Mike,

Even though I'm sure you have an early Newest, I don't think it came with bar end shifters. Perhaps the owner had them switched out at purchase. The catalog page shows that it has Suntour shifters on the down tube. I can't remember the model, they had white plastic lever covers. Another decal on the Newest, which I find interesting, on the chain stays it says "ever onward"

I came across a Newest last year that was for sale. Overpriced, what made it worse was the owner had stripped off all the decals. Not repainted, he just removed the decals with solvent. The only way I could confirm that it was a Newest is that he had kept the original sales slip.

I'm still looking for one.

Scott