Making Cables

Troy

Troy

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Canmore, Alberta, Canada
I'm so fed up with the challenges of buying cables that I think I'm going to stop trying to find what I need and learn how to make my own.

It seems like now matter how careful I am and how hard I look, the cable always end up being the wrong length or having the incorrect fittings. Sometimes I get lucky and find an original Honda cable but that's few and far between and I'm starting to think it might be easier to just equip myself properly and strike out on my own. Getting set up seems like it will cost a few dollars but once the tools are in place the parts themselves seem very inexpensive. I ordered a set of cables for my S90 from eBay and only 1 of the 4 was correct. To OE cables I would need to order from 2 different vendors and it would be approx cdn$200 for the 3 cables with shipping. I might break even on the first cables I make but something tells me that this won't be the last bike I'm working on or the last time I need to build a cable.

I'll share what I've pieced together and invite others to chime in with suggestions, encouragement or warnings. To be clear I'm looking to set up to do this right and not 1/2 a$$ it.

Venhill seems to be the go to for a great selection of supplies with both a US and UK website.
https://www.venhillusa.com/cables-and-components.html

One of the keys to doing it right is the "birdcaging" process seen here.

The Vehill birdcaging tool is very pricey. I have found and alternative on Ebay which is much more reasonable.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/326416198139

When I look at the birdcaging tool it doesn't seem too complicated and here is a pretty good video for making your own. I own a drill press and think I will go this route.

A soldering pot isn't prohibitively expensive.

So, if you have anything to add, please do. I did an advanced search of the forum already and I know making cables comes up within other threads but there doesn't seem to be anything dedicated to this process. (there is a thread that discusses using cuttlefish shells to cast parts but that didn't seem relevant)
 
Interesting. I was going to have to fab a clutch cable for my CX with the low rise bars due to not thinking about where I put my gauges and got lucky that a bonneville clutch cable actually fit. Definitely going to have to fab one for the GL - divined that it’s only one cable I’m probably going to just go the custom route as the setup and supplies may end up costing more.
 
In addition to Venhill, I wonder if Wicks aircraft supply or others have components.
Finding a good source for high quality housing would be my biggest concern. Honda cables are very good, the housing is tight thick coil, perhaps even swaged flat on the outside under the plastic cover. Experience tells me this component is key to a very uncompressible cable. I can feel more squishiness in the aftermarket ones, especially on the front brake.
Inner wire should not be too small and loose in the housing bore or there will be deflection and flex.
Tight assembly at all ends is important too. Always grind square and flat the ends of the housing before fitting the ferrules, or caps and barrel fittings. Perfect length minimizes too tight radius of bends which flex more too.
 
I tried all sorts of ways of soldering the nipples on, soldering iron didn't work, plumbers gas torch and flux paste didn't work. Then I got one of those very cheap and very nasty solder pots off Ebay, and that worked a treat. I used plumbers solder wire, and the flux paste as before. I did a 'ghetto' birds nest using a punch to collapse the wire into the end of the nipple, cable clamped in the vice, nipple sat on top. Since then, I've bought some of the soldering fluid that Venhill recommend, but have not had occasion to use it so far.

soldersandfluxes.co.uk

BAKERS SOLDERING FLUID FOR COPPER & BRASS - Solders & Fluxes

HIGH ACTIVITY FLUX FOR SOLDERING COPPER & BRASS
soldersandfluxes.co.uk soldersandfluxes.co.uk

Venhill are excellent, they carry all the required cable components.

EDIT Parrot mouth shears are excellent for cleanly cutting both the inner and outer cables.

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For throttle cables I just use bicycle brake cable, it's available in bulk (50ft or more) plus various colours.
I have made custom barrels as well, simple turning and drilling on mini lathe.
For clutch and brake Venhill is the place to go.
I've been using them since about 1980 (probably have some stickers stashed somewhere as well)
 
Scoured through the Venhill website and even sent them an email. It seems that they don't sell the threaded rods for the brake cable. Their response to me was "In general a brake cable with a threaded rod is not able to be made in a small shop because a toggle press is required to attach the rod to the wire. We do not sell threaded rods to the public."
Given the safety considerations this makes sense to me. For my current situation I have a new brake cable that is 4" too long so shortening it should be relatively simple once I'm all set up. Since I'm hoping that this thread can be useful resource in the future I wondered what other options existed for building your own brake cable. The best I could come up with is a number of vendors selling the cable inner with the threaded rod already attached. This can be found on eBay and also from this seller. Of course I haven't been able to find anybody in North America selling this. If you know of a source, please share it.
https://www.motorcycleproducts.co.uk/2055mm-cable-inner-with-6mm-threaded-bolt/1/013505
 
Are you looking for cables for your CB450 K0 ? I have a few NOS cables, including frontbrake cables. Could you share the part number ? Maybe I have the correct one.
 
Thanks Jensen, Right now I'm not looking for Bomber cables but I might be down the road.

What started this whole train of thought was the cable set that I just ordered from eBay for my S90 and 3 of the 4 cable are incorrect. Ordering cables seems like a such a crap shoot that I thought maybe I should just figure out how to properly make my own and skip the middle man. In the process I thought I would start a thread that might evolve into a pretty comprehensive resource on the subject. I've learned an awful lot in the past couple of days. I remember when I took the plunge and bought all of the supplies and tools from Sparck to build my first wiring harness and now I don't think I would ever buy another one.

When my Dream moves to the front of the queue it will be a little different. It is missing the speedo cable but all other cables seem to be pristine and will probably just get cleaned and lubed.
 
In the past I bought (Honda) cables from the sixties and seventies by the box as a left over from dealerships. Sometimes I just paid a crate of Heineken. Same with spokes.

