Are cheap levers ok?
Discussion
srobBNaB said:
3DP said:
Depends what you class as a fail.
I've had a pattern one not depress the master cylinder enough to regain brake pressure when it was lost.
I've had a pattern one also not activate the brake light switch properly.
I've had a pattern Brembo clutch lever rattle around in it's housing as the small spring fell out due to the spring recess not being formed properly.
I wouldn't buy pattern levers anymore due to their quality of fit rather than likely hood to fail when being used, but as your fingers on throttle and levers are the most tactile point on the bike, buy quality or OE if you don't want your bike to FEEL worse.
I'm amazed at that there's been no legal cases - unless there has been, but not publicised!I've had a pattern one not depress the master cylinder enough to regain brake pressure when it was lost.
I've had a pattern one also not activate the brake light switch properly.
I've had a pattern Brembo clutch lever rattle around in it's housing as the small spring fell out due to the spring recess not being formed properly.
I wouldn't buy pattern levers anymore due to their quality of fit rather than likely hood to fail when being used, but as your fingers on throttle and levers are the most tactile point on the bike, buy quality or OE if you don't want your bike to FEEL worse.
I assume that the first two points are because the metal's been too soft?
Germany has TUV standard for aftermarket parts which I look out for as it means it will be as good as OE generally, often at a good saving.
First two on my list were caused by badly formed parts. Lug that pushed the m/c was wrong shape so would work if brake was fine, but if you lost pressure as I did on my DRZ, I couldn't get pressure back. (Losing pressure was not related to the pattern lever).
The brake light switch not being pressed was a bad shaped part. I built it up with superglued plastic. That could have caused an accident as I generally only ride with the front brake and would have shown no brake light to following vehicles.
I also bought a pattern master cylinder repair kit from Wemoto once and was shocked at the quality. In the end, I ended up using most of the parts from the original M/c and just replacing the one damaged seal. It could well have worked fine, but the amount of flash on the metal and rubber seals and the feel/look of the seals springs and clips was very poor.
srobBNaB said:
That's pretty shocking. I'd (wrongly, it seems) assumed that pattern parts were of a decent quality nowadays, mainly for fear of legal repurcussions.
It's a mixed bag, but I've spent a lot on pattern parts over the years, on off roaders, C90 restorations and repairing sports bikes crash damage and the one thing I've learned is if you want to save money, go for 2nd hand OEM parts over new cheap pattern parts.
Mr OCD said:
hostyle said:
I've bought a set of EvoTech levers for my Daytona and although they don't have the unbreakable design of the ASV's, they do fold up and adjust right to where I want them. They weren't that expensive either.
Mine do the same but were half the price of the EvoTechs...
king quid.OCD what do you use
hostyle said:
Oops... then my idea of not to expensive is a bit different then yours 
I only compared them to ASV levers to be honest.
ETA: they're 110 quid! :P
worst ive got more money than you post ever I only compared them to ASV levers to be honest.
ETA: they're 110 quid! :P
nah screw £110 for levers, I'll have spent close on £750 on it and havent even rode the thing in anger yet.
About 5 years ago a "mate" was trying out a K5 race bike out on a bit of quiet road, the bike had no tax or Insurance but did have some cheap levers.
Speeds of 150-160 mph were reached, when the "rider" rolled off the bike started slowing very quickly to the point where it nearly did a stoppie once down to around 30 mph.
The front brakes were locked solid. Once the rider got the bike back (in a van) after much head scratching and going back to a standard lever it was found that the recess where the little piston/pin locates into the lever wasn't deep enough so it efictavatley had the brakes on slightly which got worse the faster the rider went and things got hot.
Speeds of 150-160 mph were reached, when the "rider" rolled off the bike started slowing very quickly to the point where it nearly did a stoppie once down to around 30 mph.
The front brakes were locked solid. Once the rider got the bike back (in a van) after much head scratching and going back to a standard lever it was found that the recess where the little piston/pin locates into the lever wasn't deep enough so it efictavatley had the brakes on slightly which got worse the faster the rider went and things got hot.
