"Featherlight" cables?

[Mongrel]

Looking at some new cables. Clutch cable is cracked and needs to be replaced for sure. Throttle, I'd just be picking up a spare.

Both cables are pretty pricey, especially clutch cables at $60 or so, maybe a little less with some digging. Motobins has some for the 75c that are quite cheap (£20, so about about $38 CAD right now, plus I wouldn't be paying sales tax), but none of the regular ones. The only ones they have for a pre-6/86 K75c (mine's a 4/86) they're listed as "featherlight". If you've never heard of this, search Motobins for their part # 35250F

Anyone have any experience with these? Are they any good?

[Motorhobo]

i just bit the the bullet and put on a new OEM k75 clutch cable on my black brick and i have to say that's one part i don't have a problem shelling out for -- and I make no bones about being shall we say thrifty.

Having said that, one broke on the red brick just today. Fortunately, the previous owner had a new cable running right next to the old one, so it was a quick fix. That's not a bad idea -- it was a cinch to pull the snapped cable out and just plug in the new one -- that wAy you can just run the cable till it breaks which could be a long while.

 But if you have an ABS K75 that's not something I'd want to do at roadside...it's a PITA to work around those honkin modulators.

[Mongrel]

No ABS here! Not on an '86.

The claim on the motobins site is that the featherlights are better. Obviously anyone could make that claim - just wondering if anyone's experience bears that out.

[Chaos]

Beemerboneyard has pretty good prices on cables, I've put one in many years ago. http://www.beemerboneyard.com/cables.html  I have posted this many times but it bears repeating, lube that little barrel that holds the cable in the hand lever.  If that barrel doesn't rotate freely, the cable will stress and break there.  Do it now!

[Mongrel]

Oh, my cable needs immediate replacing - the sheath has cracked mid-way and it's visibly rusty at that point.

Boneyard doesn't seem to have any regular cables (and no throttle cables)

EDIT: Wait, no they do - they just have it labelled as a high-bar cable. Too bad they don't have any throttle cables.

[Motorhobo]

I can't speak to the one BB sells but the OEM cable impressed me enough to compel me to buy it when I looked at it at the dealer. There are two sheaths -- an interior, Teflon-coated one through which the cable travels and an exterior one which encloses the interior sheath. I'd be interested to know if the featherlight has a dual or single sheath. Also, the dealer sells a felt piece about 3/4 inch in length that wraps around the exposed section of cable at the lever end for under $2...I was told that piece must be used or the warranty is void. This felt sheath guides the cable inside the lever housing to prevent chafing I guess. So the OEM cable also has some kind of warranty, don't know how long it's good for.

Here's a nice thread from a while ago on the topic.

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=2333.0

Btw the cable that broke on me yesterday snapped at the lever end ... Probably due to lack of lube at the barrel.

[Mongrel]

Got my replacements. I thought they were supposed to be OEM but looks like Beemer Boneyard is flogging the "featherlights" too as these have they have totally different boots.

Here's the image on the Beemer Boneyard page:



And here's an image of what I got



Shorter boot on the transmission end and a big fat gator head up at the grip. It should fit, but I sure hope I didn't accidentally buy cables requiring lube. Did I get ripped off here or is this just a slightly different design?

EDIT: Actually, the cable I got doesn't even have the extra layer of sheathing (which the originals have and even the image below shows). I'm feeling more and more like I just got bait-and-switched here. Hope I'm wrong.

[Inge K.]

Looks like you got yourself a Featherlight cable, the OEM cable have the part number printed with white letters on the outside.

"It should fit, but I sure hope I didn't accidentally buy cables requiring lube."
Featherlight cables shouldn't be lubed either.

"Did I get ripped off here or is this just a slightly different design?"
At Motobins the Featherlight is more expensive than the OE

[beachcomber]

Venhill [ UK ] have an excellent range of teflon coated cables which I've used for years on cars and bikes. They also do a DIY kit for non standard lengths.

[Inge K.]

According to Motobins the Featherlight cables is made by Venhill (and teflon lined).

[Motorhobo]

My brand new, supposedly 'redesigned' OEM cable is 6mm in diameter at the lever directly behind the boot. My older OEM cables are both 6.75mm. The new cable as well as the 2 older ones I have have the round boot at the lever end, not the accordion boot like depicted in Mongrels post below.

For what it's worth.

[Mongrel]

I think as long as they're teflon self lubricating cables, that's fine. Losing the sheath is sort of mildly annoying, but hopefully it won't ever be an issue.