Both the TY and Cota throttle cables are a little shorter than optimal (ie. route them tidily and you get some revs at right lock - is there anywhere I can shop for cables by length?  Or am I stuck using a universal cable kit?

IIRC the TY250 throttle cable is longer than the 175, but I don't know be how much - it only needs one more inch

Venhill is the obvious answer for made up cables

I buy Venhill universal cable kits from BVM Moto,just bought a load to completely re-cable the little J9 James I've just got.

https://bvm-moto.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1088&search=venhill

Good quality kits,with everything I've ever needed in them, for Jap and Brit bikes.

Fantastic, thank you!

Forgot to say, I use a small blowtorch to solder the ends on,if you are careful with it you can watch the solder flow through the nipple,making sure it has a good hold. I know other people suggest using a solder pot to fit ends on cables,each to their own - I've yet to have one fail,seeing the solder track through the nipple tells me its got max grip on the cable and nipple.

 

Mmm, I was going to,but another forum member on here used a solder pot for the first time... The clutch cable he made failed on the first trial. I decided to carry on with the blow torch.

 

Sometimes too much is too much ...

Too me this sounds to me as he had left the cable stuck in the melted solder of the pot too long,
so the liquid metal could rise inside the cable and made it stiff thus it broke.

You should just put it as much in as the cable with the attached nipple barley touches the surface of the melted metal.

The metal will then instand flow inside the cable and raise up, when you see it had risen above the nipple then raise the
cable and that's it.

 it only needs one more inch.

                                                  that's what all the girls say Turbo.....

 

So, is it ok to use normal lead-free electrical solder, or do I need something else?

 

1 hour ago, bashplate said:

 it only needs one more inch.

                                                  that's what all the girls say Turbo.....

 

Well, being one of the girls I can safely state I've never said that about anything that wasn't engineering related

Get good quality electrical solder (not fux cored) Relatively expensive but will probably last you a life time. 

Contrary to many (as always) I always use an electrical soldering iron. Plumbers flux. Tin the soldering iron.

Once you have the nipple in the correct place, unravel the 5mm excess you should allow for, bend ends over and use a blunt end punch to spread the strands.  (cat's a*se) Put small amount of flux onto Cat's A, heat with (pre-heated) soldering iron, introduce solder and allow to flow through joint, a little. Allow to cool, clean up with grinder or file. 

Edited November 21, 20178 yr by b40rt

Remember you are not soldering the cable to the nipple but making a "wedge".

Ah right, I get you

I'll order some appropriate solder now then!

I didnt say but obviously the two are soldered together.

That was four years ago 😅

I've since made several cables using Venhill kits (using electrical soldering iron and non-flux-cored solder as recommended by B40RT) and haven't had one fail yet.  The highest strain being the clutch cable on my 650 Kawasaki, which has done about 20000 miles since.