON’T lubricate them, as bryanj advised. I never knew this.