Janitor’s Note: This year at the Cincinnati show I met with Carmen from Biker’s Choice, and ultimately was introduced to Joe from Motion Pro. I was on a mission. Every year we build motorcycles and need to order cables. It’s always a roll of the dice trying to figure out the perfect cable length, and what fits what. Joe, from Motion Pro knew exactly the mysterious quandary I faced. We decided to work together on a tech. Actually, Joe and the Motion Pro staff liked the idea so well, they stepped up and place the following info on their web site.
I’m going to switch it around some and add a handful of comments, if need be. Let’s hit it:
Company Chest Pounding:
Motion Pro is dedicated to producing the best cables in the powersports industry. With over 20 years of race proven experience, Motion Pro products deliver performance, quality and value.
We work directly with top riders and mechanics in the AMA Dirt Track series to develop and test our products. Race proven is not just our slogan; it’s our guarantee that Motion Pro products deliver the performance and quality champions demand. Our new lineup of V-Twin cables offers a product for every need. From standard OE replacement to show bike custom, Motion Pro has you covered.
Motion Pro offers a full line of black vinyl OEM replacement cables, braided stainless steel Armor Coat cables, the new bright silver finish Argent cables, and the new Blackout cables that feature black fittings on black vinyl housing for the complete “blacked out” look. All Motion Pro clutch cables are available with our longitudinally wound (LW) housing that provides a smooth, easy to pull, compression free clutch cable. Building a custom bike?
The Motion Pro custom cable shop can meet all your custom cable needs and carries a full line of housing styles, fittings and inner wires. The Motion Pro custom cable shop offers professional service, quick turn-around times and all custom cables are made in the USA. Dedication and quality is in every Motion Pro product we produce.
Here’s the info you need to get started:
Identifying Cables
•Year, make and model of machine
•Carburetor
•Throttle type
•Special routing
•Handle bar modifications
•Describe cable specifications in sufficient detail for us to build the cable you want
•Send cable for us to duplicate (indicate modifications if needed in +/- size)
•Specify housing type (Armor Coat, Argent, Black-Out, black vinyl O.E. replacement or gray vinyl for vintage bikes)
Motion Pro Housing Options:
Argent Cables: See Website at http://motionpro.com/motorcycle/search/by_motorcycle/argent_cables/
Blackout Cables: See Website at http://motionpro.com/motorcycle/search/by_motorcycle/blackout_cables/
Black Vinyl Replacement Cables: See Website at http://motionpro.com/motorcycle/search/by_motorcycle/black_vinyl_oe_replacement_cables/
Ball-End: A ball fitting used on the end of an inner wire.
Barrel: a barrel end used on the inner wires of cables, commonly used in multiple sizes in most types of cables.
Cable Type: The type of cable, IE throttle cable, clutch cable, speedo cable
Cables Fitting Kit: See Website at http://motionpro.com/motorcycle/tools/category/cable_fittings_kit/
Cable Glossary (associated words):
Choke Cable: The cable that operates the choke.
Coil Wound: Standard Type Housing
Elbow Angle: The bend of an elbow fitting measured in degrees.
Elbow Fittings: A cable fitting usually used on the end of the cable housing, but have been used in the middle of a cable housing, with a bend measured in degrees.
End Caps: A small tin cap used on the end of a cable housing. Provides a means of covering the end of the housing and provides a load point for the housing.
Free Length: The amount of exposed inner wire of a cable, measured by pulling the inner wire all to one end, if there’s a rubber boot on the inner wire measuring this end of the cable making sure any adjusters are collapsed, measuring just the exposed inner wire excluding any fittings on the inner wire.
Housing Diameter: The outside diameter of the housing, commonly 5mm, 6mm, & 7mm for throttle and choke cables, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, & 10mm for clutch’s and mechanical brake cables.
Housing Length: The length of the housing, measured by including any fitting on the end of the cable housing that is straight, and excluding any fitting with a bend, only measuring where the cable housing comes in contact of the elbow. Making sure any in-line adjuster is collapsed.
Housing Type Fitting: Fitting that will be installed on either or both housing ends of a cable (adjuster, elbow, cap etc…).
Inline Adjuster: A component of the cable designed to set free length. Used to properly adjust a cable’s free play requirements.
Inner Wire: The internal wire of a cable (see free length for information on how to measure this dimension).
