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Speedo cable

4K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Hellreaver 
#1 ·
How many have ever thought about the speedo cable as part of your maint program? Well it rained quite a bit here in Michigan last week so I had the bike up on the lift table giving it the once over and just for the heck of it I pulled the speedo cable. That thing was dry as a popcorn fart. Came that way from Kawasaki cause it only has a couple thousand miles on it and looks like it has never seen any lube. So I clamped a short piece of hose to one end and my grease gun in the other end of the hose and shot it full of grease before reinstalling it.
By the way if you want an easy way of lubing clutch and throttle cables try this.
Get a 6-8" long piece of fuel hose and a clamp. Stick one end of the cable into the hose and clamp it down. Then pour about an oz of engine oil into the hose. Take your blow gun and stick the nozzle in the other end and blow the oil through the cable housing. I've never had much luck with those cable lube gadgets that use a spray can, but this way will put the oil all the way through and 10W40 or 20w50 will stay in there and really make that clutch pull easy.
 
#5 ·
I don't find a recommended speedo cable lube recommendation in either generation of KLR oem service manual.
So I'll use WD40, Petro-chem Cable Life, Motion Pro cable lube, 3 in 1 oil, Outers Gun Oil squirted into an empty cable jacket. Insertion of the cable wire shaft carries the lube UP the full length of the cable jacket.
If I use Bel-ray waterproof grease, I simply dip my fingers in the tube & slide the inner wire shaft between fingers to coat its full length, 2-3 times.

The biggest speedometer cable killer on a Gen 1 is the rigid cable mount at the top of the lower fork leg. It causes a MAJOR Kink in the cable beyond half suspension travel. That rigid mount broke the first 2 cables on my Gen 1.
I've been using a KLX400/DRZ400 speedo cable Guide #13070-S021, since 2003. It mounts Vertically, along side the lower leg.

The biggest speedometer cable killer on a Gen 2 is the "S" bend caused by the OEM speedo drive index tab on the lower fork leg. The "S" is quite severe beyond half suspension travel.
If one purposely installs the drive box tab directly behind the fork leg tab, the cable will enter the drive box at 9:00 instead of 11:00 and have a nice, relaxed "C" curve from front fender guide to drive box.

These 2 changes make more difference that which lube you choose to use. But do use some lube, occasionally.
 
#8 ·
The speedo cable is easy to grease. When I just did my first front tire change, I had easy access to it. It can be pulled right out of the jacket, and rubbed with grease gun grease and reinstalled. And grease to the lower part that spins on the wheel also.
JC Witney, used to, and maybe still douse, sell a cable kit where you just get the inside part and cut it to needed amount.
I had a 1991 Harley that with the amount of bends in the cable, for some reason kept breaking the inside part that spins. Cant remember how, but I found the replacement inside part there. The kawi, just uses the cable with no ends. The kit came with a couple different ends to crimp on and a 1 time use crimping thingy.
A person can also fabricate your own clutch cable with using a cable, and ( cant remember what they are called ) but, collars, I think called, from what is used in RC airplanes, look up RC parts catalog and you can find them. They have different sizes and have a hole in middle and are round, with a allen screw in the middle to tighten down over a rod or cable. perfect for the long haul trip. Usually the clutch cable breaks at the lever, and could be saved on roadside with this temp, to perm fix. Would, could be same thing to save the throttle cable on both ends also.
( for 10 things I mess up, I get one keeper idea. )
 
#10 ·
I don't do pics or vids.

A little re-bending of the DRZ/KLX speedo cable guide is required. The guide is to point Down alongside the fork leg, with enough gap for the cable jacket to easily slide thru as the suspension compresses.
 
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