updated 2020-12
Contents:
1. Service Info 2. Generic Cables 3. Inner Wires
Click to view cable departments:
AMF Angel Avanti Batavus Benelli Bianchi Cimatti Columbia Derbi Garelli
General Hercules Honda Indian (Section 7) Jawa JC Penney Kinetic Kreidler
KTM Kynast ’77 Lazer Malaguti Minarelli Morini Motobecane Motron Murray
Peugeot Puch Rizzato Sachs Sears Solex Solo Sparta Tomos Trac
1. Service Info
Welcome. This cable section is for control cables, that slide back and forth, not speedometer cables, that rotate. For speedometer cables, see Parts/Frame/Speedometer.
Single or Double Ended: Some control cable inner wires have two ends, and some have only one. The “end” is a round piece if metal, usually soldered onto the braided steel wire. When a cable inner wire has only one end, it can be removed from the conduit (or sleeve or housing). When a cable inner wire has a ball of lead at both ends, then it is permanently trapped and cannot be removed without cutting one end off.
Tri-Flow
Squeeze type oil can
3-in-1 oil
Lubing Cables: Old cables become sticky from deteriorated oil and corrosion. A few drops of fresh thin oil is often all the cable needs to work good again, after a long period of sitting. Apply a few drops of oil or synthetic lubricant (preferably Tri Flow) onto the upper exposed inner wire so that it runs downhill into the cable. The bike is leaned over so that cable entrance is going down. The oil takes a few minutes to flow down the wire. Straighten out any kinks in the cable. Also lube the throttle, especially sliding block kinds, and the levers, where the lever pivots, and where the cable pivots.
Cable cutter
End wires bent
into an umbrella
before soldering
Soldering iron
Cutting cables: The preferred tool is called a diagonal cutting pliers. It must be fairly new and sharp to cut braided steel cable inner wires and coiled steel cable outer conduits. Most of the inexpensive kinds do not stay sharp long.
Configuring cables: A single ended “universal” cable is configured, or made into, a double ended “specific” cable. Any cutting of the sleeve, adding stop pieces, adapters or adjusters is done first. Then the cable is installed on the bike. Lastly, the top end piece is installed in the correct location on the wire. The wire strands are bent into an umbrella, and soldered. This is often necessary when ready-made cables are not available.
2. Generic Cables
C1 front brake (most)
C2 rear brake (most)
C3 throttle cable (most)
C4 start/clutch (some)
C3 Universal throttle cable $10, and P5 throttle pinch bolt $2
| FRONT BRAKE sleeve x wire upper end lower end | REAR BRAKE sleeve x wire upper end lower end | THROTTLE sleeve x wire upper end lower end | START CABLE sleeve x wire upper end lower end | CHOKE CABLE sleeve x wire upper end lower end | |
| Generic Cables 5mm black lined sleeve 6mm chrome end caps | 39 x 48" Ø1.5 6mm pear no end C1 409600 $10 | 60 x 65" Ø1.5 6mm pear no end C2 14111 $10 | 37 x 47" Ø1.2 no end 3x5 inline C3 409500 $12 | 43 x 51" Ø1.5 6mm pear no end C4 409800 $10 | same as throttle |
3. Cable Inner Wires
WR1 brake wire
WT1 throt. wire
Cable Ends on Replacement Cables
| FRONT BRAKE single ended inner wire | REAR BRAKE single ended inner wire | THROTTLE single ended inner wire | CLUTCH (START) single ended inner wire | DECOMP (START) single ended inner wire | CHOKE single ended inner wire | |
| Moped Inner Wires (vintage European) | WF1 48" Ø1.5 6mm pear end 500000 $5 | WR1 69" Ø1.5 6mm pear end 500100 $5 | WT1 47" Ø1.2 3x5 inline end 409900 $5 | WC1 67" Ø1.6 6mm pear end 14238 $5 | WD1 40" Ø1.2 5x7 barrel end decomp $8 | same as throttle |
| Long Wires for high or wide bars or modified frames | WFL 73" Ø1.5 6mm pear end 1456 $5 | WRL 105" Ø1.5 6mm pear end 1410 $8 | WTL 79" Ø1.2 3x5 inline end 1457a $8 | same as rear brake | same as throttle | |
| Thick Inner Wires | WF2 49" Ø2.0 6mm pear end thicker $8 | WR2 65" Ø2.0 6mm pear end thicker $12 | none | WC2 51" Ø2.0 6mm pear end Vespa $5 | none | same as throttle |
| Barrel Inner Wires | WF8 49" Ø2.0 8x8 barrel end thicker $10 | WR8 65" Ø2.0 8x8 barrel end thicker $12 | WTP 47" Ø1.2 5x7 barrel end Peugeot $8 | WCS 48" Ø1.3 Ø5/6 barrel end Sachs $21 | ||
| Bicycle Inner Wires | WF7 48" Ø1.5 7x7 barrel end 1456b $5 | WR7 73" Ø1.5 7x7 barrel end 1456a $5 | WTG 79" Ø1.3 4x5 inline end 1457 $5 |