A7 throttle cable

[BSA500]

Hi,
 Just a question is it just me but are controls cables a bit c**p these days as in 12 months I have had two throttle cables snap and from different suppliers.It happened today and of course stuck a couple of miles from home.I was glad I kept the choke cable as this just fits so i was able to get home so people don't ditch the choke it may just get you home.

[Beezageezauk]

What part of the cables broke?  Did they both break in the same place?

Before you fit the next one lubricate it with thin machine oil.  This will help if you have a tight spot in the cable routing.

I must admit that the last time I bought a throttle cable was in 2000 when I finished rebuilding my touring A10.  Although I carry a spare with me I have never needed it and I've done quite a few miles on it now.

Now that's been made public I've got a pretty good idea what will happen on my next trip.

Beezageezauk.

[G/F DAVE]

I always make up my own using brass nipples soldered on. I dont like the crimped on type or the moulded type. Also I lubricate well before I fit them. I find ones you can buy are either to long or to short,This applies especially to clutch & brake cables. I agree about carrying a spare also handy to use the choke if you,re stuck. Dave....

[groily]

Funny what Beezageeza says re 'what broke?', 'cos I was just boasting the other day that the throttle cable on one bike was (note the 'was') the one it came with decades ago. . .  it didn't break exactly, it was just that the outer protective tubing cracked and let in water on a wet and freezing day, and the inner rusted . . . and got sticky . . . and was a pain.
3 points come to mind apart from the good debate over 'make-your-own' or buy new.
The first - if you don't mind non-original - consider a 'straight-pull' throttle - one where the bit that describes the tight arc around the handlebar is a short chain which engages the cable nipple and pulls it in a straight line along a slot in a bit of bar. My original one was called a 'Practica'  - when the alloy body cracked from old age I was so miserable at the thought of having to use a standard one that I made a copy from mild steel and it's the dog's b*******. People accuse it of being off a japanese bike, very flattering!. I need to make another one for the A10.
The second, regular light oiling, and grease round the top of the cable, where there is always space for moisture to creep in. Grease, regularly smeared, is just sooo good.
And third, easy, lazy cable routing - even if it's not per maker's. 'Neat and invisible' has a lot to answer for, IMHO.

Parallel cables for clutch and throttle is v good sense. I always carry spares 'cos I've spent too much time over the years trying to get home when one has failed. Plus, as any fooool knows, if you have a spare with you, the thing never breaks. Same reason I carry an inner tube . . . I won'tneed it till the day it's not there. Groily

[manosound]

Groily,

Based on your theory, where do you keep the umbrella (for those not speakin' American, "brolly")?

Richard

[fido]

If only 2 miles from home I would probably just raise the tickover a bit and ride without a throttle, assuming there's a working kill button. On veteren bikes with no gears they often use the valve lifter when slowing down.

[BSA500]

Both cables broke about 1/2 inch below the nipple and the second one was a heavy duty nylon lined make it up yer self jobby.

[Beezageezauk]

If both cables broke in the same place I would suspect the working mechanism of the throttle itself.  Inside the throttle, less than a half inch from the button nipple the cable bends at approximately 90 degrees.  Check to see if there is any sign of snagging around that area.  Also, when the throttle is closed, check to see how close the nipple is to the little ferrule that slots over the cable as it enters the throttle.  If it is about a half inch, check for any signs of snagging there. 

However, it might be worth your while to change the actual throttle.  This should eliminate the problem once and for all.

Beezageezauk.

[groily]

Ah, the brolly, Richard. It mounts in a special tube attached to the left hand fork, and comes up automatically at the first drop of rain!

Re cables breaking at the twist grip - that's why I like straight pull ones  - never lost one yet. Groily