Front brake inline switch for a '70 cb350

J

Jrasm

Active Member
I've got a '70 CB350 i'm bringing back to life and as it turns out, the front brake cable is completely hosed. So, the easy answer is to buy a new one, right? Turns out they're damn near impossible to find. Everything available i can find does not have this integrated switch, which is fine by me, except for i can't seem to figure out how to do this any different way with the parts I can find. I've got drums in the front, though.

I can find a ton of rear switches though.


I bought one of these
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-cafe-racer-caferacer-bobber-brat-chopper-custom-motorcycle-handlebar-parts-black-honda-cb-cl-shorty-race-style-brake-lever-perch-07-5001.html


and one of these
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-cafe-racer-caferacer-bobber-brat-chopper-custom-motorcycle-cables-honda-cb350-cl350-cb450-cl450-front-brake-cable-002-0002.html

I've been reading around, it seems that around 1970 the laws changed requiring that the brake light activate regardless of which brake is pressed. To account for this as a quick fix, Honda made a front brake cable with an integrated, in-line switch. Later years use integrated switch into the right side controls.

So... i'm completely stumped on what to do, ideally i'd rather not simply ignore the law about the brake lights and install the cable without a switch, but i can't find a universal switch that would do this (or i've just been searching wrong).
Anybody have this problem? how did you fix it?

I'm going to admit that this is my first cafe project. and i'm a bit out of my element.

I've found some other threads talking about getting some of the stock ones from bikebandit, which was the first place i looked for this and, not surprisingly, they don't have the part i need. Another thread talks about pulling it off an older cl175 which i can't find the part for either. I'm happy to wire in a "universal" type switch into the lever if that's the best answer here.
 
I think i may have figured it out. Posting here in case this helps anyone else.

In my case, it was just the lower end of the cable that was seized up with rust, so i was able to cut this off and remove the whole switch.

The switch works by the upper and lower sections of the cable housing (on either side of the switch) compressing against each other when you pull the cable.

Now with the switch removed, it's as easy as taking the new cable, cutting just the sheathing for the cable and reassembling the cable with 2 new cable housing caps.
 
I'm looking at the same problem. I want to update to a cleaner perch/kill switch combo and want to get rid of the stock perch.

I'm not clear on your solution? Could you post a couple pictures?
 
What about a micro switch... put it in the brake lever... opens the circuit when lever looses contact with its seat.
 
Will do when i get home tonight. I can expand on this a bit now.

The important part is the cable housing. If you think it about it this way it may help.
It all comes down to equal and opposite forces. When you pull the handle you cause the cable to slide within the housing to tighten and the housing stays in place.

Imagine yourself pulling the cable out of the housing through one of the ends. what do you do to do this? well, with one hand you hold the housing still and with the other hand you pull on the inner cable. that "Holding the cable still" part is the opposite force being applied to the system and is the force that squeezes on the switch.

so this switch just becomes part of the cable housing, with the cable running through it. when it detects the force that the handle is pushing on it, it squeezes a bit, thus lighting up the light.

you can test this by squeezing on the switch unit with a multimeter attached or with it still plugged into your harness. if the brake light lights up when the switch is squeezed, the switch is good.

Now, for the implementation.

You'll need to get a replacement fitting (barrel nipple) for one of the ends of the cable as you'll need to remove the one your new cable came with. DCC sells a pretty decent cable if i remember correctly.
and some replacement housing ends
see the cable fittings in http://dirtandsupermoto.com/psj/street/street_Page_0739.jpg


NOTE: DO NOT CUT THE INNER CABLE ITSELF. ALL THIS WORK IS ONLY TO BE DONE ON THE HOUSING

1. remove the barrel nipple off one of the ends of the cable (cut it, desolder it, whatever works best, i chose to desolder and keep the fitting)
2. remove the cable housing from the cable
3. cut a piece out of the housing off from the center about 1/8-1/4" SHORTER than the length of the switch approximately where you want the switch.
- Use a dremel or other fine cutting tool. you'll need a nice, clean edge with no burs or crimped parts.
- this is to allow the cable housing to be the same length as the original one when the switch is connected and snug.
4. reassemble the 3 housing parts over the cable, the lever side of the switch, the switch, and the brake side of the switch
5. reattach the barrel nipple that you removed initially, or get a new one.
-NOTE: DO NOT SCREW UP THIS STEP!!!!! Remember, this is your brake line to the brake that does most of the work on a bike. If you are even the least bit hesitant or uncomfortable as to the quality of your solder job, eat the 20$ and buy a new freaking cable and try again. or take it to a shop and have them do it. If you go to squeeze your front brake and the barrel nipple pops off the end because of a crap solder job, you're going to have a bad time.

