Front mechanical brake tube

[Omarttentmaker]

Palmer states that the tube was bent over the front fender from '60-'68, but the H-D archive photo on the Color Write site shows it as straight up. I have pics of original paint '68's that show the tube straight. Anybody care to set the record (or the tube!) straight?

[Jerry Wieland]

I think hand shift bikes stayed with the brake lever on the left handlebar - is that possibly the different or confusion. Jerry

[Omarttentmaker]

I guess that would make sense, Jerry. But it would also raise another question concerning the routing of the cable. To the best of my knowledge. there are 2 eyelet guides that mount under the screws that hold the top tree cover in place. My assumption was one was for the brake cable and one was for the clutch cable. Maybe when the brake lever was mounted on the left handlebar the eyelet for the cable was omitted.

[vph-d]

The hand shift bikes had the straight tube, as did all 49-59 models.
VPH-D

[D.A.Bagin]

When I had my OP 3100 mile 68 judged and went very high 99s on pts, I checked more than a few OP 68s and saw both the crossover and straight tubes. Mine is a foot shift and it is straight. My vin if I remember is in the 4000s. My brake is on the right and the cable crosses over into a retainer attached on the left part of the shroud.

[Omarttentmaker]

When I had my OP 3100 mile 68 judged and went very high 99s on pts, I checked more than a few OP 68s and saw both the crossover and straight tubes. Mine is a foot shift and it is straight. My vin if I remember is in the 4000s. My brake is on the right and the cable crosses over into a retainer attached on the left part of the shroud.

Looking at yours is what led to the question, Drew. Just another piece of the puzzle that doesn't quite fit, I guess! It also seems to me that the later straight tubes were longer than the earlier ones.

[D.A.Bagin]

If I remember, but do not take this as fact, but Bill, I do not remember his last name from PA. has an all Birch White 67 leftover police bike he bought new also has a straight tube on his front brake. My bike was judged probably 5-6 times even tho it reached WC right away. Each time someone thought something different MAY not be correct but turned out to be. The only things that got any deductions ever was a small 1/4 in cut in the seat, slightly frayed wire conduit at signal switch even tho normal wear was supposedly allowed, and a suspect nut at the battery tray support. All has since been corrected with N.O.S. The reason multiple judging was something different would be brought up each time and I wanted to correct it even tho I disagreed.