How To Lubricate Your Motorcycle’s Cables

If your bike’s clutch, throttle, or brakes are feeling sticky, it’s likely time to give them some TLC. Lubricating your control cables is easy and it helps prolong the life of the parts. There are two ways that we will show you how to lube your motorcycle’s cables. The first method is the “old school way” that anyone can do with supplies they already have in their garage. The second method utilizes Motion Pro’s Cable Luber, a simple device that allows you to inject lubricant into the cable housings with the cable still installed on the bike.

You can service the cables while they’re installed on the bike, but removing the parts will make the task easier, meaning less messy. Take a photo to confirm routing and then remove the cables, inspecting them for damage or wear. If they are damaged, worn, or frayed, take the time to order the replacement part and install it.

Some will think that any old lubricant will do, and that can’t be any farther from the truth. Some cables have a slick inner sheath that will gum up if exposed to solvents or harsh chemicals, so do NOT use WD-40 or any other type of penetrating oil. Regular motor oil works great if you don’t have an appropriate aerosol product. If you want to do it the right way, we suggest a product that is formulated for cables.

This is the old-school way to do it! Cut a hole in the corner of a small plastic bag and push the cable through the hole. Secure the bag to the cable with a rubber band and then invert the bag to create a funnel. Because the lubricant is aerosolized, you want it to go down the cable, not spray all over it.

Add some lube to the funnel (about a tablespoon) and hold the cable vertically so that gravity can pull the lubricant down into the housing. Work the inner wire up and down to help move the lube along. Once the lower end of the wire gets wet, you’re done.

Remove your funnel, wipe down the cable, and reinstall it on the bike. Make sure you return the adjusters to their original positions, or better yet check your owner’s manual and set the slack to the manufacturer’s recommendation for either your motorcycle clutch cable or throttle cable.

If you want to be done sooner, a dedicated motorcycle cable lubricator is the way to go. Want to be done sooner? A specialized cable luber will allow you to inject lube directly into the housing with the cable still on the bike. You’ll know when you’re done when the lubricant drips out of the bottom of the cable housing.