The issue with cables is the length, and that's because there are so many differences in steering tube heights and widths.
 
Link to cable with screw adjuster fitted was handy, been wanting some of those to convert rear brakes to cable operation.
Pretty sure the hydraulic crimpers take a bunch of setting up to make sure cable doesn't pull out? (that would be bad)
I have seen stainless steel fittings similar but they are designed for 'wire' fences with no specifications on pull force, plus, of course, not metric (it bugs me when people fit Imperial stuff to metric bikes/vehicles)
 
I just placed an order from Venhill. Will update further when it arrives. The one thing that they don't seem to have is protective sleeve in grey. This would be oversized sleeve that would be used over the outer conduit in a higher wear area or to offer additional rigidity. They offer it in black...https://www.venhill.co.uk/55mm-x-75mm-black-flexible-sleeve-x-1m-mh5575bk.html

I wonder if anybody knows of an alternative source for this? Also if there anybody knows of other sources for other cable components I would love to know.
 
Grey shrink wrap works for me, only proviso is that you need to find one with a decent 'shrink ratio', for want of a better word. In the pic below, the clutch cable is shrink wrapped, but I haven't got around to doing the speedo cable. From memory, that was because I couldn't squeeze the unshrunk wrap over the cable end parts.


Ai7orrJ.jpg
 
Cool thread. I have had the same urge multiple times. For the lengths of course. But also on my CB350 I ended up having to use different vendors for the grey cables, and they are slightly different shades/colors. But they are a little too long because my handlebars are slightly flatter. Also, I have no idea of the quality of aftermarket in most cases.

With that said… some places will make custom lengths. Even if having to pay more, needing cables is just an occasional thing and maybe the economics work out due to less equipment and effort?
 
My local Honda Powersports dealer has been sharing with me (in phone call inquiries) the other Honda dealerships throughout the U.S. that show (on the Honda North America network for dealers access only) to have any Honda parts my local dealer no longer has, including cables.

BUT, none of my 4 Hondas were made in the 1970's, they're all 1982-1985.

Yes, I do a highly-refined, "expert", search on eee Bay using the specific Honda part number first, and usually find at least one of what I'm looking for, BUT lately, I've been calling my local dealer and getting better prices than the way-over-priced "highway-robbing hockers" on eee Bay.

For instance, recently I needed a rear hand/parking brake cable for my '83 Big Red.
There's only been 3 on eee Bay - priced at $100 each from one hocker, and $65 from the other hocker.
My local dealer told me of a "networked" dealer in Iowa showing to have one. I called Iowa, they had it and had had it since 2017 priced at $40.
When I mentioned preferring to remain with genuine Honda of Japan quality instead of Motion-Pro for $19, they discounted the price 20% and the sale was made.

AGS Co., of Muskegon, Michegan 49443 makes great cable lubricant "Kable-Ease"

www.flanderscompany.com and www.motionpro.com make and sell custom cables

www.nicheindustries.com makes and sells cables

and i'll come back here and edit this Post with updates as I discover any more...
 
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I've never used the bird caging tool. One way I have done it is to get one of those knarp kits that has a tiny set screw. Get your lengths correct then you can solder it closed. For throttle cables this seems to last seemingly forever. Someone here mentioned bicycle brake cables and this is also a valid repair. Years back a buddy told me to just head to Walmart and get those generic bicycle cable repair kits and use that. Works great with the knarp for the other end. I would not trust it on a drum brake for a motorcycle, however I have done quite a few moped brakes this way.
 
I've been away and tied up with other things for a couple of weeks. An order from Venhill is on the way and I have also got my own bird caging tool in the works. I hope to have a bit more of an update in the next week or two on how that all goes. Still trying to find a source for oversized protective sleeving to go over the outer conduit in grey. Black is available from Venhill but I can't find grey anywhere. I know it is made because all of the aftermarket cables on ebay use it but I can't figure out where to buy it. If I can't find it then I can always buy it in black and then apply grey shrink wrap as Richard Pitman suggested.
 
I've made cables and all the inner wire, outer conduit and every manner of fitting can be had from Flanders. They sell black and gray conduit, and they will also sell you the ferrule end caps. I secure them to the conduit ends with a flare end fixture made for tubing, crimping all around the edge. I bought a used Esico solder pot on eBay and it's fine.

You have to know what size of wire you're looking for (there are 3) and matching outer conduit but it's not expensive and if you know with great specificity the end fittings you need, they have it https://www.flanderscompany.com/collections/all

 
Richard Pitman said:
Grey shrink wrap works for me, only proviso is that you need to find one with a decent 'shrink ratio', for want of a better word. In the pic below, the clutch cable is shrink wrapped, but I haven't got around to doing the speedo cable. From memory, that was because I couldn't squeeze the unshrunk wrap over the cable end parts.


Ai7orrJ.jpg
Click to expand...
That is the same thing I have been doing with my cracked BS90 cables that are unobtainable at a reasonable price. The cables work fine but the plastic has cracked everywhere, and the marine shrink fit really strengthens them as well due to the epoxy lining.
 
Richard Pitman said:
Grey shrink wrap works for me, only proviso is that you need to find one with a decent 'shrink ratio', for want of a better word. In the pic below, the clutch cable is shrink wrapped, but I haven't got around to doing the speedo cable. From memory, that was because I couldn't squeeze the unshrunk wrap over the cable end parts.
Click to expand...
I've used different colour heat shrink on various cables and brake hoses.
On speedo or rev counter, you have to find something that goes over the flared end and under the nut, fiddly and time consuming but can be done.
I really wish I'd picked up some wire/hose stretching pliers when I had the chance years ago but had no use for them at the time (they have 3 jaws that open when you close handles, slightly similar to circlip pliers)
 
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