Aprilia starter operating cable

[welleyes]

Our starter motor failed a couple of weeks ago. It was promptly repaired by the Dynamo Workshop near Buxted, East Sussex. While it was away, I was shocked to discover that the wire cable that operated the starter was a horrible bodge. It appeared to have been made from a very secondhand length of brake cable held together at each end with electrical fittings properly used to join two insulated electrical cables.

I devised something acceptable, but wonder how the original would have been made. There has to be a loop or hook of some kind at the dashboard end, and a fitting to hold the cable into the fork end on the dynamo operating lever. I am happy with what I have done, but it would be interesting to know how it would have been done by the factory.

Stuart and Andy Tallack

[simonandjuliet]

Hi both
Did you see my recent post on the engine bay rennovation - I use a derailleur cable, fits nicely at the starter motor end ? Not sure what I'll do at the lever end yet ...

The TAV confirms the crossover though

[welleyes]

Thanks, Simon.
The engine end of the stater cable is not a problem. I was curious to know about the other end which fits to the operating lever. It must have been a loop which hooks over the slot in the lever and settles down in the slightly larger hole at the end of the slot. I was curious to know how they originally formed the loop. It is easy to make it up by using little aluminium ferrules and crimping the cable into them, but they are not very strong and the pull on the cable is quite hard. In similar circumstances in the past where the loop needed to be strong, I have used a copper or brass ferrule (not too difficult to make up if you cannot obtain them). If you crimp the ferrule on the  end of the loop, it can be soldered as well. If you are a belt, braces and hands in pockets man, you can solder the end of the cable to the run of cable. When you refer to 'derailleur cable' I assume you mean 1mm Bowden cable. It is stronger to use 1.5mm Bowden which will fit into the lever slot and is twice as strong. At the other end, I prefer to make a suitable nipple which allows me to bell out the end before soldering.

I am sorry if I seem needlessly fussy about making up the ends of Bowden cable: I have made up countless cables for myself and others for bicycles, mowers, car brake cables, and so on. I just made up a cable for the derailleur on my pre war Oscar Egg bicycle, a derailleur with the tension arm at the front instead of the back. Look it up if you are curious. On a Morgan three wheeler, there are six Bowden cables to make up!

Stuart Tallack