front brake cable routing

[wildman]

What is the proper way to route the front brake cable on my 1975 250? The pictures I have are unclear, I've seen it behind the number plate and also attached wth a clamp in front of the number plate. The newer bikes today seem to use a sliding guide arrangement but the older ones seem to let the cable just bow out. I sure don't want it to snag and endo me. I searched the archives and found nothing. Note I'm not necessarily looking for the most historicly correct way, just the best. Thanks, wildman

1975 250 Cross Country, 1974 175 Jackpiner, 1975 125

[tomale]

Wildman, I can tell you what I did on my 76.... I took a key ring... about inche in diameter and attached it with a zip tie to the edge of the front number plate near the left side of the bottom triple clamp. It has been on there for over a year and has worked really well. I raced the bike nine or ten times and a bunch of trail rides in the woods with out any problems. I like using the key ring because it is tough enough to handle most things and the way I have it attached it allows the ring to pivot up and down. My concern was that if the ring too small of a ring and it could snag the brake cable but this one is plenty big enough to keep that from happening. On the fork leg I used a zip tie again to go around the top of the slider. MY bike has a ring clip that goes around the rubber boot but it never stays in place. so this way the cable does not move. It does not need to be able to slide at this point because the cable does not move up and down seperatly from the slider... it moves with the slider. The ring on the triple clamp does need to be able to slide. Hope this helps

Thom Green,I own and ride a 76 250 MC5 MX which I bought new.

[tomale]

Oh by the way the cable should go in front of the number plate and runs paralell with the left fork leg. I believe that the cable on yours should continue down the front of the slider and then rotate towards the inside of the leg to where it attaches to the brake plate. the later models attach a bit different but I think yours mounts just like mine. Mine was routed this way when it was new and it seems to me to be the most logical. For what its worth.

Thom Green,I own and ride a 76 250 MC5 MX which I bought new.

[Lloyd Boland]

I did a similar mounting to my '76 as did Thom except I mounted a small rectangular type bracket to the bottom left side of the number plate with it angled slightly to allow easy sliding of the cable thereby not allowing any binding and preventing the cable from getting caught on anything else.  There's nothing worse than having that front brake cable somehow getting blown over the top of the tripleclamps while the forks are compressed only to find out how well the front brakes can work once the forks extend out to full length.  That reminds me of one of my most memorable experiences some 30+ years ago on a 400 cz while riding for Mid-Valley CZ in SoCal.  Anyone else have similar fond memories?

[DKWRACER]

A "breakie" at unexpected speeds happened to me as well. I think Acerbis still makes the rectangular plastic guide that mounts to the numberplate[]

[Lloyd Boland]

Acerbis, that's the one.

[DKWRACER]

Here's another cool trick for a cable guide...get some stainless welding rod or stainless piano rod from a hobby store, find a .5in piece of hollow tubing, cut a groove across one end of the tube,clamp it in your vise, wind three turns of your new found friend and mount it to one of the pinch bolts on the triple tree...VIOLA cable guide!!!! positionable off-course;)Oh what fun.......

[Gary Roach]

Another idea is to use the front brake cable guide that KTM currently uses on their 50 and 65cc minis. It's a metal loop with a hook on one end that goes in a hole drilled in the number plate, and an eyelet on the other end for a screw. Clean, simple, and vintage-looking.

Gary

[DKWRACER]

Ahhhhhhhh, our friend Gary Roach, absent for so long, is now upon the scene, you are welcome , you are welcome, tell us of your racing escapades......

[Gary Roach]

I've been hiding out in the "Modern Bike" racing seen lately. For instance, Saturday and Sunday I'm going help POG member KTM Kirk (//www.eventscoring.com) score a 2 Day ISDE Qualifier in Athens,OH. I plan to make my vintage racing comeback at Mid-Ohio....that's if I can find a 125 with enough power to haul my fat butt around. I might be alright since Mid-Ohio's track doesn't have any hills or jumps. Well, come to think of it, it's doesn't have any elavation changes at all, unless you count using another downed rider to try to get some air (sorry Rob W). I rode an event here in southern Ohio a few months ago that combined a Supercross, Hare Scramble, Motocross, and grass tracks every lap. I think I impressed a few spectators when I was double jumping Kent Knudson's 74 125 Penton on a modern bike track! The race was 1 hour long, and boy did I ever feel that in the old knees come Monday morning!

By the way DKWRACER, I painted the side panels that I got from you for my girlfriend's bike....they look awesome! She told me that if I don't have her 175 ready by Mid-Ohio, then we'll have to share racing Kent's 125. In case you are wondering, I'll be working overtime in the garage for the next 4 weeks.

[DKWRACER]

Thanks Bro...good to hear from you....best be taking care of the better half too......