If you did everything right, you'll have nice cable with a switch in the middle that you can plug into your harness.
 
@CJ

That was my original idea when i came across this problem. I could not find a lever that would accept a switch like this. Although they must exist. I'm already committed to my current solution however if you know where to get a lever with a switch like this that ISN'T set up for hydraulic, that would be awesome. I could not find this when i went looking.
 
Jrasm said:
Will do when i get home tonight. I can expand on this a bit now.

The important part is the cable housing. If you think it about it this way it may help.
It all comes down to equal and opposite forces. When you pull the handle you cause the cable to slide within the housing to tighten and the housing stays in place.

Imagine yourself pulling the cable out of the housing through one of the ends. what do you do to do this? well, with one hand you hold the housing still and with the other hand you pull on the inner cable. that "Holding the cable still" part is the opposite force being applied to the system and is the force that squeezes on the switch.

so this switch just becomes part of the cable housing, with the cable running through it. when it detects the force that the handle is pushing on it, it squeezes a bit, thus lighting up the light.

you can test this by squeezing on the switch unit with a multimeter attached or with it still plugged into your harness. if the brake light lights up when the switch is squeezed, the switch is good.

Now, for the implementation.

You'll need to get a replacement fitting (barrel nipple) for one of the ends of the cable as you'll need to remove the one your new cable came with. DCC sells a pretty decent cable if i remember correctly.
and some replacement housing ends
see the cable fittings in http://dirtandsupermoto.com/psj/street/street_Page_0739.jpg


NOTE: DO NOT CUT THE INNER CABLE ITSELF. ALL THIS WORK IS ONLY TO BE DONE ON THE HOUSING

1. remove the barrel nipple off one of the ends of the cable (cut it, desolder it, whatever works best, i chose to desolder and keep the fitting)
2. remove the cable housing from the cable
3. cut a piece out of the housing off from the center about 1/8-1/4" SHORTER than the length of the switch approximately where you want the switch.
- Use a dremel or other fine cutting tool. you'll need a nice, clean edge with no burs or crimped parts.
- this is to allow the cable housing to be the same length as the original one when the switch is connected and snug.
4. reassemble the 3 housing parts over the cable, the lever side of the switch, the switch, and the brake side of the switch
5. reattach the barrel nipple that you removed initially, or get a new one.
-NOTE: DO NOT SCREW UP THIS STEP!!!!! Remember, this is your brake line to the brake that does most of the work on a bike. If you are even the least bit hesitant or uncomfortable as to the quality of your solder job, eat the 20$ and buy a new freaking cable and try again. or take it to a shop and have them do it. If you go to squeeze your front brake and the barrel nipple pops off the end because of a crap solder job, you're going to have a bad time.

If you did everything right, you'll have nice cable with a switch in the middle that you can plug into your harness.
Click to expand...

I keep re-reading this and you lose me at step 3. Maybe I'm not clear on the 'type' of switch you're using? Fingers are crossed photos will help. Look forward to seeing your solution. It sounds minimal and clean like I'm after as well.

Thanks for helping out!

-Zac
 
These brake cables with integrated switches have the housing in 2 sections, with the switch between them. When you pull the brake lever, the two sections of the housing get squeezed together closing the circuit for the brake light.

Was common on British bikes and some street legal Japanese dirt bikes.

cable618-1-600.jpg
 
i've got a '70 CB350k2 so that's the exact inline switch that i was dealing with. And yeah, it's a bit weird i guess, but i'm new at this and really don't have a frame of reference.

I'd love to get away from this solution, but i'll be damned if i can find a brake perch that has a switch in it.. If anyone can point me in a direction i'd appreciate it.

Maybe because these are wrong?
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-cafe-racer-caferacer-bobber-brat-chopper-custom-motorcycle-handlebar-parts-black-honda-cb-cl-shorty-race-style-brake-lever-perch-07-5001.html
 
yep. that looks like the original ones. I ended up making this part because my switch was still good. But if it wasn't? i don't know what i'd do. i suppose the smart move would be to buy a new factory-spec cable
 
I'm digging the low mount speedo. Still working out the shape for a bracket on my 360 to get a similar drop.
 
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