throttle sticking issues

[Jason82]

The throttles are sticking on two of my bikes and I don' t know why. I haven't had this problem before and while I was loading it for the first track day this year I noticed that it isn't snapping back. They are garage kept so I wouldn't think the cold was doing it? I don't haul them with canyon dancers so nothing is putting pressure on them. It seems strange that two of them would all of a sudden do the same thing. Any suggestions?

 

[jimmeigs]

My '06 R6 throttle feels like syrup on cold mornings until it is properly warmed up. Try warming the bike up real well and see if they snap back properly.

 

[Jason82]

yeah one of them is an R6 that I have been having trouble with. When my GSXR started doing it that's when I got worried. I'll try the warm up and see. Thanks!

 

[ninjamansc]

A little cable lube works wonders......

 

[BigKid]

Canyon dancers are your problem. They slide the grips up against the throttle housing so the rubber grip hangs up against the housing. I see this at tech ALL THE TIME. You just have to work the grip back down.

 

[jasonhise]

BigKid;50079 wrote: Canyon dancers are your problem. They slide the grips up against the throttle housing so the rubber grip hangs up against the housing. I see this at tech ALL THE TIME. You just have to work the grip back down.

That's exactly what happened with my GSXR 1K and my ZX-6R after unloading them at Road Atlanta. I pushed the grips back into place and viola, problem solved.

 

[dmb367]

BigKid;50079 wrote: Canyon dancers are your problem. They slide the grips up against the throttle housing so the rubber grip hangs up against the housing. I see this at tech ALL THE TIME. You just have to work the grip back down.

He said he doesn't use canyon dancers.

My buddy had the same problem on his R6. We took the throttle tube off the clip on and there was a layer of grime about 1mm thick all around the clip-on. He almost failed tech every time b/c of it. We cleaned the tube and clip on off with WD-40 and now it snaps back perfectly. Problem solved.

 

[barry38]

Pull everything off and clean all the moving parts then lube the cables. Should fix the issue.

One question though - what have you been using to lube the cables up til now?

 

[physicistkev]

:agree: +1

 

[Thunderace]

I don't know if it's me, but I have never lubed my throttle cables. I've never had an issue, so I can't say if they are worn or not. And that has been on three bikes since 2000. Am I the only one that doesn't lube? I might have just jinxed myself and they'll snap on the next track day!

 

[beechkingd]

IMO A twist throttle doesn't need lube. It needs to be clean and dry. Take the throttle tube off the clip on and clean inside it and polish the bar. Unless your riding a '60's bike you shouldn't need to lube your cables either. If you do though, you will need to keep adding lube to them to keep the lube that has dried and attracted a bunch of dirt in side your cables moist.

 

[BigKid]

Most people do not lube their cables but we all SHOULD. I misread the canyon dancer part. Apparently speed reading should be left to boring novels.

 

[beechkingd]

Thunderace;50160 wrote: I don't know if it's me, but I have never lubed my throttle cables. I've never had an issue, so I can't say if they are worn or not. And that has been on three bikes since 2000. Am I the only one that doesn't lube? I might have just jinxed myself and they'll snap on the next track day!

You shouldn't ever have to lube a cable on a modern bike. They are all plastic coated self lubed cables. All lube does is attract dirt which will cause you even more problems. If you really feel the need to lube something use graphite powder or an equivalent dry lube. If a cable has hysteresis or drag you should replace it, more then likely it is damaged internally.

 

[beechkingd]

BigKid;50163 wrote: Most people do not lube their cables but we all SHOULD. I misread the canyon dancer part. Apparently speed reading should be left to boring novels.

IMO all lube does is attract dirt that will cause more problems later.

 

[barry38]

beechkingd;50167 wrote: You shouldn't ever have to lube a cable on a modern bike. They are all plastic coated self lubed cables. All lube does is attract dirt which will cause you even more problems. If you really feel the need to lube something use graphite powder or an equivalent dry lube. If a cable has hysteresis or drag you should replace it, more then likely it is damaged internally.

The YAMAHA service manaul for the 2005 R6 calls for lubing the control cables (and last time I checked the throttle was a control) at 600 miles and every 4k. According to YAMAHA the recommended lube is engine oil or suitable cable lube. The procedure as specified by YAMAHA is to "HOLD THE CABLE END UPRIGHT AND POUR A FEW DROPS OF LUBRICANT INTO THE CABLE SHEATH OR USE A SUITABLE CABLE LUBRICATING DEVICE".

Just thought I'd put that out there.

I would concur there is also potential for damage to a cable, it's just odd you've got the same problem on two different bikes. Also check for return with the bars turned to different angles and see if it's better or worse in any position. You could also have a routing problem.

 

[ninjamansc]

You need to keep the cables lubed because they're steel. If they're clean and dry, the first droplet of moisture in the sheath will begin the unstoppable corrosion process and lead to a seized cable. Believe me, I know. Had a 92 Bandit 400 that was abused and left outside for years. The choke cable snapped, then on the same ride the throttle got stuck open.

I guess we shouldn't lube our chains because it'll just get dirty and cause problems later.

 

[beechkingd]

barry38;50205 wrote: The YAMAHA service manaul for the 2005 R6 calls for lubing the control cables (and last time I checked the throttle was a control) at 600 miles and every 4k. According to YAMAHA the recommended lube is engine oil or suitable cable lube. The procedure as specified by YAMAHA is to "HOLD THE CABLE END UPRIGHT AND POUR A FEW DROPS OF LUBRICANT INTO THE CABLE SHEATH OR USE A SUITABLE CABLE LUBRICATING DEVICE".

Just thought I'd put that out there.

I would concur there is also potential for damage to a cable, it's just odd you've got the same problem on two different bikes. Also check for return with the bars turned to different angles and see if it's better or worse in any position. You could also have a routing problem.

:idea: I should have checked a service manual, I'll refer to it in the future. I was going with my experiences with dirt bikes that EVERY time I lubed one it started to stick worse then just cleaning it.

 

[Jason82]

Ok, so here's what I did. By the way thanks for all of the advice! :adore: I haven't been using anything to clean it with so that may have been part of the problem. I cleaned it out a little and today is a warmer day. I let the bike warm up and they are snapping back fine. I guess it was a combination of both but I was afraid they wouldn't pass tech and would be out of luck on a cold morning.

 

[Ryan95]

I agree with Bigkid. I use soft ties and it happens to me all the time. The grips work themselves into the barend then the throttle doesn't return properly. I've only ever lubed cables on a dirt bike, but I have also seen the "grime" inside of a throttle tube. All are simple fixes.

 

[liteitup]

I dont lube them. Question though, after I use a canyon dancer then they stick like as said. But its not an out of place grip. It seems internal but after a while its smooth again. Maybe a damage throttle tube? Its plastic on a Honda right? So it cant be bent...