Nylon throttle cable?

[amateurhour]

Hi - relative newbie here. Slightly boring questions: does anyone know if the AT throttle cables are the infamous nylon lined ones? Had to lube them the other day after the bike was off the road for a couple of months. That did the job but after a couple off days they've become very tight and I think they're wrecked.
Also, can you get away with relacing just the 'pull' cable or will the resistance in the other one scupper that plan?
Finally, does anyone know if the throttle cables off an rd04 can be used in an rd07?
Any help would be appreciated. The bike doesn't start anymore either but that's a little further down a long list of priorities.
Thanks.

[Whealie]

No idea, but we discovered at the Essex working bee weekend that the RD04 clutch cable with fit an RD07 so I suspect the cables will swap.

[amateurhour]

Ok thanks - can't believe how much that mistake's going to cost me.

[YEN_POWELL]

I've got plain steel cables and I've been oiling them for years with no worries. Are you sure that the nylon insert inside the throttle housing isn't jamming the cable or that they are snagging somewhere else?

[amateurhour]

Um, i don't think the insert is jamming - it was snapping back nice and freely just after i oiled it and now it's almost unusably stiff. I dot't know anything about nylon cables apart from what i've read here but i can't think of anything else.

[YEN_POWELL]

Um, i don't think the insert is jamming - it was snapping back nice and freely just after i oiled it and now it's almost unusably stiff. I dot't know anything about nylon cables apart from what i've read here but i can't think of anything else.

Isolate the problem, turn the carb end spindle by hand, does that snap back (maybe the spring is broken or sometging is catching it), then disconnect the cable at the handlebar end and pull and push those, are they free moving.

I'm pretty sure there are no nylon lined cables as standard, not even on the clutch. I've got one on my DR and they are a pain and need replacing regularly, especially if they run too close to a hot exhust.

[BobA]

Amateurhour ! Like it!

OK a few things spring to mind here...

My bike failed it's MOT a while back due to a partially sticking throttle. Like you I took everything apart and cleaned it up and re-greaed (make sure you use white litheum grease) but it wouldn't cure it. I checked the cables and they seemed good at both ends, but I got some white grease in them anyway, but still it stuck.
After a lot of head scratching, I noticed that the handlebar end was distorted (due to a previous dropping incident) so after a bit of metal manipulation and filing, the thottle started working perfectly again.

Cables. OE Honda cables are PVC coated steel, and are great until they start breaking down or wearing out. When this happens the PVC bits come off and jam up the inside of the cable, foulling it's movement.
Honda cables are obviously the best replacement, but pattern ones are now available with bare stainless steel cables (which don't corrode) so they are good as well (just add a dab of white grease when fitting).

DO NOT be tempted to remove one of the throttle cables, as it could be the last bit of cost-saving you ever do. It's there for a reason! If you were stuck in the middle of the namibian desert and it was your only way of getting to safety, I'd say OK, but on the busy UK roads you are inviting disaster. Also, if you do have an accident and the insurance company spots a missing cable, guess who they'd blame for everything!?? Worse still if they find your post on this (public) forum stting you were going to do it!! DON'T RISK IT OK! Not for a £10 bit of cable!

You are in Brighton (Sussex I assume) so you have one of the best Africa Twin parts suppliers in your City. Wemoto are excellent, reliable, cheap, and nice blokes if you go to the shop, so there's no excuse for not putting good parts on your bike. Check em out here http://shop.wemoto.com/index.dyn?flag=17&make=Honda

Finally. Welcome to the forum, you are truly in the best place for help, friendly banter, and rideouts etc.

Enjoy your AT


Bob

[amateurhour]

Great - getting some really good tips here. Boba, when you say grease the cable do you mean the ends and the exposed part at the carb?

[BobA]

Use white grease in a spray can. Spray it into the end of the cable, then work the cable back and forth so the grease finds it's way in deeper.

To be honest though, if the cable really is bad, you'll spend more on grease than a new cable, so I'd just replace it.

Recently found myself without a clutch in central London because I did the same as you!

A new cable is £10 well spent I promise you


Bob

[amateurhour]

10 quid - really? Before i started the thread i checked with wemoto and the push and pull cables cost about twenty each. Am i missing something here?