CL450 K1 Rescue

brewsky

brewsky

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Joined
Jul 5, 2026
Total Posts
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Location
bluefield va
This one followed me home.....
I was considering consolidating all my old bikes into one new smaller one and spotted this one so I couldn't resist!
Original owner, 6700 miles, been sitting for years, so here we go. He said the carbs and service were done last year and it started up but the clutch was stiff and I took a chance without actually riding it
IMG_6330.jpeg
 
Nice find! Even the tires look relatively good for a bike that's been sitting - although I'd still be wary if they're way out of date. Looks like an aftermarket clutch cable, so I'd check the routing of it to make sure that's not contributing to the stiff clutch, although it could just need to have the cable lubed and the lifter greased.
 
I lubed the clutch cable till oil dripped out the bottom and cleaned and re greased the lifter mechanism. I thought maybe the ball bearing was missing from the actuator rod the way it was acting but it was there.
Adjusted it up till it felt good and took it for a short ride. After a few blocks it started acting sticky again and the plates started sticking open......never had that happen before!
 
Could be cable routing, which gets a little fiddly coming through/around the carbs. Possibly just everything being gummed up with old oil or the clutch basket has some wear on the fingers and it's not allowing the plates to slide freely.
 
Cables can stretch with heat, but that usually works to make the clutch less responsive. Might be time to pop the side cover off (don't forget to acquire a replacement gasket in advance) and check the clutch basket. Might be a good opportunity to clean the plates and discs.
 
brewsky said:
cable routing looks good and the sticking got worse as the engine got warmed up? Seems backwards?
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If the inner sheath is worn through (around the inner cable) then it's time for a new cable, as no amount of lube will help in that situation. It could be an aftermarket replacement cable that did not have an inner sheath, in which case the inner cable eventually gets rusty and causes more binding. I had a bit of a difficult pull on my 450 clutch lever despite a good quality new cable and no tight bends, and nothing I did helped except this stuff. It REALLY works well. Pricey, but worth it.

 
I reused my clutch plates and discs after giving a good soak in kerosene and clean with brake fluid. The fingers on the clutch basket was notched a bit and required lightly filing to clean up. Cleaned and lubed the adjuster with new cable and has been working great.
 
brewsky said:
Is this the stuff from the link?
It says it is temporary and quits working when it dries?
My cable has no inner sheath
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That's the stuff, and trust me it doesn't fade away. Not even sure why they say it's temporary, it's still working just like a year+ ago on my clutch cable, 30% to 40% easier to pull when cold or hot (though my cable has always stretched when hot regardless).
 
may be worth a shot.....I always used the baggie of oil suspended from the ceiling method on my old bikes.
I assumed the cables were original but you never know for sure I don't remember any sheathed inner cables back then
 
brewsky said:
may be worth a shot.....
Click to expand...
Trust me, it works. And I only used a little bit, just enough to be sure it would go most of the way through the cable.
brewsky said:
I assumed the cables were original but you never know for sure I don't remember any sheathed inner cables back then
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Yes, there were sheathed cables back then, AND the OEM cables on all Hondas during that era were gray. The black cables started somewhere in the mid-'70s, not sure any of the CL450 line got them until maybe the K6
 
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