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Well, I finally got around to experimenting with making up a shorter cable, and it worked! For about five applications of the clutch. Then, off came the stop.
The problem appears to be the aluminum barrel stop, which can't be squeezed sufficiently to bear the load without badly distorting the aluminum enough to weaken the grain of the metal. So, I'm going to try copper, if I can get them in a reasonably small number. If those won't swage securely enough, I may try silver solder.
If neither of those methods work, I'll have to try harder locate a commercially made shorty mousetrap cable--or installing the hydraulic setup I purchased a while back. But I really don't want to go back to the higher bars, either way.
Well, how about that... Barnett will make up a custom length of any cable they sell, as set forth here. Wish I'd have known that previously--but at least now I do.
They make a 'high efficiency' mousetrap cable--i.e., with teflon lining--which looking at my notes is what I'd fitted when I first built the bike. So, assuming they'll shorten one up, that's clearly the way to go! The standard-length high efficiency mousetrap version is Barnett part no. 101-30-11013HE, so I'll call them mańana and see what it'd cost to make up a shorty version.
The part number for the standard 30" high-efficiency mousetrap cable is Barnett no. 101-30-10013HE (the other part number, above and from my notes, Barnett said is no good--though both pull up on Dennis Kirk's website for some reason). Mine will have 20" of casing and the cost is $74, with 4 days to make and ship. Expensive but they're really tough and smooth cables--and no more unsightly excess length and stiction from that tight curve.
When you order, it's the casing length they care about; the free cable length is 2-1/4" which is just enough to get the cable adjuster into the mousetrap casting and install the circlip, then screw it all the way in to fit the lever end without drama.
Here are some shots of the custom Barnett shorty cable to fit a wishbone frame with wide glide OEM triple trees, 1-1/2" risers, and 28" drag bars.
I was wrong, in that instead of lining the cable housing with teflon, as they did with bicycles for years until the shift to hydraulics, Barnett sheaths the cable itself in nylon. They include a bit of light grease for fittings but the action is extremely slippery, so I don't gather they want you doing anything other than lubing the ends where they pass through the ferrules. Otherwise, with a normal metal-to-metal cable and housing, I tend to flood them with light oil until it comes out the end.
As for the cable ends, it looks like what they do is swage steel ends on under extremely high pressure in a purpose-made die, then slice off the shorter end to fit nicely into the lever's recess...? FWIW, I've included a shot showing the way in which Barnett configures custom-order part numbers, so it's easy to order whatever you want added to or removed from any cable they offer over the counter. What they really care about is the casing length, and will maintain the free length from the base cable you're modifying unless you tell them otherwise.
Anyway, I'll finally have her copasetic for the next time the temperature nears 50 F, my lower-end tolerance for riding an un-faired bike these days. Better fire up the engine today, though, just to avoid a bit of moisture developing in the float bowl...
Last edited by NM Pan-shovel; Jan 13, 2024 at 03:30 PM.
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