Maintaining Control Cables
Cables are an essential product in your parts and service departments. Virtually all of your customer?s bikes and other Powersports vehicles use at least one mechanical control cable, and they need regular maintenance and occasional replacement. Lubricating those cables is important, both as a first step when installing new cables (cables are not lubricated from the factory), and also as a part of the normal maintenance schedule. Lubricating all the way through the cable could seem to be an impossible task, but the Motion Pro Cable Luber makes it a snap.
The Cable Luber is a small clamp-on device that allows you to inject cable lube inside the housing. Of course, Motion Pro also makes a fantastic cable lube developed in conjunction with Red Line Oils, so this is an essential product as well.
Motion Pro Cable Lube and standard Cable Luber shown in use.
Using these products is very simple, the cable luber consists of a small aluminum clamping body and has an inner rubber seal that is stepped to fit most every size cable fitting, and also seals around the inner wire of the cable. There is a small port that fits the spray tube of the cable luber, which is where the cable lube is injected. Since the wire is sealed off, the only place for the lube to go is into the cable housing.
This is best performed when the cables are removed from the motorcycle or ATV, but in some cases the throttle and clutch cables can just be disconnected from the controls, and then lubed from there. Use small, short bursts of lube, and give the lube some time to penetrate the cable. This can be a little messy, as sometimes the seal is not perfect on all cable fittings, so keep some shop rags on hand to wipe up any excess. Once some lube drips out of the bottom of the cable, it has been completely lubricated. Wipe off any excess, reassemble the controls, and your customer will marvel at how smooth the controls feel.
If your shop carries control cables for your customers, you should have cable lubers and cable lube available for them. These products should be regularly used in your service department as well. Maintaining and adjusting control cables should be a part of every service job.