The strings, as part of the motorcycle they fulfill many useful functions, even though their operation is simple, so they require care to perform at their best.

Except for functions in which they were replaced by hydraulic circuits due to technological development (on brakes and some clutches), but also from electrical circuits (speedometers, tachometers, even throttle butterflies), the cables continue to play an active role in the operation of the motorcycle, as they had from the dawn of their use, when motorized two-wheelers first appeared.

Their most important enemy remains the deterioration of the external insulation, especially at the points where the cable moves parallel to the movement of the steering wheel. In these cases, the rust appears very soon due to the inflow of moisture inside it. We should often check the insulation of the strings for places where their cylindrical outer insulation has become flat due to friction. The safest way to locate a possible wear point is to move the steering wheel from end to end., so as to cause intentional contact of the chains with some fixed point of the motorcycle. Often there is severe wear on the ends of the strings, a phenomenon which is due to the improper cooperation of the cable and the moving part or even poor lubrication due to accumulation of dust or moisture.

The correct route of the cable

The basic rule regarding the path of a string is the one known for the straight path. The straighter their placement, the easier and more reliable their operation will be. Sharp bends make it difficult to operate the cable, increase the internal friction of the wire rope and may eventually lead to wire rope sticking. Before any cable replacement, note the original path of the old one, as especially in the throttle and clutch cable most malfunctions come from bad placement. It is essential in cases of changing the air cable (choke) or throttle to check their proper operation by turning the steering wheel from end to end with the engine running and checking the idle (of course it must remain absolutely stable). Another enemy of the good operation of the strings is high temperatures, as the temperature of the exhaust, for example, can cause the cover to wear down, resulting in the loss of its insulating capabilities. So, humidity will wipe out the lubrication from the inside of the cable at some point, which is usually also the worst possible, it will stick.

Settings

Chain adjustment is a key factor in the proper functioning of the motorcycle. What we should pay particular attention to is the freedom in their movements during the operation of the suspension so that there is no strong tension on them, as well as when turning the steering wheel from far right to far left. Most strings are easily adjusted with a simple nut and which, depending on its setting, frees or retracts the string path. It is common to see these regulators (mainly for the clutch and the throttle cable) right after the respective controls (throttle lever and grip).

Lubrication

As the operating hours of the chains increase, the more difficult it becomes to use them. This can be caused by either wear and tear (shedding) of the inner wire rope, either from an unwanted concentration of solid particles due to dust or even pieces of the cable's outer insulation. For the above reasons, it is necessary to carry out a lubrication task to facilitate their operation and thus extend their life span. We will propose an easy and reliable way to lubricate the chains, which only requires the existence of the lubricant and a plastic bag. Remove one end of the string (usually the part which is on the steering wheel) and we place it inside a plastic bag in which we have drilled a hole. Subsequently, fill the bag with oil and let gravity work. Of course there is also the lubricant spray method, but it is not as cheap as the solution we suggest you. There are about 30 different types of strings in terms of how they work on the respective component, 4 or 5 different sizes (thickness) in the outer casing, 7 or 8 different diameter sizes of the wire rope, and these are all dependent on the supplier or manufacturer of the cable. For this reason we should always keep the old cable in order to check whether the new one meets the specifications of the original and theoretically genuine cable. However, there are also the strings that we can adjust each time according to the needs of each motorcycle. For example, a motorcycle with different suspensions than the factory ones, may require a different length of string that is not commercially available and must be fabricated.

Tips for better strings

1.    Visually check the new string against the old one so that it has the same ends and length as the original string.

2.    Measure the length of bare wire from the old string and mark it, since it expresses the length between the end of the string guide and the moving part.

3.    Keep and reinstall any special bracket on the old cable, since it will play an important role in its proper functioning.

4.    Before installing the cable, lubricate its finish to prevent wear from friction.

5.    There are several sets on the market with special string finishes. It's good to have them at home just to be able to repair our wiring in an emergency.

Source : mototriti.gr