When was your last motorcycle cable maintenance?

Com’on! Be truthful! When did you last maintain your motorcycle cables? Your clutch cable? Throttle cable?

What? NEVER?!?

Just a couple of days ago, as I was on the road, I spotted someone pushing his motorcycle along the side of the road. I wasn’t in a rush for time, and I pulled over to check out what was wrong with his machine and also see if I could offer any assistance. Turns out, his clutch cable had snapped and he was pushing his bike along to the nearest workshop to get it replaced.

I couldn’t leave a fellow rider in the lurch and offered to help him push. So with one foot on my motorcycle and the other one on his, I maintained a slow speed and pushed his Yamaha along until 3 junctions down the road. He then told me the workshop was just round the corner and he could push it the rest of the way. So I wished him luck and rode off.

When I got back that evening, a startling realisation dawned upon me – I have NEVER lubricated my clutch cable nor my throttle cable. Heck! I didn’t even know how to access it!

So when I got back home, I played with the clutch lever and throttle handle. Lo and behold! I did notice that my cables are beginning to feel “stiff” and slightly “sticky”. So I flipped through the 200NS service manual, whipped out my set of tools and can of WD40 and started squirting generously at both ends of both cables. I also took the opportunity to lube the clutch and throttle springs as a rust preventive maintenance.

Ah! So much smoother now…

Reminder to self – Don’t get stranded. Periodically lube the cables!

*Picture of frayed cable from internet. Thankfully, that is NOT my cable.