[jayhanig]

Avoidance behavior is the phenomenon that occurs in certain individuals when faced with something they don't want to face. For example, instead of getting in the car to go to work, you decide the plants absolutely must be watered before you go. Then the shed has to be picked up a little too.



I mention this because I'm subject to this. Right now, I've collected all the letters I'd stacked up over the last year, separated them and then created file folders for them. Now they're all filed away and the office is picked up quite a bit. That's because I dread starting the replacement of my throttle tube/kill switch.



I managed to break mine last week while trying to free the grips on my handlebar to install a more powerful grip heater. Now the throttle sleeve slides in and out on the handlebar. Well, the one I purchased off Ebay arrived Monday and it looks OK.



But when I look at the old one, I see a large wire coming out of the bottom of the kill switch that goes to a rectangular plug in that wad of wires under the headlamp. There's also a couple of wires that connect to spade lugs on the switch. All those don't bother me.



But there are two things that do: I truly don't understand at this point what holds that throttle sleeve in place once I slide it over the end of the handlebar. Does the kill switch itself interlock mechanically in some way so that when I tighten its screws it locks onto the handlebar because of crimping pressure?



Understand that what showed up is a throttle tube with the grip still on it and the kill switch mounted on the end... it's all one piece together in the box.



My other concern has to do with the throttle cables. How are they released from my old switch? There are knurled nuts that seem to hold them on but when I removed one of the nuts, the terminus of the cable didn't come out. Is it screwed into the switch? And if that's the case, how do I spin it in there without the cable interfering? I don't want to have to go all the way to the carburetor to do this.



There is some sort of adjustment nut just past the knurled nut about 2" outside of where the cable inserts into the switch.



Not knowing how this goes together just feeds my fear of turning this into a total clusterfuck. I have that talent.

 

[Toehead]

The kill switch has a slot that fits over the end of the throttle tube, which has a ridge that fits into the slot. This ridge is also how the throttle cables connect.This holds the tube onto the handlebar when the kill switch is screwed down.







The metal elbows DO thread into the kill switch. IIRC you will have to disconnect one from the carbs in order to unscrew them. I did it on mine, but it was significantly easier because I only have one throttle cable.

 

[lucky]

yep toehead is right its rather easy to do jay if you can change oil in a car you can do the throttle tube replacement



the best advise i can give ya is to have your mind set to due it and also on my bike the screws got chewed up pretty bad so you might want to use a hammer and give some taps on the screw driver to help loosen the screws up



i would say it might take you 20 minutes for the first time due to the unhooking of the throttle cables at the carbs and taking off the fuel tank (that way you can rerun the cables) other than that its real real easy



and after your done doing it sit back and stare at the bike while you drink a beer and pat your self on the back

 

[gopher]

How are you doing on the project Jay?

 

[jayhanig]

How are you doing on the project Jay?

Ask me again tomorrow night.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

If the original clamp portion is OK, just replace the white throttle sleeve. You may be able to make the swap without disconnecting the cable sheaths.



You can get the sleeve, new from Honda for about $10, by the way. It's used on a lot of models.



R

 

[jayhanig]

If the original clamp portion is OK, just replace the white throttle sleeve. You may be able to make the swap without disconnecting the cable sheaths.



You can get the sleeve, new from Honda for about $10, by the way. It's used on a lot of models.



R

The clamp part is what really let go. I imagine the tube is still OK. I've got to say this whole process has been a total disaster. One thing keeps leading to another. As it is, I've got a guy who's supposedly going to come over tomorrow and give me hand with this. If I get through this, I swear I'll never do anything like this again.



I'm lying, of course.

 

[SteveinPA]

Like Lucky said, this is easy to do. The throttle cable ends fit into the holes in the sleeve. The Kill switch is two pieces that fit together around the bar and the end of the sleeve. Piece of cake!

 

[jayhanig]

Like Lucky said, this is easy to do. The throttle cable ends fit into the holes in the sleeve. The Kill switch is two pieces that fit together around the bar and the end of the sleeve. Piece of cake!

Here's my situation:

 

[jayhanig]

OK, I think my heated grips/broken kill switch debacle is over. As it turns out, you don't have to mess with the carburetor at all to remove those throttle cables. Once the two screws holding the kill switch tight to the handlebar have been removed, you can unscrew the throttle cables by spinning the kill switch. My mistake was trying to free the cables before removing the kill switch from the handlebars.



So now I have the new improved grip heaters installed on the original throttle tube, which was still serviceable. The handlebars were wiped down with lacquer thinner and then some crazy glue was applied (the stuff Oxford provided with their heated grips. It remains to be seen how well the rubber grips will stay connected. But if they slip, I can definitely add something to make them tight again.



So now the only thing left is for me to install the HID system and button the bike back up. Wish me luck.

 

[Toehead]

Jay, that is good news. Must be different from the CX!

 

[jayhanig]

Hallelujah! I'm done. It turned out great too, if more expensive than I had planned.



1) The new heated grips are fantastic, particularly if you compare them with the ones I had bought from Cycle Gear. These new Oxfords get HOT and they get that way in a hurry. Very nice indeed and I didn't even try them on the highest setting (there are four).



2) The new HID headlight went in without too much drama. I ended up stuffing the plugs inside the headlight bucket and have the ballast under the fuel tank towards the front. I went for a little ride after dark and nobody flashed their brights at me, so I guess my initial setting is OK. I'll be watching for that though... I may need to lower them slightly in the future but for right now I'm satisfied.



3) My first attempt at setting valve lash was a tremendous success. The bike is noticeably smoother both in sound and in vibration.



All in all, a very rewarding day. Between the heaters and the new headlamp, I noted voltage at cruise of 14.5 volts. That's better than I ever got before. Best of all, my bike is rideable again and the weather right now is fantastic at the beach!

 

[Blindstitch]

Sounds good. I was starting to worry as I broke down a front tire in my living room, mounted a new one and installed new bearings. Of course I got itchy and had to run outside to put it on the bike.



Did you say oxford heated grips or wraps?

 

[50gary]

Jay, I can see from your picture the problem is you didn't clean up the messy desk by the window. Thereby you felt guilty and subverted your creative and intellectual powers to cause a brain freeze on the throttle question. It's the work ethic in massive overload you're dodging your motorcycle responsibilities to take care of daily life, you are a classic case seek professional advice immediately. Please send me $500.00

Cheers, 50gary

 

[jayhanig]

Jay, I can see from your picture the problem is you didn't clean up the messy desk by the window. Thereby you felt guilty and subverted your creative and intellectual powers to cause a brain freeze on the throttle question. It's the work ethic in massive overload you're dodging your motorcycle responsibilities to take care of daily life, you are a classic case seek professional advice immediately. Please send me $500.00

Cheers, 50gary

Will you take a check?

And to Blindstitch: Those are Oxford heated *grips*. They are twice the grips compared to the heated grips I had before. These heat much faster and much hotter.