[ST] Good, Bad, & Ugly...

["Jeff Viehmeyer" <jviehmeyer@xxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to all for the good thoughts and comments re my clutch cable issue,
both on and off the list...

First, Blake, I hasten to add that my comment about your "theory" was meant
strictly in jest. (You had mentioned that with such a low mileage bike,
cable failure shouldn't be something to worry about for a while, since the
others were failing at higher miles...) Of course you had no way to know we
would both guess wrong on this one! The event was very fresh and it was
something that just ironically popped back into my head as I typed. Thank
you for being sincerely concerned. When I get back on the road, we should
organize a nice ride, for sure. Just not on those big logs...!  (your
recently posted pics)

To others who have asked; the cable parted at the top lever end, just past
where the metal end plug is crimped on. The strands are cleanly cut through,
as with wire cutters. The end plug dropped out of the lever when it broke,
so I can't comment on how that part looks. I was so watchful about this all
along because of 3 things: the previous comments on this list, the fact that
my '01 was an early assembly model (11/00) which seems to have the problem
more, plus I noticed, from day 1, a very slight drag or metal-to-metal rub
as I began to engage the lever. I used to be a pilot, and you never take
control line issues for granted. But it passed repeated inspections, and
after I used cable lube twice, the friction seemed to go away. I'm more
inclined to believe something is touching and crimping/cutting the cable as
it passes through the lever assembly. The cable should be stronger than an
aluminum lever assembly, though....

My dealer is sympathetic, and I have already left a "warm-up" message with
Triumph USA Customer Relations this weekend. We'll have a chat Monday & see
how it goes. My insurance co. will track a claim, fault or not, and I don't
want that. Many carriers are getting antsy about the high cost of bike
repairs (especially the plastic) and are re-evaluating their coverage
policies. This is a big issue on some other bike newsgroups. In the daylight
today, I can see the damage was confined to a few panels & pieces. All I
want are replacement parts. I can install them myself.  But I really want a
better answer on the cable design issue. If they aren't changing anything,
it'll happen again... All bike have some issue like this; how the mfr.
handles the fix is what's important. I'll be sure Triumph USA knows of the
concern over these cables.

Thanks- Jeff
Dawg-Gone 01 ST


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