Throttle cable

[R P Corse]

Bit screwed at the moment, I'm at the side of the road with a snapped throttle cable, no tools, no roadside recovery either, I'm 6miles from home too! My only option is to turn up the idle speed and drive like cruise control and use the clutch only - this is going to be a very painful ride home!

I won't be able to order a new cable til tomorrow from cradley as don't even have my card on me! Just my luck!

Thank fully my return cable is OK - would that be ok to replace the throttle cable for now? I need the bike to get to work as no trains stop anywhere near my house to where I work!

[banner001]

dont you need the return cable to "return" the throttle back to the start, i.e. if you move it onto the throttle cable position you will be able to apply throttle, but it wont return?

i think the pilot idea is the best...gotta be better than pushing the thing...sorry to hear your dilema.

[R P Corse]

Yes well I managed to make a complete bodge, agrees the return cable is there for a reason, but it's a must in desperation otherwise I'd wait for a new cable lol the return is significantly longer so had to rerout it to take up slack, but it works, thank god I'm turning her into a race bike when MOT and tax runs out, she's gona need too much work to get her road worthy and sellable otherwise, much rather keep than sell!

Got it home, it was a painful ride, but she made it, 23years old, she's as tough as boots!

[Tirpitz]

dont you need the return cable to "return" the throttle back to the start, i.e. if you move it onto the throttle cable position you will be able to apply throttle, but it wont return?

i think the pilot idea is the best...gotta be better than pushing the thing...sorry to hear your dilema.

No, there's a return spring on the carbs. I think the return cable is there so that you can fit flatslides without having to swap the throttle mechanism - this is a design consideration in view of the fact that the bikes were designed with half an eye on SS400 racing. A return cable is essential with flatslides. You can bodge a repair by using the return cable to open the throttle as a get you home. Easy way is to move the nipple at the carb end then the throttle opens when you twist the grip away from you - takes some getting used to. You only want to be pottering about to be safe, though.

You need a few tools to do anything roadside though. I guess on most ZXRs the original toolkit is not there? One of those multitool thingies is always handy to have under the seat if it's missing.

[R P Corse]

dont you need the return cable to "return" the throttle back to the start, i.e. if you move it onto the throttle cable position you will be able to apply throttle, but it wont return?

i think the pilot idea is the best...gotta be better than pushing the thing...sorry to hear your dilema.

No, there's a return spring on the carbs. I think the return cable is there so that you can fit flatslides without having to swap the throttle mechanism - this is a design consideration in view of the fact that the bikes were designed with half an eye on SS400 racing. A return cable is essential with flatslides. You can bodge a repair by using the return cable to open the throttle as a get you home. Easy way is to move the nipple at the carb end then the throttle opens when you twist the grip away from you - takes some getting used to. You only want to be pottering about to be safe, though.

You need a few tools to do anything roadside though. I guess on most ZXRs the original toolkit is not there? One of those multitool thingies is always handy to have under the seat if it's missing.

nice shout on the return cable not being needed - nice to know! good source of a backup though lol

turns out where i work is right round the corner from Venhill so will give them a visit on my lunch break to see what they can help me with

as for the toolkit, unfortunately no, its not there, i really ought to invest in a multitool of some sort ... or at least have a small wallet to carry some essential tools for roadside fixes - fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

[Black_onyx]

I still have the original kawasaki tool kit

[R P Corse]

Lucky for some lol being mines a H1 import...mine prob got lost in another country lol

[cargo]

I've been racing my ZXRS for 3 seasons now on flatsides with one home made from a Venhill kit throttle cable kit with NO issues whatsoever.
the return spring on my flatsides is more than enough to snap the slides closed


Also the OE throttle cables for the CV carbs will not fit the flatsides the bracket on the flatsides is different.

One suspects that if you had an accident on your road bike while using only one throttle cable and your insurance found out they might use that as a wriggle out and not up the money

[R P Corse]

Fair shout mate, went to venhill today and turns out the bloke who makes them is on holiday til 6th August....just my luck really! I'll order from cradley, didn't like riding on the return cable

[banner001]

so what IS the return cable there for?

[R P Corse]

i'd imagine its in case the slides get stuck open? never actually thought about it!

[Tirpitz]

I still have the original kawasaki tool kit

Me too, complete with the rubber spanners. I would have to be stranded with no chance of recovery before risking rounding off a few nuts and bolts with those.

One thing that's always had me puzzled - why did they include a spark plug socket which is not the right size for the spark plug the bike uses? Or did some berk in the factory put the wrong one in my kit?

[R P Corse]

I still have the original kawasaki tool kit

Me too, complete with the rubber spanners. I would have to be stranded with no chance of recovery before risking rounding off a few nuts and bolts with those.

One thing that's always had me puzzled - why did they include a spark plug socket which is not the right size for the spark plug the bike uses? Or did some berk in the factory put the wrong one in my kit?

no no, your right on the spark plug socket - EXACTLY the same problem with my RS50 when i bought that new lol, socket wouldnt fit over the plug itself, let alone fit the gap between the top of it and the tank! lol