To lube cables or not?

[suecanada]

We all read that our BMW OEM throttle and clutch cables are teflon lined and as such do not need oil lubing inside their sheaths. Is this true?  My mechanic does not agree and thinks that rust can still be a issue and oiling is a good idea. Why say ye??

[Bob_Roller]

I've always lubed the cables on my R65's .

I used to do it once a year, but now it's 2-3 years .

But on the oilhead, I decided not to .

I've got 45,000 miles and going on 11 years, still original cables on the oilhead .

But, I live in a dry climate, don't know if has any effect or not .

[Air4Life]

Geez Bob, with so many 65's in your hangar, you could use one as the guinea pig to make a case study.

Sue: I remember reading about that caution as well... likely on S.Bum's website.

[montmil]

Nylon-lined cables do not require oil. I have never had a cable fail and I don't oil 'em up.

That said, a wee bit of Lubriplate on the cable barrel at the lever is a good idea. And there is grease inside the throttle cable housing at the twist grip.

[tvrla]

There is something you can lube them with but I've forgotten what it is - TriFlow comes to mind. Something that's not normal oil based. And I think it's done more for cleaning out the cable than lubing it - as the pressure forces contaminants out the other side.

I've never lubed my cables either.

[k_enn]

In 32 years, I have never lubed the cables.  No problems.

That being said, if I were to lube them, I would use either Tri-flow (a teflon based spray lube) or teflon powder.  Both of those products are pretty "stick-free" and don't gunk up.  I would avoid ordinary oils and sprays which can be prone to gunking up over time.  

k_enn

[Bob_Roller]

In the 32 years I've had my '81 R65, I've had two sets of throttle cables go bad ( bind up), that's when I started lubing the cables after about 5 years of use .

I cut the cables apart and found that the paper thin teflon liner had been worn though in numerous places and the cable had worn to where there were broken strands causing the binding .

I currently use Starrett air tool oil to lube the cables .

I've got going on 13 years on my current set of cables .