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Clutch Cable

Isleoman

Isleoman

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Anyone have a favorite cable lube?

Currently trying a dry teflon based “lock” lubricant. Helps for a ride then it seems to get worse. Over the years I’ve just replaced the cable at about 50K.
Currently at 80K on this Gen 1 but can’t remember if it’s had it’s cable replaced or not. Roughly $50 for a new oem cable.

I don’t have any problems getting the lube into the cable from the center disconnect it just doesn’t stay lubed.

I’ve seen “Cable Life” and PJs but haven’t tried either.
 
Isleoman said:
Anyone have a favorite cable lube?

Currently trying a dry teflon based “lock” lubricant. Helps for a ride then it seems to get worse. Over the years I’ve just replaced the cable at about 50K.
Currently at 80K on this Gen 1 but can’t remember if it’s had it’s cable replaced or not. Roughly $50 for a new oem cable.

I don’t have any problems getting the lube into the cable from the center disconnect it just doesn’t stay lubed.

I’ve seen “Cable Life” and PJs but haven’t tried either.
Click to expand...
FWIW, I have always lubed cables on all my bikes and a few yrs ago a riding buddy (dirt bike) made a comment that once you lube it you have to keep lubing it or it will get gunked snd sticky. The new cables with the plastic insert don’t need lubed just replaced every so often when they stretch…not sure on the truth to that as I have always lubed about once a yr or two and never a problem. They do seem noticeably “draggy” after a while, kinda always thought that was normal.
 
This is the stuff I have used for ever. Same bottle cause don’t need much. Not cause it good but bc somehow it’s ne day it ended up in my garage🤷🏻‍♂️
 

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cannedSardina said:
This is the stuff I have used for ever. Same bottle cause don’t need much. Not cause it good but bc somehow it’s ne day it ended up in my garage🤷🏻‍♂️
Click to expand...
That's the same stuff I use. I'm at the point where I need a new cable, though. Even after I lube my cable it is still somewhat hard to pull the clutch lever. I'm considering trying to convert it to a hydraulic clutch. Unfortunately, I don't currently have the $300+ for the kit. I think it would be really cool, though.
 
Old guy near me that works only on vintage bikes ( pre 1980 ) swears by WD40 Dry Lube spray, Says the PTFE is the secret ??
I used on my clutch and throttle cables back in February and all still feel nick and slickery.
 
Eff-Zed-1 said:
Old guy near me that works only on vintage bikes ( pre 1980 ) swears by WD40 Dry Lube spray, Says the PTFE is the secret ??
I used on my clutch and throttle cables back in February and all still feel nick and slickery.
Click to expand...
Definitely am not against trying wd40. Where about in NC you at? I am originally from Chapel Hill. Moved away after HS tho, still visit every yr.
 
Thanks for all the input. Was driving by the only non-hd dealer near me so stopped in and picked up the PJs lube. Was all they had. It’s made a nice difference on a short 2 hr ride this afternoon. We’ll see how it holds up.
 
As an update…... I’ve probably ridden close to 1000 miles after lubing the cable with PJs Cable Lube. It helps noticeably for about 250-500 miles then it gets back to where it was before I lubed.

I was ordering some other OEM parts so I picked up another clutch cable. I have about six cables laying in the top of my tool box. Never had one fray a strand. They just get to difficult to use.
 
Isleoman said:
As an update…... I’ve probably ridden close to 1000 miles after lubing the cable with PJs Cable Lube. It helps noticeably for about 250-500 miles then it gets back to where it was before I lubed.

I was ordering some other OEM parts so I picked up another clutch cable. I have about six cables laying in the top of my tool box. Never had one fray a strand. They just get to difficult to use.
Click to expand...
IOM, there may be some truth to never lubing a cable. I was told that once you lube it you have to keep it lubed regularly or it gets worse🤷🏻‍♂️. Maybe it just has to get done every few hundred miles. That is once a week for me and that definitely ain’t happening.
 
Joe, I can remove the cable at the clutch lever and squirt a bit of lube in and have it re-attached in less than 5 minutes. Easy enough, but don’t want to be constantly doing it. New clutch cable was $54. So I bit the bullet to save the hand that feeds me.
 
Isleoman said:
Joe, I can remove the cable at the clutch lever and squirt a bit of lube in and have it re-attached in less than 5 minutes. Easy enough, but don’t want to be constantly doing it. New clutch cable was $54. So I bit the bullet to save the hand that feeds me.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I just deal with it snd do it every six months or so.
 
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