Throttle Cable Issues

[11mspecial]

okay here is the deal, last summer I took of the carbs on my XS1100 Midnight Special to empty the old gas in it and clean the carbs. I did a sipmple carb cleaner spray and reinstalled everything, I added some new gas and started it. The bike suddenly started and reved at full throttle, so I quickly shut it off, nothing was damaged. I then disconected the throttle cable and started it again, it started and ran perfect. I dont know if I messed something up or what but It runs fine as long as the throttle cable is disconnected. I dont know what is wrong and I want to ride!!! Please help!

Thanks, Zac

[Czekus21]

Cable,,..Cable,,.Cable,,. Lube it or loose it. Is there any binding in the cable? can you move it back and forth ( in and out )? If you can't I would replace it. Throutle twist,,. Does it twist with ease? pull it apart and clean it. After it's clean, throw in a little bit of good clean lube/light grease. Throttle cable routing, Befor hooking up to the carbs, Make sure that how you routed the cable doesn't cause a bind.

[11mspecial]

Thanks very much for the quick reply, the throttle twist is working fine, I will see if the cable is binding and check the routing, hopefully it will work. Thanks, Zac

[11mspecial]

okay I checked for binding, and there is none. The cable doesnt even reach the carb cable holder, Is there any way that the cable could have shrank or something, maybe I just need a longer cable. Thanks

[dewibp]

Just went through the same thing with my special. Someone put too short of carb cable on and it would not idle down properly. Get a new cable that is for the model xs you have.

[dorkpunch]

had the same thing happen to me, i took apart the handle and trimmed the plastic a bit to allow the grip to turn back more. (boy, that dont make much sense, do it!? ) The cables wouldnt allow any more adjustment and i only took off about an 1/8 in. of plastic. that gave me room to re-adjust the cables and after that it worked perfect!

[xssiveone]

Originally posted by 11mspecial
okay I checked for binding, and there is none. The cable doesnt even reach the carb cable holder, Is there any way that the cable could have shrank or something, maybe I just need a longer cable. Thanks

Did it work properly "before" you took it apart? If it did, then something, somewhere, was not put back the same way it was before you removed it. The cable cannot shrink, they only stretch out longer. Check where the cable enters the throttle housing.. is the outer sheath fully seated? When you had the carbs off there would be no tension on the outer sheath holding it in, so it could easily slip out of position. The same at the carb end... if the cable sheath enters at an angle, it won't seat fully, shortening the usable length of the inner cable.

If you're sure that the cable is installed properly and you still have the problem, then it just might be as dewibp suggested, the wrong cable was installed.

[11mspecial]

Thanks for the feedback, I will check at the throttle to see if it is seated properly, If thats not it then I will buy a new throttle cable and see if that works. The bike worked fine before I took the carbs out it had just been sitting for 3 years, thanks.

[11mspecial]

I checked for binding in the throttle and made sure the cable was seated properly and it was, the cable is still short by 3 or 4 inches. what would I have put back together wrong to make it off by that much?

[pathfinder]

Sound like the GREMLINS got you. If it was long enough before it will work now, it is not possible to shrink. Check the routing and seating on both ends again. Check where it is routed thru the wire welded on the neck of the frame. If you have another wire running thru it, it may be catching there. Check the S-clamp that it rides thru just before the carbs and then goes down to the carb rack. Make sure you route it the shortest, no binding way from the handle to the carb.

[xssiveone]

Originally posted by 11mspecial
I checked for binding in the throttle and made sure the cable was seated properly and it was, the cable is still short by 3 or 4 inches. what would I have put back together wrong to make it off by that much?

Did you take the tops of the carbs off at all? Is there any chance you put the center piece, the one the cable goes thru, on upside down? The pic in the Haynes book isn't very clear, so not even sure if this is possible, but might be worth looking into.

If as you say, the bike worked fine before, then it has to be something simple that isn't in the right spot.

[11mspecial]

Thanks for the replys, When I took the carbs off I did not take them apart so no I did not take the tops off, I checked every possible way for it to bind so I think I am going to take off the carbs and everything and assemble it again because it has to be something simple that I did wrong when I re-assembled it the first time. Hopefully it works!, I will keep you posted
Thanks

[prometheus578]

This may be a stretch, but here goes. Cable is now a couple inches too short. Is it possable that when hooking it back up to the throttle, you have the cable going the wrong way round? what I mean is....looking at the handgrip/throttle sitting on the bike.... the cable goes up front and when you twist goes up and over. Could you have hooked it up wrapped around the rear and then up? Throttle wouldn't work, but that would hold the carbs wide open. Just a thought... I've seen it done!

[11mspecial]

I didnt mess with the cable at the throttle end but I will look into it, thanks

[John]

Man, I hate to sound like a broken record, but it sure sounds like the cable isn't routed properly. If it worked fine before, it should work fine now. Check the routing again. You don't have it routed in front of the steering head, do you?