Clutch cable lubrication?

[El Pirata]

I have found no mention anywhere of clutch cable lubing, is it maintenance free?

[Badbob]

Your right I can't find it either. The service manual does say to grease the lever.

I oil mine same as the throttle cables.

I oil my brake cable as well.

I also put a little lithium grease under my throttle grip. Thats not in the manual either. Makes it turn lots smoother.

[jnortonsr]

How do you lube them with out taking them off, and how do you take off the throttle or choke cable without taking off the right and left side side electrics

[Badbob]

I don't know an effective way to lube a cable without taking it off.

[jnortonsr]

How do you take them off?

[Water Warrior 2]

Back when I had a dirt bike I used a simple method to lube the clutch cable. Just pull the clutch in and drip a little automatic transmission fluid on the exposed cable. Work the clutch lever a bit and repeat. It can get a bit messy but after sitting over night the cable seems to get lubed from one end to the other. I used a dedicated oil can with a smaller tip after my first episode with a larger tip.
Haven't looked at the 250 cable yet but I do know if it has a teflon inner sheath rather then metal DO NOT LUBRICATE with oil. The teflon should be left alone, it is pretty tough and basically lube free. Teflon does not like oil but if it has already been oiled or lubed in some manner you might as well continue to avoid eventual binding. Hope this helps.

[Badbob]

The stock GZ250 cables do not have Teflon liners.

You have to remove the switch housing to get to the throttle cable ends. Be very careful to get the plastic pin back into the hole in the handle bars when replacing the housing and note where the screws go as they are different sizes. If you put the long screw in the short hole you can damage the housing. You do not need to completely remove the cable. Just remove the top end.

I put a drop of oil on the cable and let it run down the cable until it comes out the other end.

[Badbob]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Haven't looked at the 250 cable yet but I do know if it has a teflon inner sheath rather then metal DO NOT LUBRICATE with oil. The Teflon should be left alone, it is pretty tough and basically lube free. Teflon does not like oil but if it has already been oiled or lubed in some manner you might as well continue to avoid eventual binding. Hope this helps.

Do you have an authoritative referance for this?

Oil being generally used as a generic term for liquid lubricants, I would like to know specifically what it is that makes Teflon swell. Just in case I run across a Teflon cable one day.

[Water Warrior 2]

Badbob, don't know if the Teflon would swell, might be that lubricating will eventually cause some deteriorating which means binding and friction in the long run. As for the info source, it comes from a fellow Vstromer who is rarely wrong if ever and who generally researches these kind of questions before answering a post. I will be going with his statement about the teflon. My own opinion would be that once a teflon sheathed cable starts to drag or bind there is serious wear between cable and sheath. Possibly cable strands breaking down. A throttle cable that fails to return to an idle position could make for an exciting time. Time to replace for safety above all.

[Bill]

I don't know about lubricating the cable but the GZ250 was having a little binding/sticking problem with the clutch and brake levers. It turned out not to be a lack of lubrication of the cable but a need for a small amount of grease (not too much) near the pivot pin. Removed the pin and lubed at the inside of the lever where it contacts the handlebar clamp and it cured the problem.

Cheers!