Your dirt bike cables ought to work smoothly with an easy squeezing action. When they don't, your clutch or throttle can stick, and if your throttle sticks you can count yourself in for a nasty spill.
Cable problems usually come from a lack of maintenance. Let dirt build up, and don't bother to lubricate your cables, and they'll get progressively tougher to use, and if you're very unlucky, they may just snap. Instead of waiting until problems arise, why not head trouble off at the pass by getting into a habit of routine maintenance.
Dirt bike cable maintenance cable be broken down into three sections.
Cleaning
It's easiest to clean your cables if your remove them from your dirt bike first. As you wipe the cable down, look closely for any nicks in the cover that may indicate damage of the core underneath. Your cable covers are meant to be a barrier against dirt and water reaching the inside. If your cover is damaged, you can do a little first aid on it and it will be good to go. But if your dirt bike cable cores are damaged then you're going to need new cables.
You can use a funnel to help you flush solvent through the cable core and remove any crud trapped inside until the core slides easily in the housing once again.
Repairs
If you do find any nicks in your dirt bike cable, you can repair it with a little electrical tape. While this method works in a pinch, it would actually be better to use some shrink tubing for a more permanent fix.
Lubrication
Once everything is clean and any repairs have been carried out, it's time to lubricate your dirt bike cables. The easiest way to do is to load WD40 into one end of your cable and let gravity do the rest. When the lubricant drips out of the other end, consider the cable lubed and wipe off any excess.
Follow your manufacturer's manual to properly route your dirt bike cables when you reinstall them and you're good to go.
