Choke Cable

richpeabody

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Feb 17, 2007
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381
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Venice, FL
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ST1100
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yes
Choke cable lube?
My choke cable seems to be becoming more and more difficult to move....still works.....
Is there a good cable lube? Or just replace the thing?
Thanks

Have fun!
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
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soCal
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'97 ST1100
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687
take a quick look at the cable routing, make sure it hasn't shifted in its mount and started binding on something. If that checks out OK, then shoot a little lube into the end of the cable. Something a little heavier like chain lube is probably better, but any lube should help. The fiche shows the choke cable as being discontinued, so replacement would require finding one from a junkyard or custom build.
 
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Northumberland UK
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Also worth lubing the lever end, it can get dry where it turns in the switch. A bit of lithium grease will sort it.
I would use a three in one type oil on the cable.
Upt'North.
 
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British Columbia
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Thanks! I appreciate the help....
Ride safe and Have Fun!
If it were my sticky cable, I would not put any oil or other lube into the sheath. All that does is attract more dirt to eventually make the stickiness worse. Cables are not lubed initially, but they get sticky over time because of accumulated dirt, so I would remove the cable from its stays and push each end out as far as possible and clean the cable. Most of the dirt will be accumulated near the cable/sheath interface areas, so a good cleaning will solve most problems.
 

ST Gui

240Robert
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My 305 Scrambler use cables for the brakes and clutch. I tried a gizmo that was to allow me to pump lubrication into it but it was messy. Maybe methods have improved over the years.

Cleaning the cables didn't see to help much either. I just got in the habit of replacing them when the drag started to annoy me or wear indicated it. I carried a spare of the clutch and front brake cable after 'losing' the clutch cable on the road. It was fun getting back home without a clutch.
 
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West Michigan
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Also worth lubing the lever end, it can get dry where it turns in the switch. A bit of lithium grease will sort it.
I would use a three in one type oil on the cable.
Upt'North.
:plus1:

May not be the cable, but added friction at the lever end or carb end. Need to do some logical troubleshooting. I would start by disconnecting the cable at the carbs and see if that makes a big difference. If not, spray some silicone lube around the lever, work it in, and see if that does. My bet is that it's not the cable, per se. In fact, if the cable goes fully back to the " choke off " position, the cable probably isn't binding.
 
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