New Throttle Cables...

MikeO

Well-known member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
May 31, 2002
Messages
12,150
Reaction score
198
Location
Dereham, Norfolk, today...
6th August

So today I swap my throttle cables. I pick up the new cables at lunchtime from Portland BMW…

7007342-L.jpg


…there are 4 cables and a splitter box. A main throttle cable leads from the twist grip to the splitter box, then 2 shorter cables lead to the respective throttle bodies. A separate ‘cold start’ cable runs from the left hand grip to the splitter box.

Ricardo has told me that he’d rather do a rear drive swap than a throttle cable change, a thought which fills me with confidence as I approach the bike…

7007343-L-1.jpg


First off – remove the tank. A simple enough task – I find a prop of some sort…

7007347-L.jpg


…in this case a mallet, is a useful way to gain access to the fuel line quick-disconnects.

Soon the tank’s off…

7007353-L.jpg


Some of you who have GSes may find my bike a little different to yours. This is for various reasons: I don’t have ABS, so there’s a big gap ahead of the battery, where the ABS pump would live; I have an alarm and a Techlusion 259, as well as various other electrical bits fitted, so try to ignore the odd coil of wire cable tied around the place…

Back to business. You only need to remove this one bolt to gain access to the twist grip end of the throttle cable…

7007356-L.jpg


Take off the plate and disconnect the cable (excuse the focus – point and shoot one handed :D)…

7007359-L.jpg


At this point, I threaded the new cable alongside the old one, to make sure it followed exactly the same path, to avoid it getting kinked or trapped.

7007361-L.jpg


I undid both the left and right (pictured) cables at the throttle bodies.

7007363-L-1.jpg


Undo the 10mm locknut, unscrew the adjuster and, after feeding the cable through the gap in the plate, disconnect the spring clip on the inner side of the throttle body to release the cable. You have to do this by feel, but you’ll get the idea when you try it…

7007365-L.jpg


The splitter box lies directly under the ABS Pump plate, in a specially designed niche. It’s difficult to photograph, as it’s partially obscured by the crank case breather hose…

7007362-L-1.jpg


To disconnect the ‘cold start’ cable, I first removed the bar end weight and moved the handguard, for ease of access. As with the throttle side, you only need to remove one bolt…

7007382-L.jpg


…apologies again for the standard of pic…

7007384-L.jpg


…to remove the lever – once again, the cable can then be easily disconnected. I ran the new cable alongside the old one.

Time to remove the splitter box…

First, lift the breather hose out of the way (or as far out of the way as possible)…

7007392-L.jpg


…then depress the spring clip at the bottom of the housing…

7007394-L.jpg


…before steadily pulling the splitter box out…

7007396-L.jpg


It may require some persuasion – mine had been there since manufacture in early 2002, and had done 74k miles…

7007397-L.jpg


…but eventually it came out. It was full of dust and crap, but, for all that, the cables still operated smoothly…

The wheel which the three throttle cables attach to is held in place on its shaft by this circlip…

7007400-L.jpg


…probably not a good idea to lose it.

Cold start cable operates a cam which cracks the throttles open by a fraction to boost idle speed on cold start up…

7007403-L.jpg


…getting this long spring to stay put whilst re-assembling the cables onto the wheel is fun – if you have 3 hands…

7007402-L.jpg


Time to re-insert the splitter box…

7007404-L.jpg


Re-assembly is simply a reversal of the strip down. When fully re-assembled I did a full throttle body synch (see ADVRider Hall of Wisdom, if you are not familiar) and a TPS re-set (remove Fuse No 5, turn ignition on, roll throttle fully open, pause, fully closed, pause, repeat – ignition off, replace Fuse No 5).

The result? Well, despite the throttle action previously being smooth and there being no visible kinks or frays in the old cables – the difference is remarkable. The bike feels very smooth (nearly all of the previous ‘surging’ has gone) and extremely responsive and the throttle considerably lighter. I kept thinking I was in a lower gear than I actually was. I’d advise anyone with a high mileage oilhead with original cables to consider doing this – 4 ½ hrs well spent :thumb
 
Nice thread Mike. I don't think I'll be attempting this myself....although I did think about it. Interestingly, the Haynes workshop manual recommends replacing throttle cables every 30,000km :yikes
 
blimey seen this somewhere before!

looks reasonably straightforward, except it fiddly - stuff like this with big hands is a nightmare usually! good report though. I´ll file this one away for later.

bob
 
too late...

