Topic: Need easier throttle pull

[RatBikeRandy]

After my 1st endurance/reliability ride of 162 miles yesterday on '73 cb500, 2 fingers are still numb on right hand.  The throttle springs are so stout that they cause problems for me (had work related elbow and wrist trouble that I had gotten over).  Thankfully the bike came to me with one of the lever style throttle locks, but I can't use it all of the time.
Any suggestions on fixing this problem?  I LOVE the bike, but this sucks.
By the way, I ride all the time and have several other bikes that do not cause this problem.

Thanks for any help.

[Gordon]

Have you checked to make sure it's not the throttle cable/cables or the throttle sleeve itself binding up?  Also, have you lubed all the moving parts of the throttle linkage? 

edit:  written while Wyk was posting.

If it turns out the cables are binding, lubing them can get you by for a while, but you should go ahead and replace them soon because there's a good chance they're close to the breaking point.

[RatBikeRandy]

Will definitely do all of the above, but not sure if it will help.  They seem to operate fine with no binding  when not attached to the carburetors.

[blackhog02]

I have the same issue with my 77 cb550 - I just finished the rebuild and put on a brand new cable.  I was up in NC last week and was doing about 200 miles a day and my right elbow and wrist were in pain after day 2.  I am going to go to the hardware store and look for a diffrent return spring.  the over enginered gorilla spring on the carbs snaps the throttle back like a fat baby pouncing on a candy bar!!!    I think it was better with the used cables as they gave some resistance against the return spring. 

[Bodi]

The spring is a bugger to get out and back in... but you can remove it, pull the rubber sleeve off, then use large cutting pliers to lengthen it out a bit. Then it's quite a bit less irksome on the wrist. You just use the pliers as if you want to cut the coil, one jaw slips between turns and as you close the jaws it will overbend the wire and put a permanent bend in the spring - then do it again close by so the new bend is opposite and you get the spring straight but longer. Replace the rubber sleeve. The spring should still close the throttle for safety.