C 15 front brake cable

[limeyrob]

I have always pulled the inner through by about 3/16" and folded a few strands back on themselves, then pulled it back before soldering.

[V500]

I like to splay the cable end using a scriber and then a centre-pop, then flux and solder using an iron.
Saves all the issues with non-fitting cables..

[Derek996]

As an electrical engineer, I wouldn't expect soft solder to adhere to a steel cable.

With a suitable flux, it does. Never yet seen a copper Bowden cable....

Agreed. I've been soldering them for years and recently successfully soldered a split seam in my ZB32 mild steel tank. It's all about the flux.

[Kev D]

Okay, so it sounds like the lever is correct.  Yes, I had the cable correctly seated at the handlebar end, and the adjust wound to the end stop.  Maybe I need to think about looking for stock handlebar levers.
I did think about taking a file to the handlebar lever, but it would be tricky to get the notch right.

I recall that my 67 C15 had very basic levers welded to the bars as standard .
    During the rebuild following a crash l used  " universal" levers and l vaguely  recall a glitch similar to yours. I worked at a jewellers so had no problem making and altering cables though.

   Kinda makes sense that a cable made to original spec  for a specific bike might not work if the fittings for the cable aren't also to original spec.
My money is on a non standard handle bar lever ,not whether the brake arm has a kink or offset hole   .