Clutch, throttle, featherlight and brake cable failure from lack of lube

daveforty said:
You need to order two new cables, install both - connect one of them and tuck the ends of the other away behind the headlight / under the seat. Then a quick changeover if / when the cable breaks. Got me out of trouble on my T140 and the Commando. The cable invariably breaks at the barrel at the handlebar end, I also have a spare adjuster / abutment thing in the toolbag.
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Yes, definitely have a spare adjuster/abutment thing in the tool bag because if the cable breaks on the fly - good luck trying to find it by the side of the road.
Ask me how I know.....
 
On the lever end, the cable barrel has, on some cables, a little piece of plastic that acts as a lube between
the barrel and the lever. Without this the barrel on mine tends to bind up, kinks the barrel to cable area
and that is why the cable eventually breaks. Watch it and listen to the squeak as it binds. I make a new little piece out of milk bottle plastic whenever the plastic gives up.
I've tried other levers but they all seem to do it.
 
The Featherlight cable of the OP is Teflon lined.
I had nylon lined cables on a bike. Nylon is hygroscopic so in heavy rain the cables tended to seize up. I wouldnt recommend it.
Teflon is not hygroscopic so it doesn't have that problem. It is also very slippery without lube, especially with the stainless inner that the Featherlight uses.
My thought is that lube on the main length of the Featherlight cables won't prevent eventual breakage at the handlebar end as they are very slippery when dry.
The standard thing to do at the cable end is add a dob of grease now and then, but the OP did that.
Onder's idea might be the best.
I haven't had the problem with the Featherlights, even after a lot of use. Maybe that's just good luck.

Glen
 
worntorn said:
The Featherlight cable of the OP is Teflon lined.
I had nylon lined cables on a bike. Nylon is hygroscopic so in heavy rain the cables tended to seize up. I wouldnt recommend it.
Teflon is not hygroscopic so it doesn't have that problem. It is also very slippery without lube, especially with the stainless inner that the Featherlight uses.
My thought is that lube on the main length of the Featherlight cables won't prevent eventual breakage at the handlebar end as they are very slippery when dry.
The standard thing to do at the cable end is add a dob of grease now and then, but the OP did that.
Onder's idea might be the best.
I haven't had the problem with the Featherlights, even after a lot of use. Maybe that's just good luck.

Glen
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A mate of mine has had so many Featherlight cables break and pull out of the nipple on his trident he won't use them anymore
Could just be the luck of the draw
 
baz said:
If you are not too loaded up just paddle it forward and snick into gear
And before you stop find neutral
I've had to do this a few times over the years
Changing gear is ok if you get the revs right
I've never actually had a clutch cable snap
But plenty have pulled out of the nipple at the clutch lever end
On inspection they haven't been bird caged
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I got a few blocks like that on the night but had to give up. Heavy and constant stop/go traffic heading for the 59th St bridge was too dangerous. Pedestrians and scooters jumping out of everywhere also didn't help. Manhattan a real life video game on 2 wheels and thats on a good day. When I got going the next day with the temp repair I was as economical as possible with the clutch as I could be. Timed my exit out of the city after rush hour and once I was in Queens it was plain sailing from there on. Might have picked up a few red light tickets along the way but it is what it is.
 
"Manhattan a real life video game on 2 wheels and thats on a good day."

Word.

Long before Donkey Kong, Dad called it "going to the zoo" driving a big rig into the city 3 times weekly, beginning 1963.
A madhouse of frantic driving, compared to his rural roots. He went on to become masterful at "playing the game"
He was chosen to be a driver training instructor.
 
The plastic barrel end bushing

Clutch, throttle, featherlight and brake cable failure from lack of lube
 
The barrel nipple on my clutch cable would not stop creaking against the alloy lever, no matter what oil or grease I applied.

It’s the type of barrel nipple that holds a separate pear-shaped nipple, so I was able to coat the load-bearing side of the outside of the barrel nipple with solder. That seems to have fixed it.
 
New cable arrived so I decided to start putting it on. First thing I noticed is that’s it’s longer than whatever was there before now it has a larger loop at the front that what I’m used to. Anyway the barrel is different also with the pear arrangement and no plastic bushing. The instructions also mentions copper grease use rather than heavy grease.
Clutch, throttle, featherlight and brake cable failure from lack of lube
Clutch, throttle, featherlight and brake cable failure from lack of lube
The
 
speirmoor said:
New cable arrived so I decided to start putting it on. First thing I noticed is that’s it’s longer than whatever was there before now it has a larger loop at the front that what I’m used to. Anyway the barrel is different also with the pear arrangement and no plastic bushing. The instructions also mentions copper grease use rather than heavy grease.
View attachment 115273View attachment 115274The
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Speirmoor,

Is that a Featherlite cable? I believe my Featherlite has a sleeve on the barrel, I would go check except it's pouring rain right now. I also run the shorter cable to avoid that extra loop around the airbox.
BTW, enjoyed meeting you in NH. Hope to see you at The Gathering.

Pete
 
Yes Pete the rally was a blast.
It's a Featherlite. No sleeve on the barrel. I'm going to get the shorter cable and keep this one as a spare like someone mentioned earlier
 
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