lube the choke cable?

[dubwise]

Sticking choke cable.
I saw a thread that referred to another thread about lubing the cable,
soaking it in 10/30 or something, but the linked thread was gone.
Any advice? Drop the $30 on a new one?

[PachmanP]

I think soaking it in 10/30 while stroking it a few times would do it. You can spray wd-40 or teflon lube or something in one end until it comes out the other.  It can be a little messy that way.  They sell cable lubers that clamp on and reduce the mess a little.

[tt_four]

I'd try to find some actual lubricant to do it. You'd do best to actually pull it off the bike when you do it. Replace it if you have the money, otherwising lubing to see what happens can't hurt.

Also check and make sure there's no kinks in it that are making it stick. No amount of lubing will be able to fix that.

[sledge]

Leave a GS5 out in the rain and you can bet the choke cable is the first thing to sieze up. They are notorious for it in my part of the world.

The problem is the choke cable (unlike the clutch and throttle cable) is not always routed so that the choke end is the lowest point, they can loop down from the lever under the tank then back up to the linkage in a shallow "U" shape. Upshot is any moisture that does find its way down the cable cant drain out, it pools in the cable at the lowest point and subsequently causes the inner to rust. Try lubing it but in my experience once they start to sieze they never get any better. If you do replace it route the cable and tie it off so that there are no low points along its length and if any water does enter it gets a chance to drain straight through   

[dubwise]

The problem is the choke cable (unlike the clutch and throttle cable) is not always routed so that the choke end is the lowest point

Makes total sense.
Even if it is routed perfectly, when the bike is on the side stand,
the bottom end as it attaches to the choke points back up.
I use the center stand and keep it covered, but I know nothing about previous owners.

New cable it is. One every fifteen years ain't so bad.