Throttle cable sanity check

[Kaiser Sosei]

After my wonderful adventure a couple weeks ago with a broken throttle cable and flat tire on the way home from work. I took the opportunity while waiting on the tire to rebuild the carbs and install a Dynojet kit.

I'm almost back on the road except for synching the carbs/adjusting fuel mixture but I think my replacement throttle cable is too long.

The cable was one I had in the tool box, unopened Suzuki OEM but even with all the adjustments maxed out it's still got about 1/2 inch of play. I don't have the packaging it came in anymore and the only numbers numbers on the cable I can see are "44232 SD23" by the thottle. The numbers were a little scratched out so I could be misreading them.

I just want to make sure I don't have the wrong cable, if anyone can check their's and confirm I have the right one or the wrong one I'd appreciate it. The bars have been changed to superbike/daytona's can't remember but I'm pretty sure the previous cable worked without being maxed out in it's adjustment.

Thnaks.

[Guest]

Here is what I see when looking at the online parts list at Colorado Powersports:
CABLE, THROTTLE
58300-44232 (replaces 58300-45400)

Not sure what the additional numbers you see may mean, but I'm guessing it is the correct one, maybe a little different in length than original part. Ray

[Kaiser Sosei]

Sorry, should have been more clear. I don't have the original packaging that has the Suzuki part number on it. I changed the cable 2 weeks ago and the packaging has gone to the dump. The numbers I posted are physically on the cable by the throttle. I'm just trying to make sure I do have the right one, or if I was sent the wrong one. I'd hate to order another one and run into the same issue.

[Kaiser Sosei]

Guess those numbers don't mean anything?

Here's a shot of where the numbers are located by the throttle.



Close up of the numbers.



And two shots at the carb end, first with the throttle rotated fully "off" showing all the slack in the cable and the next showing how it should be with a "tight" cable. These are with the adjusters maxed out.





Anyone?

[Steve]

If you will notice, the numbers on the cable match the last group of numbers on the cable that GhostGS1 mentioned. I would think that is the proper cable.

You mentioned you changed the bars. The ones you put on might be a bit lower/shorter, giving some extra cable overall, but you should have no problem adjusting it.

I think I found your problem, though. Look at your next-to-last last picture:

Look at the angle of the cable as it leaves the bracket.

It should be virtually straight. With it in its current position, it would wear rather quickly, as it is dragging the edge ALL the time.

Bend the bracket UP, leveling it out, you will straighten the angle the inner cable has as it leaves and you will take up a LOT (if not all) of your extra slack.

.

[Guest]

Agreed , I see that your bracket that the cable is in on the carbs is defiantly bent down, How you bent that I don't know. but it needs to be raised alot

[Kaiser Sosei]

Thanks guys. I'm pretty sure I didn't bend the bracket down but I'll tweak it up to take up the slack. I figured some pics would help. I think that one picture is a little deceptive with all the slack in the cable. When the cable is tight it doesn't rub.

[Kaiser Sosei]

I bent the bracket to make the cable a fairly straight shot to the carbs. Helped a little bit, but there is still too much slack even with the adjusters fully extended. Wife had the camera so I didn't get a chance to take a picture before I left for work. I've never had the stock bars since I have owned the bike, I just mentioned it for full disclosure. I just changed them because they were bent and that was several years ago.

I looked at the micro fiches for the carbs and my bracket doesn't look like the ones on the fiche. It looks more like the ones for the '82-'85 with out the extra part with the threaded portion. That probably makes no sense, but I can't upload anything here from work, so no picture to show what I mean.

Anyone have a snapshot of what the '80-'81 bracket should look like while installed on the bike? That might help me tell if mine is way out of wack, and how much it needs to be bent. I can live with it as is, but would prefer to make sure I have exhausted all the possibilities.

[Sandy]

If you still have the old cable what you want to do is measure how much longer the inner cable is in relation to the cable outer (sheath). If that measurement is longer on the new cable then you would have the wrong cable. The overall length of the whole cable assembly is really only relavent to the routing of the cable, it's the difference between the inner and outer that is really critical. If the inner cable is too long or too short you won't have enough adjustment range. Also with the single pull cable is it possible to get it in the wrong hole on the throttle tube?

[Don-lo]

Take a look at the throttle tube connection. Sometimes there are 2 holes that the end of the cable can attach to, and you need to move it to the further hole.

[Kaiser Sosei]

Sandy+ Don-lo,

Don't have the old cable to compare it to and I double checked to make sure it was in the right hole at the throttle.


That aside,

I looked into getting a shorter cable and picked one from an 83 1100E which according to Dennis Kirk should work out to about the right length. I messed around with the routing of the cable to make sure the 83E cable would work and somehow lost a little bit of length on the cable. The cable is still almost maxed out at the carb end but I still have the full adjustment at the thottle end. Not sure how that helped, but it is better. When I get the new cable, hopefully it works and I won't have the extra wide loop of throttle cable and can clean up the looks a little bit.