Clutch cable lubricant

[smi481]

And Motion Pro Cable Lube is the best.

It's used by the Honda Race Teams along with the
Barber Museum.

http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/15-0002

Excellent lubrication product designed and tested by Motion Pro
specifically for bike cables only .... unlike the motor oil or WD40
many of us have used in the past ... that only works for a few
hours.

[smi481]

Proper cable lubrication from Motion Pro

First thing you have to do is remove the cables from your bike.


For all cables, the first thing to do is to clean up the housing, and inspect the cable for any wear. If the housing is worn to the coil winding, or one of the fittings is damaged or worn, this is a good time to think about some new cables. If they look good, the next step is to relubricate the inner wire.


Lubricating the Cable
Lubricating the wire inside the housing will make it slide more smoothly, and will also extend the life of the cable by reducing friction Motion Pro makes an excellent Cable Lube, and also a Cable Luber to make this job as easy as possible. The Cable Luber installs over the end of the housing, and clamps over the inner wire. There is a port in the side of the tool where you can insert the tube from the spray can of lube, and then short bursts of the aerosol will force lubricant into the cable housing and down along the inner wire. The lubricating process will also clean the inner wire and housing of debris. Continue to inject cable lube into the cable after the lube begins to drips out of the bottom of the housing. At first the discharge will be dirty, but when you see clean lubricant coming out you are done. Make sure to have some extra shop rags around though, because it is a somewhat messy process.

That is the main job to be done with the cables removed, and if you want to short cut this process some, you can just remove the cables from the controls, and then lubricate them while they are still in place on the bike, but this will keep you from doing a thorough inspection of the cables, and may result in cable lube getting on your bike, meaning more clean up.

Re-install the cables
When reinstalling the cables, there are a couple of very important things to do. One of the most important is to properly clean and lubricate any pivot points, like the clutch cable barrel in the clutch lever on the handlebar, and the throttle cable barrels in the throttle tube. If these points are not clean and lubricated with high quality grease, they can bind, which will cause the cable to flex and prematurely wear and fail. Lubricating these points will also result in finer feel and control, making your interface with the bike more sensitive. While you are at it, remove the clutch lever, and regrease the pivot there also, so it is working at its smoothest. This also applies to the brake lever, so that it works as smoothly as possible.

When adjusting the cables, refer to your service manual for the proper free play adjustments, as a throttle cable that is too tight can cause engine revs to rise when the bars are turned, causing an unsafe condition. If a clutch cable is too tight, it can cause the clutch to slip, and if too loose, shifting can be difficult. A note on the adjusters on a cable: Don't over tighten the adjuster fitting. They are hollow, so that the wire can pass through, and only need about 8 ft-lbs of torque to properly secure them. Over tightening the adjusters can cause them to crack and fail.

On most bikes, all of these jobs should only add about a half an hour of work to your garage time. It's time well spent to make sure your bike is performing at it's best. It will also make your riding time safer and more enjoyable.

[brewsky]

... unlike the motor oil or WD40
many of us have used in the past ... that only works for a few
hours.

??????.....Sorry!......have to throw the BS flag on this one!

The spray lube works just fine (as long as the straw doesn't pop out of the spray nozzle, or special luber attachment).....but....

So does graphite,...

So does lithium grease...

So does lock lubricant...

And, so does motor oil (which, by the way, is recommended by the Honda service manual), and which certainly lasts much longer than a few hours!

Which is BEST, is a matter of opinion, and you are certainly entitled to yours.

For me, however, spending $15.99 for the Motion pro lube, $9.99 for the special attachment so it will work, $6.50 for shipping and handling etc. is just over kill, when a few cents worth of left over oil will will do the same job.

[R100]

I get some WD40 through the cable as it is somewhat of a cleaner.
With fresh WD40 (carrier/solvent not yet evaporated) I put 90wt gear oil in a few drops at a time working the cable a little each time. The WD40 helps it flow down the inside, although it still takes a little time.
90wt gear oil is cheap, what I use on my chain, and cleans off easily. I like the "clinginess" property about it for some things.

[mike1969]

Had trouble with the first Dream I had. Not only was the cable dry, the cutch actuator under the right side cover was bone dry.

[rustywrench]

... unlike the motor oil or WD40
many of us have used in the past ... that only works for a few
hours.

??????.....Sorry!......have to throw the BS flag on this one!

The spray lube works just fine (as long as the straw doesn't pop out of the spray nozzle, or special luber attachment).....but....

So does graphite,...

So does lithium grease...

So does lock lubricant...

And, so does motor oil (which, by the way, is recommended by the Honda service manual), and which certainly lasts much longer than a few hours!

Which is BEST, is a matter of opinion, and you are certainly entitled to yours.

For me, however, spending $15.99 for the Motion pro lube, $9.99 for the special attachment so it will work, $6.50 for shipping and handling etc. is just over kill, when a few cents worth of left over oil will will do the same job.

Well said Brewsky