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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Lever Solutions for Small Hands
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Message started by Susan on 11/08/04 at 08:58:33

Title: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Susan on 11/08/04 at 08:58:33

I am still looking for a solution in this area. I have very small hands and both the clutch and brake levers are hard to reach. I can reach them but I think the stretch affects my riding and makes my hands ache. I think I am using more rear brake and less front brake than I should because of the stretch. I believe this contributed to my skidding the other day.

It really isn't a strength issue but a reach issue. I came across this in a review of a Savage on the web:

"Also, the control levers required a bit too much reach for her hands. I fixed this by adding some slack to the clutch cable and filing down the peg on the front brake lever a bit where it depresses the master cylinder."

What do you think of this solution?
Are there others worth exploring?
Someone mentioned dog leg levers to me a while back but I am unable to find anything that seems like it would work (my dealer has looked as well).

All ideas/solutions welcome! :)

P.S. Just to give proper credit, here is the link to the review if anyone is interested: Review (http://www.epinions.com/content_106184806020)

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by cphilip on 11/08/04 at 09:36:53

Yea the Dog Legs is what you need. If you can find em for a Savage.... should be someone making them. Probably not going to list em for savage so your going to have to look for them on something that uses the same pattern as the savage does.

they would look sorta like this:

http://www.americanscootercenter.com/part_detail.php?part_id=259

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by cphilip on 11/08/04 at 10:46:43

This place lists Dog Legs styles but not specific on what they make them for. What you want is "more dog legged" than stock. You might want to email them and ask them.... They might be making them.

http://www.cyclewareables.com/pages/levers_handlebar_suzuki/levers_handlebar_suzuki.htm

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Susan on 11/08/04 at 13:23:54

cphilip wrote:

Thanks for the ideas. I did email them so we'll see if they respond. I haven't always had the best of luck getting email responses from websites...

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Honda_fan on 11/08/04 at 17:33:52

Susan,

Please let me know if you find any. My wife Dawn has the same problem and all of the dog legs I have found are basically the same bend as the originals.

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by klx650sm2002 on 11/09/04 at 02:39:33

I don't have a reach problem but like small levers, You could possibly use a clutch lever off a small (80cc) motorcrosser, and maybe an adjustable reach front master cylinder from a CBR400 (same bore as std).
Hope this helps.

Clive W :D

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Kropatchek on 11/09/04 at 04:20:32

Just a thought about levers.
Have a look at other Suzukis e.g. the Intruder and see if they have the adjustable type, bet they fit the Savage aswell.
I bought 2 chrome levers, clutch- is from the VN 800 and the brakelever is from a VS1400. ??? If these bikes have adjustables they will fit.

Greetz
Kropatchek

Exemple
http://img122.exs.cx/img122/5982/part_large.jpg

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Greg_650 on 11/09/04 at 14:40:59

Kropatchek wrote:

Interestingly, this is what I was gonna suggest. I believe the GZ250 has some adjustable levers. If not then some dog legs are good too.

The drawback with increasing lever slack, is that you may end up with less than full travel, but you could experiement with it to see...but I think that you might still want to have a positive stop for the lever in the "off" position so it isn't sort of flopping around. That will also change the feel, because you'll have so much dead travel at the beginning.

Let me ask....are your bars too far foreward? That can rotate the levers downward and harder to reach.

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by cphilip on 11/09/04 at 18:57:01

Forgive me if I am wrong here.... but on the brake side.... I don't think you can use adjustable type levers with Hydraulic bakes.... no?

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Honda_fan on 11/09/04 at 19:01:49

Thanks for the tips on the adjustable levers. There is a GZ on the local dealer floor and I will have to see if they look like they fit.

As far as the bar position, I have them set for her reach. She just has really small hands. She wears a womens XS glove if that gives you an idea how small or to put it another way her rings won't even fit on my pinkie finger.

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Kropatchek on 11/10/04 at 03:26:57

cphilip wrote:

Forgive me if I am wrong here.... but on the brake side.... I don't think you can use adjustable type levers with Hydraulic bakes.... no?

When I was thumpin' through the Ron Ayers fiches for other Suzukis I noticed that there are adjustable handles for the brake ( Marauder) but not for the clutch.

The clutch needs a certain leverage while the brake works directly.

My 2 bits
Greetz
Kropatchek ;D

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Greg_650 on 11/10/04 at 09:19:45

cphilip wrote:

Forgive me if I am wrong here.... but on the brake side.... I don't think you can use adjustable type levers with Hydraulic bakes.... no?

I don't know ???

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Kropatchek on 11/10/04 at 09:46:24

Well Greg and cphilip, here's the answer.
As an example Marauder ( would not be surprised if this handle fits the Savage) :P

http://www.ronayers.com/fiche/300_0294/handle_lever/handle_lever.cfm

b.t.w. The clutch assembly has the same partnumber as on our Savages.

Greetz
Kropatchek ;D

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by Greg_650 on 11/10/04 at 14:29:51

Kropatchek wrote:

Okay, now just need to know about the brake....Oops, Ron Ayers doesn't list the GZ250 ???

Title: Re: Lever Solutions for Small Hands
Post by sunny on 11/10/04 at 15:21:09

funny thing happened when i went down in the rain. the clutch lever bent.
but it bent in such a way that it is now easier for me to use. i wear a small in gloves.

now, when fully engaged it doesn't meet the grip as before, it passes by the grip a little, behind it.

so, if you can't find a lever that works, there might be a do-it-yourself solution.