Happy New Year! I use the off season to take care of a lot of the maintenance items on my bikes. I always use motor oil to lube cables, and lube them off the bike. I made a couple of reusable cable lubricators from plain old standard 30R2 automotive 5/16" fuel hose and a bit of 1/2" id by 5/8"od clear vinyl tubing (available from the local hardware store). I found the 5/16 fuel hose to be the perfect size for the clutch cable, and a couple of wraps of vinyl electrical tape is all that's needed to make the throttle cable ferrule a tight fit. My lubricant of choice for this is Mobil 1 20W50 - silky smooth cable operation and lasts a LONG time.
Cut a 1 inch long piece of the fuel hose, and slit it vertically on one side. Cut a 2 inch long piece of the vinyl tubing. Here's the piece of fuel hose installed on the ferrule (lever) end of the clutch cable, and the piece of vinyl tube ready for installation:
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Work the vinyl tubing down over the piece of fuel hose - it's a pretty tight fit, and will close the gap in the fuel hose - no oil will leak out. I like to do the throttle cable at the same time - just wrap the ferrule (carburetor) end of the cable with a couple of wraps of vinyl electrical tape and it'll be the same size as the clutch cable ferrule. I hang both cables in the vise - not clamped - just held - with the free ends above a drain pan. Fill the top end with oil and walk away - let gravity do all the work.
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I usually fill the oiler three times for the clutch cable, and twice for the throttle cable. This will thoroughly flush and fill the cables with lube. Let ém drain for a day or so before re-installing.
View attachment 111471 I keep a set of cables pre-lubed and ready for each of the bikes in my garage - just in case. I will have to say, though, that the '81 H that I've been riding for the last 36 years has only had a throttle cable replaced - dumb mistake on my part - snapped an end off while trying to change the grip without taking the throttle sleeve off the bike.