[dustbeard]

I'm having a hard time finding Neutral maybe 150-200 miles after installing a Barnett clutch cable. I'm hoping it just needs an adjustment? If I pull up on the shifter slightly lately it just jumps to 2nd gear instead.

 

[JoyRider]

I bet it's adjustment only. Keep in mind that the play at your lever is very, very small compared to other motorcycles. "Credit card thickness" is what you are aiming for as the play. This is almost nothing - once adjusted, I bet you find neutral again. Good luck!

 

[bofa]

Seems more endemic of the Scout gearbox than the cable. It has an easier time finding neutral when moving. If you are stopped, try rolling it slightly and it should pop right in.

 

[BdySncher]

Nope nope nope, it's the cable, I went through this as soon as I put my Barnett on. the "credit card" thickness is right on point, Riding , neutral was easy to find.

 

[JoyRider]

I told you so - had the same exact thing happening to me after riding for a while after installation. Don't remember how many miles, but it might've been the same 150-200 miles distance the OP experienced it. It's really weird how little play the Scout clutch allows - but it works.

 

[BdySncher]

@JoyRider was my hero, I messed with it for 3 days before he shoved me in the right direction

 

[bofa]

Well damn guess I’ll have to go tinker with mine. I had the same issue with the stock cable so I just assumed I was stuck with it.

 

[JoyRider]

Let us know how it works out for you and good luck 👍

 

[JoyRider]

@JoyRider was my hero, I messed with it for 3 days before he shoved me in the right direction

😀😎👍

 

[jtleafs33]

I have the Barnett and can confirm that the cable adjustment on the Scout is very sensitive. Half a turn at the adjuster can make the difference.

With the engine off and cold, sometimes I have to roll mine a few inches forward or backward to get the shift lever to move without excessive force, but when I do so it always goes right into neutral. You have to make sure that there is no load on the gears (i.e. if you parked going uphill and used first gear as a parking brake, you might need to roll back a few inches before it will move) With the engine running, it's a cinch to pop it right up into N.

 

[dustbeard]

So I'm clear - are we referring wiggle play at the handle before it's actually pulling the cable? I'm not sure I'm understanding.

 

[jtleafs33]

 

[JoyRider]

So I'm clear - are we referring wiggle play at the handle before it's actually pulling the cable? I'm not sure I'm understanding.

That gap as shown as #1 in @jtleafs33 copy out of the manual should be no more than the thickness of a credit card to begin with. So please check and adjust. Once done and still not satisfied, you might need to move the bike as suggested as well, but it worked and still works for me and apparently it did for @Bdy Sncher, too. Good luck!

 

[dustbeard]

Thanks all! I guess I had too much play on the lever, so I tightened it up and neutral is a breeze to catch now.

 

[UnMonkey]

I had to get rid of my Barnett clutch cable. As the original poster described, I was not able to shift into neutral. The problem persisted through dozens of adjustments by me and the dealership's Indian certified mechanics. This included properly measured adjustments and tiny, tiny adjustments. After two weeks, another problem popped up: now I was able to shift into neutral, but only when shifting down from 3rd gear; I would need to shift up to get back into second.

Installing an oem clutch cable solved the problems.

I suppose it is possible my particular Barnett cable was bad, but that's not an experience I will be repeating.

dustbeard - glad you were able to resolve your issue.

 

[rodent62]

If the cable is routed wrong it will constantly have some tension on it fooling you into giving it more slack. Tie a nylon string to the old cable at the lever end, then after you remove it from the clutch end , tie the new cable to the string and pull it back up/through to the lever and it will be where the original was before.

 

[Dr.Shifty]

It's a while since I sold my Scout but I think Barnett made a design change to the cable along the way. The early ones had a straight tube where the inner cable runs under the motor. The change was to bend that tube so the outer cable didn't have to bend, and that made the clutch operation smoother.

If somebody has a problematic cable like UnMonkey decribes, it might be that old design.