Loose throttle cables

Hello,
after a few days of nice riding, I'm experiencing huge problems in getting my 73 Interstate started. I changed the plugs, I bought a new battery. Nothing. And unfortunately the bike is too far from any decent hill.
Today I noticed that the throttle cables are both very loose: the black cover tend to slip out the holes of the lucas throttle, leaving outside 5 to 10 cm of naked wire. I guess this could be a problem (if only the bike started...), because it caun cause the throttle to block when closing it. But, more urgently, do you think this has something to do with the fact that it's becoming imposible to start the bike? Any suggestions?
Thanks
P.S. The carb is a double Amal

its possible your carb slides are stuck !?

gattomotore said:

the black cover tend to slip out the holes of the lucas throttle, leaving outside 5 to 10 cm of naked wire.

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5 to 10 cm? = 50 to 100mm, or 2 to 4 inches of inner cable showing, are you sure?

Regarding the carbs, yes, that could be an explaination. Unfortunately, I don't know the bike so well yet to take adventure and touch the carbs... Unless the intervention isn't much easier than I think.

And yes, I'm sure: perhaps not three inches, but two for sure. I also noticed that when I turn the handlebar towards left, the cables and wires tend to return to their (almost) normal position. The opposite when I turn right.

The cables should normally have 2 to 3 mm of slack in them with the slides resting on their throttle stops.

gattomotore said:

I also noticed that when I turn the handlebar towards left, the cables and wires tend to return to their (almost) normal position. The opposite when I turn right.

Click to expand...

The cable may be kinked, or is being pinched under the tank somewhere, or it is routed badly, thus creating a tight spot pulling the outer cable as the bars are turned to the right?

On the top of the carbs, pull the cable up to see if the slack is there. It will be one or the other most likely. If the slack is there then it is now time to get familure with your carbs (at least a little bit).
A slide may be stuck. You do not have to pull the carbs off the bike, just remove the tops and pull out the slides. With a clean rag and a little spirits, swab the inside of the carb and the slide. The only tricky part about this will be putting the slide back in and getting the needle to go into the needle jet. You may want to feel in from the inlet side (removin the air cleaner) with you finger to guide it in. If you push it in and the needle pops up off the clip you will need to get a little more familure as in learning how to set the needle in the slide.
This being said will all be for nought if it is a kinked or pincher cable. Also, check the 2 to 1 junction coupling under the tank.

Start at the beginning I find that if you start in the middle or at the end you end up at the beginning Look for cable fray at the twistgrip Go to one into two junction make sure its working like it should then pull tops off carbs check slids springs and cable path Then through the carbs to the float bowl if you have to I leaned this when I was young Back then all I had was riddeing on my mind so I looked for the quick fix Phil

Dear all,
thanks a lot for your help. I followed your instructions step by step: at the end it's not been as hard as I expected. The fuel slide of the right carb was blocked. It took a few minutes to clean it. The bike started almost immediately...
You see, these are paradoxically the moments in which you love most your old bikes: I also have modern ones. They break down relatively seldom, but when it happens, the only thing you can do is to go to an ultra-qualified NASA scientist to start them again. With Commando and other bikes like that, you always have your hands covered of oil and grease, but, finally, when they start again, it's your little, personal masterpiece....