Biker's Nemesis said:
About 5 years ago a "mate" was trying out a K5 race bike out on a bit of quiet road, the bike had no tax or Insurance but did have some cheap levers.
Speeds of 150-160 mph were reached, when the "rider" rolled off the bike started slowing very quickly to the point where it nearly did a stoppie once down to around 30 mph.
The front brakes were locked solid. Once the rider got the bike back (in a van) after much head scratching and going back to a standard lever it was found that the recess where the little piston/pin locates into the lever wasn't deep enough so it efictavatley had the brakes on slightly which got worse the faster the rider went and things got hot.
Exact same thing happened a couple of years ago at Woodbridge, a Busa on the runway at speed for no apparent reason, quickly traced to the levebr.Speeds of 150-160 mph were reached, when the "rider" rolled off the bike started slowing very quickly to the point where it nearly did a stoppie once down to around 30 mph.
The front brakes were locked solid. Once the rider got the bike back (in a van) after much head scratching and going back to a standard lever it was found that the recess where the little piston/pin locates into the lever wasn't deep enough so it efictavatley had the brakes on slightly which got worse the faster the rider went and things got hot.
Ill try and find the pics.
I wouldnt even glance at the cheapos, not often mentioned but I had Harris levers on my K7, a length somewhere between a stubby and standard lever, which was perfect....and British...they also have milled slots in the end of them to stop the brake dragging at speed..just ike MotoGP..and of course essential on your road bike!
Check this out - I remember seeing it at the time the guy posted it ;
http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2209...
A quote from his post ;
" The next day I was riding to work, going about 60, when the bike started slowing down for no apparent reason. This lasted about a second, then suddenly I was no longer on the bike, I was sliding down the road. "
Cheap levers ? No thanks !
http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2209...
A quote from his post ;
" The next day I was riding to work, going about 60, when the bike started slowing down for no apparent reason. This lasted about a second, then suddenly I was no longer on the bike, I was sliding down the road. "
Cheap levers ? No thanks !
Edited by Fidd on Tuesday 15th January 21:45
Fidd said:
Check this out - I remember seeing it at the time the guy posted it ;
http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2209...
A quote from his post ;
" The next day I was riding to work, going about 60, when the bike started slowing down for no apparent reason. This lasted about a second, then suddenly I was no longer on the bike, I was sliding down the road. "
Cheap levers ? No thanks !
Read what the guy said himself, the part didn't fit and the guy fitted it anyway;http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2209...
A quote from his post ;
" The next day I was riding to work, going about 60, when the bike started slowing down for no apparent reason. This lasted about a second, then suddenly I was no longer on the bike, I was sliding down the road. "
Cheap levers ? No thanks !
"Despite it being a very tight fit when I installed the lever, I decided to persevere anyway, because I'm a total bellend. This resulted in the front brakes being ever so slightly on, although I didn't realise it."
Bike mechanics are fairly new to me but home mechanics aren't. At the end of the day it's a lever. It either works or it doesn't and its easy to test. If it doesn't fit, just don't bludgeon ahead like the aforementioned chap. You should be checking any part you fit to your bike for fitment and quality par the course anyway, even reputable companies have the odd quality assurance failure.
I fitted an adjustable Chinese cheap one to my bike 10 months ago. Still alive. Will be fitting an adjustable clutch in the Spring as well probably.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASV-Motorcycle-Levers-F3...
would I need to pay tax on these.
from the states for £110 or somethign
would I need to pay tax on these.
from the states for £110 or somethign
moanthebairns said:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASV-Motorcycle-Levers-F3...
would I need to pay tax on these.
from the states for £110 or somethign
Yep. would I need to pay tax on these.
from the states for £110 or somethign
But seriously mate there's nothing wrong with the2wheels levers.
Yazza54 said:
moanthebairns said:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASV-Motorcycle-Levers-F3...
would I need to pay tax on these.
from the states for £110 or somethign
Yep. would I need to pay tax on these.
from the states for £110 or somethign
But seriously mate there's nothing wrong with the2wheels levers.
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