Topic: Clutch cable and throttle cable routing - 500 - which side of frame?

[Chachi]

Quick question... trying to confirm which side of the frame (under the tank) the clutch cable and throttle cables should be routed on a 500. I assume clutch stays on the left and throttles on the right? And do both go under or over the tank stops up front? I am replacing my cables with new Honda cables and the only variable may be that I currently have 400f bars installed. That aside, how should these cables normally route? Thanks.

[LoVel]

The clutch cable goes around the steering column and then up under the gas tank (right side).  Mine is currently routed wrong but noticed the correct routing on the bike in the Barber museum.  Haven't really noticed throttle cables but mine are currently on the same side as the throttle. 

[Chachi]

I was wondering about that. I have some pics from a friends stock bike that I took specifically for cable routing around the instruments and it looks like from the top view the clutch cable does route down the right side of the frame under the tank. Mine is currently routed down the left side. I know what really matters is that the cables don't bind, but I still want to route them as intended. And what about routing over/under the gas tank stops?

[bryanj]

PM me your email address and i will scan the page of the set up manual for you

[Chachi]

PM sent. Thanks bryanj.

[Chachi]

A few pics of how I routed the throttle cables. I tried a few different routing paths, but this one seemed to be the most 'natural' for the cables. Let me know if I'm missing something/doing it wrong. These are new Honda cables; bike is 500, but bars are 400f. I know the lower bars call for different routing than normal, but does what I have look right for my situation? Regarding routing down the left or right side of frame... my bell crank is lined up on the right side of my frame. It seemed to stress the cables to attach to it from the other side of the frame., but I've seen some pics and diagrams that suggest they might indeed route down the left side of the frame. Any more thoughts on this?

Huge improvement with new cables. I also seem to have cured my stuck idle. It had been sticking at 3k and getting progressively worse. I think the cure was a combination of new cables and getting my tach fixed so I could make sure I really was setting idle at 1k. I was a bit high and even with the new cables having the idle screw set a bit high was causing some idle stick. I was able to take it out last night and idle responded correctly. It was nice to hit a red light with idle settling down at 1k vs. sticking at 3k.

Also, in the last pic (#4) the lock nut on the bottom of the right housing would not tighten all the way up to the housing. Is this correct? I could not remember how my previous cable tightened up in this spot.

[Chachi]

Pics...

[LoVel]

I agree with your routing and the nut you speak of would not tighten all the way on mine either.  I have a bunch of pictures of the museum bike at home.  I need to look at them tonight. and verify if what we believe to be correct is actually correct.

[Chachi]

Just took another look... I wonder if they do wrap around the to the left but then come through the opening in the frame by the coils. I was trying to bring them around the left and come under the frame center beam. There are some pics in the basic manual that clearly show the throttle cables around the left of the steering column. Then there is another pic that clearly shows the cables connecting to the bell crank from 'straight on' - the right side of the frame. The only way to accomplish both of those would be cross at that frame opening by the coils.

[Chachi]

From manual...

[LoVel]

Looks like I will be rerouting all of my cables in the near future.

[Chachi]

LoVel - I tried every possible routing combination based on what I was thinking earlier and none of them worked. It's likely due to my lower 400f bars with 500 stock-length cables. With wrapping around the stem and coming around the frame and through the opening by the coils the throttle did not feel as 'loose' as it did the initial way I routed them and in some instances I had some binding with steering turns. I also tried adding my clutch cable through the opening in combination with the throttle cables and it seemed to kind of bind things up worse. I noticed it most once putting the tank back on - cables got too snug against tank mounts. With stock bars and stock-length cables this may work fine and it could be the original stock routing, but with the 400f bars it's not working for me.

I put everything back how I had it and the throttle felt great and so I'm going to leave it alone. It was also easier to get the throttles cables on and quickly adjusted with keeping them in my original routing (staying on the right side), but again that could be unique to my bar/cable combo. Last thing - I also wasn't too keen on routing cables so close to the coil connections. It didn't seem to really disturb them, but it's one less thing to worry about not having them being pressed against those connections.

[LoVel]

The volunteer party at the museum is on the 17th.  I am going to get there a few minutes early and go look at the routing on their brand new CB500.  My pics were inconclusive since I was more concerned with parts of the bike than cable routing at the time I took them.

[Chachi]

I would be interested in any pics you take of that bike. I like knowing original set-up details. PM whenever you have them. Thanks.

[LoVel]

Party at the museum last night.  Got to sit in Santa's sidecar and tell him what I wanted for Christmas.  I don't think he's going to swap the museum 500 for mine but I tried.

Cable routing.  Throttle cables stay on the throttle side and appear to go on top of the tank mount.

Clutch cable also goes on the throttle side and appears to go under the tank mount.

Forgot my flipping camera but I did remember to wander up to the 5th floor and look at the bike.

[Chachi]

Thanks LoVel. I guess the clutch cable crosses over through that hole in the frame by the coils?