When i upgraded my cables they made a huge difference on my 01'. Also, make sure they are routed correctly and not getting bound up on anything. They do not get lubricated and BMW recommends replacement at 36000 miles.
Stiff throttle
I've read posts on this before and even upgraded my '99 LT to post '04 cable. However the new (to me) bike is an '04 with the upgraded cables and the throttle is stiffer than I'd like. Are they likely to be worn out (45,000 miles) of could these be lubricated?
Thanks
Simon
Thanks
Simon
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
Having just replaced the throttle cables on my '99 LT with the revised style cable I have a couple of items I noticed during the replacement.
First of all the process of changing the throttle cables made a great improvement to the safety, comfort and cruise control operation.
After removing the original cables and inspecting them I didn't see any wear that would cause the cables to drag. They slid as easily as the new cables I was getting ready to put on. (99LT with 45K miles)
What I did notice was that the twist grip had excess friction without the cables being attached. I made enough slack in the heated grip wires to pull the twist grip all the way off. I cleaned the handle bar end and the inside of the grip thoroughly. What ever had been put on this area in the past was kind of sticky. Maybe the heat from the grip had changed the composition? After I cleaned this area I put on a dry lube that doesn't attract dust. This made the twist grip move freely on the handle bar. To be honest in my case if I had just done this one step I might not have ordered new cables.
I'd say the rest of the freedom of movement came from the redesigned attachment angle to the grip, routing the cables with the least amount of ties, not pulling the ties tight and allowing the cables to make an easy gentle bend down to the attach points by the throttle bodies. I made sure to tie the cables so they would approach the throttle bodies at a 90 degree angle with no stress pulling the cable from this position. I also tied all the wires near the throttle bodies so they would not touch the throttle cables.
While I was doing this job I replaced the vacuum lines with high temp silicon vacuum hose and made sure none of these lines would touch the throttle cables either. I also sprayed the springs and throttle shafts with brake cleaner. When I put the fuel injectors and fuel rail back together I used new O rings and lightly coated the the o rings with a product called "Fuel Lube" so it would all slide together easily. Fuel Lube is a product used in aviation that is a brown waxy paste that doesn't soften rubber and is not cut by gas.
I guess the short answer would have been just to clean the inside of the twist grip and lube it with the appropriate lube. The rest is just FYI although I think it all added up to smooth operation of the throttle.
My throttle closes like a mouse trap now and the cruise works perfectly.
First of all the process of changing the throttle cables made a great improvement to the safety, comfort and cruise control operation.
After removing the original cables and inspecting them I didn't see any wear that would cause the cables to drag. They slid as easily as the new cables I was getting ready to put on. (99LT with 45K miles)
What I did notice was that the twist grip had excess friction without the cables being attached. I made enough slack in the heated grip wires to pull the twist grip all the way off. I cleaned the handle bar end and the inside of the grip thoroughly. What ever had been put on this area in the past was kind of sticky. Maybe the heat from the grip had changed the composition? After I cleaned this area I put on a dry lube that doesn't attract dust. This made the twist grip move freely on the handle bar. To be honest in my case if I had just done this one step I might not have ordered new cables.
I'd say the rest of the freedom of movement came from the redesigned attachment angle to the grip, routing the cables with the least amount of ties, not pulling the ties tight and allowing the cables to make an easy gentle bend down to the attach points by the throttle bodies. I made sure to tie the cables so they would approach the throttle bodies at a 90 degree angle with no stress pulling the cable from this position. I also tied all the wires near the throttle bodies so they would not touch the throttle cables.
While I was doing this job I replaced the vacuum lines with high temp silicon vacuum hose and made sure none of these lines would touch the throttle cables either. I also sprayed the springs and throttle shafts with brake cleaner. When I put the fuel injectors and fuel rail back together I used new O rings and lightly coated the the o rings with a product called "Fuel Lube" so it would all slide together easily. Fuel Lube is a product used in aviation that is a brown waxy paste that doesn't soften rubber and is not cut by gas.
I guess the short answer would have been just to clean the inside of the twist grip and lube it with the appropriate lube. The rest is just FYI although I think it all added up to smooth operation of the throttle.
My throttle closes like a mouse trap now and the cruise works perfectly.
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
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