My fast idle cable has been sticking for some time but I haven't needed to use it for a while so had forgotten. One cold morning last week I pulled the lever, started bike and rode a short distance with the fast idle on. At the bottom of the road I tried to turn it off, only to discover it wouldn't. No other form of transport that day, no time to fix it, so a 2,500 rpm filter around the M60 :eek:

I then ordered the cable and tried to fit it this morning using the (completely crap) Clymer manual as a guide.

Oh how I wish I had read this thread first! I got to the point where I realised what was involved (having removed tank and the handlebar end of the fast idle cable).

I decided the job wasn't worth the hassle and reassembled the bike. If I had read this thread first I could have saved 2 hours and 30 quid!

GJ
 
Many thanks..

...for this excellent write up!
I drive a -94 R1100GS that cannot be synced well over the register. As I have over 110000 kms on the meter and the old throttle cable design (as well as the original cables, I assume) the cause is likely to be worn cables.
I would love to change the flakey -95 design to the newer bowden box setup. Is there anybody out there who has done that? Is it practically possible?

/JOP!
 
Thread for the "Font of All Wisdom" me thinks.
 
Thanks I'd the battery out and thinking about taking the ABS unit to bits thinking I had to remove the battery tray, lucky the fourm and its members are here for advice.
 
GS1100 (98)

HI, I sent my GS1100 (98) In for its MOT,They said the throttle cable had broke, i bought all the three cables and they agreed to fit all three,when i picked the bike up,they hadn't fitted the left throttle body cable and
said that they would have to disconnect the ABS and it would have to go to BMW To be reset.
How true is this anyone ? sounds like theyd had enough to me
Len
 
Glen, they're talking rubbish. I converted my '96 to the later set-up and didn't touch any of that. Battery and throttle bodies stay in place, just remove the tank for access. The breather hose needs to come off as well.

I expect someone on here has access to the factory alloted times for these jobs. Might be worth pointing out to them as my guess would be under an hour including balancing.

HTH
Dick
 
HI, I sent my GS1100 (98) In for its MOT,They said the throttle cable had broke, i bought all the three cables and they agreed to fit all three,when i picked the bike up,they hadn't fitted the left throttle body cable and
said that they would have to disconnect the ABS and it would have to go to BMW To be reset.
How true is this anyone ? sounds like theyd had enough to me
Len

The ABS story is all bollox. You don't remove the ABS. But even if you did it certainly doesn't need resetting in any way, shape or form.............

You have to undo the L/H cable from the throttle body to slide the junction box out to replace any of the cables, and the L/H cable comes out attached to the junction box by just the nipple in the holder. 10 seconds to fit the new cable into the junction box..
So why not fit the new one when you put it back. ?????? .
 
HI, I sent my GS1100 (98) In for its MOT,They said the throttle cable had broke, i bought all the three cables and they agreed to fit all three,when i picked the bike up,they hadn't fitted the left throttle body cable and
said that they would have to disconnect the ABS and it would have to go to BMW To be reset.
How true is this anyone ? sounds like theyd had enough to me
Len

Very suspicious, the garage would have had to remove the LHS cable in order to access the junction box on the RHS in the first place, I'd check whether the junction box has been disturbed etc. TBH they sound like they haven't got a clue or believe you are a gullable twat.:blast
(done this job myself with much muttering about thick fingers)
 
I just replaced the RH cable on my MkII 1200.... (seized and snapped throttle adjuster - doh!) did not touch the tank, did not remove the throttle bodies... (unlike it recommends in the haynes) just took the bodywork panels off. It took about 40mins. Could easily have done all three at the same time. Fiddly to get the cables back in the throttle pulleys, but very do-able.
 
Clean and use old Distribution Box?

Rather than start a new thread.....

Is it recommended to install a new box when doing the cable swap or can you just clean the old one? If so....any particular lube?

:nenau
 
New Throttle Cables

Rather than start a new thread.....

Is it recommended to install a new box when doing the cable swap or can you just clean the old one? If so....any particular lube?

:nenau

Re-use the same box but lube it thoroughly ONLY with Silicone Spray - anything else will attract dust and bung it all up in double-quick time.
Wuerth Silicone Spray from Halfords or somewhere..
 
Just reviving this old thread...
Back in 2013, Len wrote " the dealer said that they would have to disconnect the ABS and it would have to go to BMW To be reset."
That was after they returned the bike without all the four control cables installed which Len had provided for them. Just goes to show what lyers some dealers are, proving again the wisdom of following the forums and Doing It Yourself.
 


Back
Top Bottom