I bought a new Clutch cable from BMW in June and this morning it let go at the lever....should I get rid of the kick stand retract feature?  it works well or is it causing strain every time?  clutch was super smooth when I would pull it in also not binding.  

Have a good look at the handle. Is the bottom hole larger than the top (where the cable end sits in)? Uneven load will break the cable at that end. Did you fit the felt sleeve when you replaced the cable? However, even then, talk to your seller, as this is too short a time.

Also keep the barrel at the end of the cable well lubricated, so it's able to
turn a few degrees everytime you use the clutch...or the cable breaks from fatigue after a rather short time.

My two cents worth...

I've disconnected the retracting mechanism coz I think it puts extra strain on the cable.

I've done without auto retracting sidestands for years. Sort of like gear indicators. Nice, but I don't think they are necessary.

Auto retracting side stands are not required if you remember to put your side stand up. 

Very true. You certainly learn quickly though!

I removed mine entirely, who needs side stands anyway! You can't forget to retract a center stand!

Yeah!

Real men use only the centre stand!  

marty, did you lubricate the inner part of the cable sleeve, this can help make the cable slide more freely insde, thus giving less friction and stress on the lever, and as mentioned earlier , just a smear of grease or oil on the nipple of the cable , to allow free movement within the lever.

Bmw recommends that the cables are not lubricated as this destroys the teflon inner liner.

martyman wrote:....should I get rid of the kick stand retract feature?  it works well or is it causing strain every time? 

If you're using the clutch lever to retract your side stand, I'd suggest thats going to place undue stress on the cable especially if the stand mechanism and the cable nipples are not properly lubed.
Use the centre stand or get in the practice of flipping the side stand up with your foot and when you pull the clutch lever in and you feel resistance... stop and do it with your foot.
I only use the side stand when I park on a tricky slope.
Cheers

Yes and no, Martyman.

I keep the "auto-retract" hooked up, but never use it.

Just as soon as I feel resistance to the clutch lever, I stop and check the kick stand.

So, I never forget the kick stand, nor do I abuse the clutch cable.

I've always used the auto retract, and heaps of times since 1995 and still on that same clutch cable. Thing is I never used to park it where people could try the clutch, if in a crowd I'd use the centre stand. I smoked a pipe in the old days and was want to park beside the road for a break and a puff and had become accustomed to parking on the rise rather than anywhere where it sloped away from the road and the side stand was used there.

The excessive load on the clutch cable is more likely to be corroded bearings in the clutch arm than the stand retractor.

Just my opinion.

Paul.

Did all models have the auto sidestand retraction system?

Only reason I ask is that when my clutch cable snapped a couple of weeks ago I just reconnected it to where it had been. Whenever the bike is on the sidestand I have to make sure I have a good hold of it before even attempting to move it because as soon as the weight of the bike comes off the stand it flicks up by a couple of springs on it.

Is this normal or has my bike been modified slightly in the past?

Grizzly wrote:Whenever the bike is on the sidestand I have to make sure I have a good hold of it before even attempting to move it because as soon as the weight of the bike comes off the stand it flicks up by a couple of springs on it.

Is this normal or has my bike been modified slightly in the past?

That's not normal. Sounds like your retract mechanism is stuck in retract mode continually pulling on your side stand. Try a bit of oil or grease.

Q: if your clutch cable snapped... how did you "just reconnect it to where it had been"

Some were fitted with a different spring mechanism so they would auto retract.
At the top of the springs there is a 1/2 moon piece that attaches the springs to the bracket that is bolted to the gearbox and there will be a longer pivot bolt which keeps the 1/2 moon bit going all the way forward so as to hold the stand down as it goes over centre. The long pivot bolt prevents the over centre movement.
I like what Honda do which is a small finger of rubber that touches the ground first and flicks the stand up before the steel hits and digs in.

Grizzly wrote:

Did all models have the auto sidestand retraction system?

Only reason I ask is that when my clutch cable snapped a couple of weeks ago I just reconnected it to where it had been. Whenever the bike is on the sidestand I have to make sure I have a good hold of it before even attempting to move it because as soon as the weight of the bike comes off the stand it flicks up by a couple of springs on it.

Is this normal or has my bike been modified slightly in the past?

Lots of info in this thread.
https://www.k100-forum.com/t1281-1988-k100rt-side-stand-auto-retracts

I would imagine that having your side stand auto-retract would not only be a PITA, it could potentially lead to a fall-over and that would be a RPITA.

Kaptain Holister wrote:

Grizzly wrote:Whenever the bike is on the sidestand I have to make sure I have a good hold of it before even attempting to move it because as soon as the weight of the bike comes off the stand it flicks up by a couple of springs on it.

Is this normal or has my bike been modified slightly in the past?

That's not normal. Sounds like your retract mechanism is stuck in retract mode continually pulling on your side stand. Try a bit of oil or grease.

Q: if your clutch cable snapped... how did you "just reconnect it to where it had been"

The cable only partially snapped but did not go fully through. I managed to limp over to Motorworks in Huddersfield and back with only three strands of cable attached. Took my tools that would be needed with me, but since it was raining very heavily I decided to just get back home (or as far as I could) before having to stop and do it.

At the clutch arm end it just seems to attach onto the arm after the outer casing secures in place on the bracket. Must be honest though, I didn't lie down on the nice wet ground to have a proper look at what the bracket does!

Grizzly wrote:

Did all models have the auto sidestand retraction system?

Only reason I ask is that when my clutch cable snapped a couple of weeks ago I just reconnected it to where it had been. Whenever the bike is on the sidestand I have to make sure I have a good hold of it before even attempting to move it because as soon as the weight of the bike comes off the stand it flicks up by a couple of springs on it.

Is this normal or has my bike been modified slightly in the past?

The later models had auto sidestand retract, so it seems you bike has been modified.

If you disconnect the rear of the two springs, the stand will not autoretract. But, keep the front spring as that holds the stand in place so you can lower/raise the bike without the stand flopping around.

No AJ, the early K's had the spring loaded auto retract mechanism for the sidestand. 

It was replaced by the clutch lever retract mechanism sometime in 1985.

The easy way to to disable the early stand retractor is to cut the extension off the end of the stand pivot pin.

Paul.

sidecar paul wrote:the early K's had the spring loaded auto retract mechanism for the sidestand. 

It was replaced by the clutch lever retract mechanism sometime in 1985.

I believe this differs with market/country, I think England was rather early.