CONTROL CABLES
Unused cables dry up and become stiff, sometimes causing stuck throttles and slipping clutches. There are various cable oilers available and I prefer using thin oil to chain lube, which is designed to set in sticky form.
Mechanical cable oilers pressurise oil through the cable. Nylon lined cables should never be oiled, as it may degrade the liner. Lined cables can also be more susceptible to damage, so if operation is stiff, check the cable hasn’t been crushed – but also be aware that sometimes, as with brake cams, a clutch operating arm can corrode and become tight in the casing – it’s not always the cable that’s the culprit.
Oiling is a good opportunity to check for kinks or broken wires. If the inner wire has a few broken strands, take it as fair warning of imminent breakage. Fortunately, throttle and clutch cables break more often than brake cables due to their greater arc of movement, but check them all. Be careful with speedo/tacho cables – lubricant can screw up into the instrument, so use thin oil and put it in from the drive end rather than the clock end.