carb manifold removal or moving

[Ed Z]

You are right in that it really does require the carb assembly to be at least partially removed from the bike in order to replace the choke cable... Best way I have found is to duck tape some strong cord to the old cable and pull it in as you pull out the old cable... Then to do the same with the new cable (pull it in using the cord)... I just rap the cord 4 or 5 times tightly around the cable and then duck tape it... It makes kinda like a Chinese finger lock on the cable and yet does not increase to OD by much... Also while you installing the new cable try to get most of the adjustment slack taken up down at the carb end so that future adjustments can be made at the handle bar end...
I changed mine out near the end of last year... Boy what a difference a new cable makes... I did soak the new cable with oil prior to the install, so that might be part of it too...