Inner Wire Diameter: The diameter of the inner wire, 1.2mm & 1.5mm commonly used for throttle and choke cables, and 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm used on clutch and brake cables.
Inner Wire Type Fitting: Fitting that will be installed on either or both wire ends of a cable (bowel, nipple, ball, pear, stud, etc…)
Location of Inline Adjuster: For most metric applications this dimension is measured from the top of the housing to the top of the adjuster. In American V-Twin applications this dimension is measured from the bottom of the housing to the bottom of the adjuster.
Longitudinally-Wound Housing (LW): Housing will not compress and feel mushy under heavy loads.
Multi-Cable With Splitter: A cable that includes a junction box that allows the cable to split from a single cable into multiple cables. Can be a single cable into 2, 3 or 4 lines.
Push-Pull Cables: Used primarily in throttle application when the carburetor requires two cables to properly operate the throttle. One cable to pull it open, commonly referred to as the pull cable, and one cable to close the carb; commonly referred to as the push cable.
Speedo Cable: The cable that operates the speedometer. Tach Cable: Cable that operates the tachometer.
Stock Cable: An OEM replacement cable, made to meet or exceed OEM quality to OEM specifications
Thread Pitch & Diameter: Diameter and thread pitch of any threaded adjuster or nut.
Throttle Cable: The cable that operates the carburetor throttle assembly.
T3 Cables: See Website at http://motionpro.com/motorcycle/search/by_motorcycle/t3_cables/
Usable Travel: See Free Length
Drawings
Please include the following information if you send a drawing:
•Housing length (with in-line adjuster fully turned in if cable has in-line adjuster)
•Free length
•Inner cable diameter
•Inner cable bottom fitting (ball, barrel, dimensions)
•Inner cable top fitting (ball, barrel,dimensions)
•Housing outer diameter
•Housing in-line adjuster (y/n) NOTE:If yes, length of usable travel and specify location of in line adjuster (distance from top of housing)
•Housing bottom fitting type – straight or angled (if angled specify degree of bend) and thread diameter and pitch
•Housing bottom fitting type: straight or angled (if angled specify degree of bend) and thread diameter and pitch
Measuring images
Metric Fittings:
Nipple(wire end-fitting)
Threaded Adjuster with Nuts
(housing end-fitting)
Barrel (wire end-fitting)
Threaded Adjuster with Nuts (housing end-fitting)
Ball (wire end-fitting)
Pear A (wire end-fitting)
Threaded Elbow
with In-Line Adjuster
(housing end-fitting)
Elbow (housing end-fitting)
Clevis
(wire crimp fitting)
Elbow with Step-End (housing end-fitting)
Clevis (wire non-crimp fitting)
Elbow with Threaded Adjuster and Nuts (housing end-fitting)
Housing End Cap (end-fitting)
In-Line Adjuster
Stud (wire end-fitting)
Accordion Boot
Step Cap (housing end-fitting)
V-Twin Fittings
Eyelet (wire end-fitting)
Speedometer Nut Nipple (wire end-fitting)
Flanged Housing End for Speedo Nut
Barrel (wire end-fitting)
Flanged Housing End for Speedo Nut
Ball (wire end-fitting)
In-Line Adjuster
90° Elbow Assembly with In-Line Adjuster and Snap-In Type Fitting
Threaded Adjuster (housing end-fitting)
Pricing:
Motion Pro Harley-Davidson Custom Cable Program
The pricing listed below is standard pricing for one-of-a-kind cables that are 80 inches or less (overall housing length). If you are referencing a Motion Pro part number and the part number being referenced is more expensive than the standard custom cable cost, pricing will be based on the part number cost plus 10%.
Single line
$35
Single line, Cruise Control idle cable
$50
Dual Pull (splitter)
$50
Throttle/Idle Cables in Argent™ housing
Single line
$55
Single line, Cruise Control idle cable
$60
Throttle/Idle Cables in AC™ (Armor Coat™) housing
Single line
$66
Single line, Cruise Control idle cable
$75
Speedo / Tach Cable
CW (coil-wound)
$55
AC™ (Armor Coat™)
$73
Argent™
$65 (can only build with 45.5″ or shorter H.L.)
Black-Out™
$59
NOTE: LW housing is stock on all 1988 and later H-D applications
