How to Tighten a Throttle Cable

The twist grip should not move more than 1/8" before opening the throttle.

A motorcycle's throttle cable is made from extremely durable steel. Over time, the cable begins to stretch from repetitive use, which loosens the throttle's twist grip. If left unchecked, the stretched cable will begin to hamper the opening and closing of the throttle, reducing the overall performance of the motorcycle. Tightening the built-in adjusters on both ends of the throttle cable will maintain tension on the cable, ensuring that the throttle opens and closes properly. In most cases, the job can be done with a single wrench in less than five minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Wrench

Instructions

1. Turn the throttle's twist grip slightly to gauge the throttle cable's freeplay. Stop when a noticeable amount of effort is required to twist the grip. The cable should not have more than 1/8 inch of travel before the throttle opens.

2. Loosen with a wrench the lock nut on the throttle cable's adjuster that extends down from the grip housing on the right handlebar.

3. Twist the adjuster counterclockwise with the wrench to increase the cable's tension.

4. Turn the throttle's twist grip slightly to gauge the throttle cable's free play. Tighten the cable as necessary until the twist grip has only an 1/8 inch of free play.

5. Tighten the lock nut against the throttle cable's adjuster with a wrench.

Tips & Warnings

• The throttle cable may be tightened further with the cable adjuster on the carburetor side of the cable. Follow the same procedure to tighten the cable as needed to maintain a maximum of an 1/8 inch of free play at the throttle's twist grip.

• Replace the throttle cable if it cannot be tightened enough to provide the proper amount of free play.

References

• "The Professional Motorcycle Repair Program;" Professional Career Development Institute; 1995
• Dan's Motorcycle: Twist Grip Throttles