Well, I only procrastinated for 51 weeks, finally put on the Buell drop pegs and installed the new clutch cable! Photos attached. Took a lot longer than I anticipated, so I'll have to take it out tomorrow and dial in the new adjustments for the shifter and rear brake lever.
Meanwhile, the '82 Nighthawk 650 is back in the "Repair Bay" awaiting a new master cylinder and stainless steel brake lines. Working on the 'hawk has really made me appreciate the Ninja even more. It's never needed major hair-pulling-out repairs and always seems ready to go when I am.