Brake Cables

Brake cables - from the lever to the drum brake

Even if the front brake found its way into Harleys relatively late (ok, the Indian competition wasn't any sooner), they got right down to business. There was a proper half-hub drum and it was operated by a lever on the handlebars via Bowden cable - while in Europe some companies still entrusted the rider's life to a rim or stamp brake or wooden block-braked brake rims.

Choose brake cable, change brake cable

Although we've relied on the Barnett brand for front brake cables and the 1975-1978 Sportster rear brake cables, for those interested in the OEM look, Samwel Supplies offers authentic cloth covered reproductions of the parts that were installed on Springer fork models in the 1930s and 1940s.

When hooking the brake cable into the nipple on the handbrake lever, there are a few, but crucial, little things to keep in mind:

On the bolts with a vertical slot for the nipple (up to 1964), never forget the cotter pin, even if the bolt seems to hold without it.

For the bolts with horizontal slot (from 1965 and many accessory brake levers), the opening of the slot must always face the driver, even if it is easier to insert the cable with the slot facing forward. If you don't heed this tip, you will pull the cable over the sharp edge of the bolt and the cable will be unnecessarily stressed - in the worst case to the point of tearing off.