Seems like I found another thread on this topic here recently, but a search revealed nothing.

I recently noticed that the front brakes on my son's 2001 LT-A50 are "slow" to release. When you let go of the brake lever, it moves slowly instead of briskly. I lubed both brake cables but it didn't seem to help. The lever itself has plenty of freedom, so it's something in the cable(s) or the brake(s) themselves.

So, while changing its oil over the weekend, I dug into the front brakes a bit more. It turns out the right front brake is fine - it's the left that is hanging things up. For those who don't know, the two front brakes have entirely separate brake cables that both run up to the brake lever on the right handlebar. "Slowness" on either will affect the brake lever's movement.

I took the tension off the left brake cable and checked the actuator lever in the brake plate. I expected to find binding there, which could be fixed by opening the brake and cleaning things up. However, the brake itself moved quite freely; the actuator moves right back where it belongs when pressure is removed. Thus the only remaining moving part is the cable itself.

I've ordered a replacement cable and will report back when I've installed it.

 

I had the same problem on my LT80, cable lube didnt help much at all after it started. I would replace the brake cables and keep them lubed after every ride and wash down. I did this and everything works great.

 

I noticed that the rubber boot on the wheel end of the cable was torn. My guess is that some grit has gotten up into the cable, and no amount of lubrication is going to completely offset the friction of a hunk of rock between the cable and sheath.