@Robert M - thanx for props, my brutha!
@Gotno356 - Tom, there should be a throttle cable tube that passes through the fan shroud...
...through which the throttle cabe is inserted. The function of this tube is to prevent just what you described, "...the cable drags on the body and the fan shroud as it passes through".
https://www2.cip1.com/vwc-111-198-002/
The 'spring and cap' are normally used in stock throttle cable configuration. The spring/cap are not usually used in a dual-carb set-up (such as typically found in our Speedsters) because there are usually return springs incorporated into the carb throttle assembly.
Check that you do, in fact have the noted throttle cable tube, to alleviate your concerns with cable fray.
That being said, returning from one of our West Coast Cruises, I DID have a throttle cable break in the middle if nowhere ( IIRC - I had 95,000 miles on the Speedster at the time). I assessed the damage and scrounged around the shoulder of the freeway until I found a discarded shoelace. 'Necessity being the mother of invention' I MacGiver'd the following repair and continued the remaining 100 miles home without issue. 
I hope you find this info useful.
