A new one...at least I have never heard of this happening. I just had new handlebars and cables installed and I have ridden a couple of thousand miles with them with no problem. Yesterday pulling out of my driveway I turned to the left. When I tried straightening out the bike it would not turn back to the right. Was like my forks were locked. I was looking down at the front of the bike wondering WTF and when I looked up we were heading for neighbors front yard with a pretty steep ditch. Anyway we hit the ditch and down we went. Luckily neither of us was hurt nor the bike. When I got the bike back up I noticed I still could not turn the bars to the right. Then I saw what caused it. My clutch cable had hooked on the bottom bolt to the windshield bracket! Obviously the whole event scared the s#@t out of me and my wife and even more so when I started thinking what if this would have happened at high speed. Don't know why it waited this long before it happened unless somewhere along the route of the cable something broke loose causing me to get way to much play. It will sure be something I check before each time I ride again. It will be going back to the shop for a re-route of the clutch cable.

 

Goes without saying, glad you and the wife are OK. Weird...never heard of such a thing.

 

same thing happend to my friend, but he was on a stock rocker c, clutch cable got cought on something on the left fork, he added some tie straps.

 

Glad you and your lady are ok and the bike wasnt damaged too. My wifes bike, XL883L had a similar situation in that when we ordered it, I got the dealer to fit an 18" windsheild. Well she had put no more than 50 K's on the bike when I saw her nearly run up the rear of a car. When I pullled up along side she said the bike kept on going and wouldnt slow down. I thought WTF and told her to pull over so I could check it out. Couldnt find anything wrong and thought perhaps being a new bike she just needed a little time to get use to it, especially after riding a virago for some time. Later that same day at a mates house she started it up and all I could hear was this little 883 screaming its guts out. Well as it turned out if you turned the bars in one direction slightly the throttle cable would lock up because the cable was routed under the windsheild clamp. Undid the quick release clamp and re-routed the cable over it and all was good. Either way I just check the cables and make sure the throttle cables arent pulling tight when the bars are turned, when she adjusts or puts her sheild back on.

 

I don't think it could happen at high speed. The bars hardly turn when you're moving pretty good.

 

Guess I'm thinking more that if I had been pulling out into traffic on a busy highway it could have been a disaster. If I had known what I know now was causing it I could have maybe reached down and unhooked it from where it was hung up. When it happened though it felt like my front end was completely locked up and I felt helpless.

 

Glad to hear you guys are Ok though; like you said, if it was gonna happen could have been worse but bad luck all the same.

 

Another thing to add to the list. That's a weird one. Glad both (all three) of you are okay.

 

Kill switch?
Pull in clutch?
Brake?

Glad you are OK, and don't mean to be harsh- but you should be thinking about these things.

The text book instructor guys say you may have noticed this problem before starting the ride when inspecting the bike. Most of us don't bother but...


Mike

 

Guess you had to be there. I'm sure you would have thought of all those things in the second and a half I had to react. I did pull in the clutch and touched the brakes softly as we rode it out. Where I was at on the edge of the road shutting the bike down or braking suddenly would have ended us up on the pavement. Will checking the cables be on my check list from now on? You bet. I posted this so others would know that this is something to make sure you check before you ride as I would imagine most of us 'don't bother' like you say.