Cable Maintenance

[Bob_Roller]

How often do you remove clean and re-lubricate the throttle, choke and clutch cables? After installing new cables,I usually start maintenance on them after three years of being installed.

[Justin B.]

I never clean/lube the actual cable but the ends should be serviced yearly.  I don't believe the cables are supposed to be lubed...

[Lowen]

Inside the housing the cable is maintainence free,from the lever to the housing I apply water proof grease at every oil change.All cables both ends.

[Bob_Roller]

I'm basing this maintenance on the original set of cables, now I'm sure that the quality of the cables has increased since my bike was built in 09/80.  But I had the clutch and the single throttle cable at the handle bar fail before 10,000 miles, both failed in the middle of the cable, the clutch gave me no warning, but the throttle cable gave me advance notice that it was not well.  I remove , clean and lube them once a year now, and replace them at 25,000 miles, no failures in the last 24 years.

[tagordon]

Can someone look up this subject in a OEM BMW shop manual? Then post what is advised there. Not that BMW is always right. But the explanation I got. About the cables havig a teflon type coating inside the housing makes sense. If you lube teflon you are inviting abrasives to cling to it. Thus do not lube, but clean well.
If there is no internal antifriction coating. Then me thinks some lube is in order.
I saw some replacement cables awhile back while browsing, that the maker states are not to be lubed. Due to the inner coatings of cable housing.
I have stopped myself from buying the cable lube kit a couple times now. Justifying not lubing as money better spent on other svc/maint items.

[Bob_Roller]

I'm tempted to cut open an old throttle cable just to see what's in there.

[Semper Gumby]

BMW cables are supposed to have a teflon coating inside.  If you use a modern cable lube it will attack this coating and ruin the cable.  I use a Wurth penetrating lube on the external end of the clutch cable and the lever joints only.  If the cable starts to seize up I replace it.