Throttle tube issues

[craigincali]

After I removed the stock grips and BEFORE installing the new grips I noticed that my throttle no longer snaps shut. This includes when the hand guard and bar ends are removed. Nothing is hanging it up that I can see. I installed the new grips anyway and took it for a ride. Now the throttle is no longer smooth when I apply / twist it and of course it doesn't snap shut.

I know you can adjust free play with the top cable but the smoothness and the fact that it doesn't snap back are also big issues. Any ideas?

 

[Checkswrecks]

1. I think you are preemptively saying that the hand guard and bar end don't contact the end of the twist grip, right?

2. If it was like this before you began and is not from contact, then the question seems to be what is causing the friction? There aren't too many pieces in the chain. The usual suspects would be:
Grime between the tube and handle bar to clean and lube?
Dirty cable to lube?
Too much cable tension?

 

[craigincali]

No cable tension. as far as the grime. I loosened the two bolts and the in an attempt to check that I cant get the housing to move. perhaps that the problem.

 

[WJBertrand]

Don't know the internal design of the cable housing but on other bikes I've had the cable slip out of the bell crank groove and cause binding. This could also happen at the throttle body end, but as it does not sound like you were working in that area, it seems unlikely.

 

[EricV]

The throttle tube should slide right off when you take the housing apart. You may want to pull it apart and make sure both cables are correctly installed in the throttle tube. It's also possible you jammed up the throttle tube in the housing when you were removing the old grips.

I typically use an air nozzle blowing under the rubber grip to remove old grips. Sometimes with a long, skinny screwdriver blade to break glue loose if needed. If you were pulling hard on the grip or working it around a lot, you may have gotten the throttle tube off track a bit.

 

[craigincali]

I got the housing off, I was just being a wuss the first time. Cables good, everything is nice and clean. All looks good. Tube still sticks.. oh well, time to get someone better than me involved with this.

 

[stutrump]

I THINK the following has happened to me in the past:
When changing grips you may turn the throttle to fully open several times and this might be something you haven't done for months of 'normal riding'.
At the throttle body end (ie under the airbox) grime can build up where the throttle cables end and it can get sticky dirty at the point where it doesn't normally turn.
Hope that makes sense.
It probably isn't the cause of ypur problem but it's worth having a good clean up there. You'll need to remove the small black cover that hides the throttle cable end mechanism bit. There are 3 bolts there with very small star head things on them. Tricky to get them out if you dont have the right tool.

 

[OldRider]

Take everything apart'

Pull on the pull cable and see if it springs back like it should.

Slip the throttle tube up on the handlebar and see if it turns freely.

Put the throttle housing around the throttle tube and tighten it up with no cables hooked up.
Does it still turn freely?

Hook the cables back up and leave a lot of slack in each cable. Screw the throttle housing screws down, but leave them a little loose too. Does it turn freely?

Tighten up the throttle housing. Does it turn freely?

Take the slack out of the pull cable leaving a little bit of free play. Does it turn freely?

Take the slack out of the return cable leaving a little free play in the throttle. Does it turn freely?

Somewhere in this process you should find the problem.

This should be simple to figure out.

 

[craigincali]

Thank you. I will try this.

 

[craigincali]

Thanks to oldrider for the help. It's all fixed.

 

[OldRider]

Thanks to oldrider for the help. It's all fixed.

What did you find the problem to be ?

 

[craigincali]

Grim and grit and some sticky stuff between the tube and handle bar.

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice.

 

[Tenman]

Me and my buddy was dirt riding in the boondocks in 73 and my ct2 175 clutch cable was bone dry and stiff. I had crashed and packed some dirt in it. A local hick with a chew of tobbaco took a swig of motor oil and spit it in my clutch cable.