Can I ride my bike home if the clutch cable breaks?

No matter what you do, you cannot stop quickly without a clutch. The bike is in gear, and you can't use the bike's brakes to their fullest. Stopping for lights or stop signs could become a bit of an adventure. However, there are some times where the safest thing to do is to keep riding, such as if you happen to be in the middle of a busy freeway/expressway.

Here's how to get going again when you are sitting at a light. Your engine won't be running, which is an inconvenience, but a minor one. To start rolling:

• Shift into first gear.
• Make sure the clutch lever is at the handlebar (pull it in), so the bike is fooled into thinking the clutch safety switch is working.
• Make sure the side stand is up, for the same reason.
• Then, push the starter button... The initial movement will be a bit rough, but when the engine catches up, release the starter button and ride on as usual.

An alternative: Duck-walk the bike to get it rolling, then click into first and go.

Clutchless shifting is just a matter of matching rpms. On upshifts you have to back off the throttle for an instant as you bang the box into the next gear. Put a bit of upward pressure on the shifter before rolling off the gas; it will just snick right into place.

Downshifting is tougher, but doable. Coming to a stop, just slowly brake until the engine dies. On downshifts you have to rev the engine up a bit as you drop a gear. If you have to stop, get as slow as you can in first gear, then hit the kill switch.

Of course, the clutch is there for a reason, and shifting without it will wear your transmission out more quickly. In short, this should only be used in an emergency. Learn how, then hope you don't have to.

The best thing to do is just get a spare cable and zip-tie it to the current one. Should your cable break, it is just a matter of hooking up both ends, and you are on your way home.