Shortening cables...all of 'em!

I'm working on a KZ250 cafe' racer. It has a front drum and a Mikuni VM series carb. The bike originally had buckhorn style bars. I'm now running clip-ons and ALL the cables are too long. I'm talking 10-20 inches too long.


Throttle
I think I could figure out how to shorten the throttle cable. It's the Mikuni style with the traditional barrel at the lever end, but has a nub or small ball on the end that goes into the carb. If I can shorten the sheath and cable, how do I make a new ball end to go into the carb?


Front brake
This cable was only used on the KZ250 singles, best I can tell. It's WAY too long and needs to be about 20" shorter. I'm hoping that I can find something for another bike (old small cc or dirt bike, maybe?) at my local shop. If not, can you even shorten a brake cable? Will it have too much tension on it to try and shorten it? Luckily, a LOT of old bikes had front drums and I stand a pretty good chance of finding something a little shorter.


Clutch
This one only needs to be about 10-12" shorter, but it has some funky adjustment nuts about 2/3 of the way down. Maybe I can find something from another bike as well. If push comes to shove, I think I an snake this one around the frame and make it work. Maybe.


Any suggestions or insight on dealing with cables that are too long?
BTW, when I say ~12" shorter, that would be a "perfect" length. If my throttle cable is 36" and I need 24", I could get by with, say, 32". Same situation with all the cables. Any thing shorter than what I have is better.

FunJimmy said:

You might have some luck using a Shimano bike shifter cable for the throttle cable. You can purchase just the inner wire with a couple cable end options. Although they might not be exact, you might get lucky and find one that will fit close enough.

Also check out these helpful sites.

http://www.flanderscables.com/index.html

http://www.dansmc.com/solder_cable.htm

Click to expand...

that second link is the shit.. thanks a million!

Bicycle brake cables are the right gauge for throttle cables. They're cheap - but you need to solder on at least one end.

As for your brake and clutch, if your current cables are in good condition you can shorten them and re-solder the ends.

You won't have any luck with "snaking" the cables around the frame - they will bind

I would use silver solder for brake cable, you really don't want it to fail using electrical or plumbing solder (which is fine for throttle and clutch)

Mike XS sells the barrel cable end fittings and caps for the rubber tube.

Could I use a saucepan as a solder pot? Anyone know if similar stuff is sold in Australia?

MotionPro.com does custom length cables for a fair price. I have heard (no 1st hand experience) that home grown cable ends never last all that long. Something about how the lead/solder ends from the factory are made using pressure and the home made ones will fail becuase of the not being made with pressure.

if you go to an RC supply shop, you can get screw on wire holders for aileroin controls for planes which can go on cables as quick cable ends. Personally id solder them on though.

pushrod connectors...

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/balllink.htm