Any GOOD reason for control lever length?

[duc995@aol.com]

Can anybody link of a good reason (other than increasing profit for the manufacturer) for making the brake/clutch controls so long?  They should n;t hit the ground first...so why make them so long when you only use one or two fingers to operate them?

[tigerblade]

If there's more lever there, there's a better chance of you finding it when you need it, two fingers or four...   ???

[cornercamping]

On my 748, I had "stubby" levers.  They were approx. half the size of normal levers, but they were double in price.  Yoyodyne use to sell them I think.  I can't remember where I got them from, but I'll look and see if I can find the reciept.  
I had them on for about a month, till one time I was in an "oh sh@t" situation, and missed the brake lever and almost ran into the back of a car.  I then went back to regular levers.

[Jeff]

Finding the lever as mentioned, and leverage would be the other thought...  in a LONG race, hands get tired.  The shorter the lever, the higher the required force...

[Dawn]

Paul prefers a shorter lever and cuts his off to the desired length.  He hasn't had a problem ever locating the lever.  Plus, one look at him and you can tell that his hands won't get tired.

He likes to run the shorter ones because in his words "it's less likely anyone is going to knock my brake lever off."

It may just be personal preference.

Dawn   :)

[duc995@aol.com]

I'm going to cut mine down...to make sure that ONLY the bar hits the ground, rather than the lever.  I lost an AP racing GP radial mastercylinder in a low-side when the lever hit the ground and broke the MC rather than the lever.  I have also broken many levers in other incidents and just started realizing that there is NO reason why the lever has to be so long...especially when you have GP radials that have so much power.  One problem:

WSMC has a rule in their rule book requiring "ball shaped" ends on all control levers, of atleast 1/2 inch diameter.  I will have to locate a source of either hard plastic or aluminum  balls to mount on the end of the shortened levers to comply with the occasional venture to WSMC events.

[ecumike]

Rob... better yet, just make them 'break-away'.. instead of cutting off completely at your desired length.. cut them ~halfway through. Then the ball will still be there, and if/when it hits the ground, it'll just break off at that point.

At least for now, until you come up with a ball end solution.

[duc995@aol.com]

Thanks Mike.  I did do that after reading it in an ongoing Sam Flemming (AOD) article in Roadracingworld.  I would just hate to see the MC thing again...so I am a little paranoid!  Thanks for the input. ;D

[Protein Filled]

You can always bring the lever to your local welder to have them re-attach the little ball end after you shorten the lever...

BTW, they do sell shorter levers for the Brembo GP Radial master. I believe the LP catalog has them, as well as Yoyodyne.

[duc995@aol.com]

Thanks Edgar...

I was hoping to find a hard plastic ball...ala frame slider...and bolt it on to make a mini-me slider!  I will see how creative I can get. ::)

[Nate R]

Got a spare lever you can send me?

Cut it to length, and I can probably make you something to fit.

[cornercamping]

ÊI will see how creative I can get. ::)

Remember that it has to pass tech  ;)  That's the tricky part  ;D