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Message started by Mike Barnett on 12/16/19 at 13:15:20

Title: Adjustable levers
Post by Mike Barnett on 12/16/19 at 13:15:20

Are there any adjustable, or simply different, levers available for the S40? I just bought my wife an S40, her first bike, and she's having a bit of difficulty with the reach, especially on the clutch lever (she's got really small hands).

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by batman on 12/16/19 at 14:59:47

The levers can be bent, rub bar soup on the lever , heat with a torch until the soap turns black , bend the lever closer to the handlebars (leaving enough space to work ) and allow them at least 24 hours to air cool, a day or two to fully harden, just trying to bend them without heating would most likely snap them.

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by Mike Barnett on 12/17/19 at 08:42:12

If it were my bike, I might try heating and bending them, but I don't think I want to do that for my wife's bike... she's a total newbie rider, and I'd hate to have one of them break on her. I haven't had much luck finding levers yet, but I did find these complete replacements... any opinions? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TP5TFLB?pf_rd_p=ab873d20-a0ca-439b-ac45-cd78f07a84d8&pf_rd_r=Q83ECG02XRB5NNK414CY

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 12/17/19 at 09:59:06

The items you linked are meant for motocross bikes. The Savage perches were not designed for adjustable levers. If you are not comfortable heating/bending them, perhaps a machine shop near you would be willing to do the work for you. Worst case scenario is you snap one and have to replace it...they're inexpensive.

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by Mike Barnett on 12/17/19 at 11:27:01

"The Savage perches were not designed for adjustable levers" - these completely replace the stock perches. For those recommending heating and bending the stock levers, I have two questions. 1 - do I heat them up on or off the bike? 2 - where on the lever do you recommend I heat them?

I know replacements are cheap - to reiterate my concern about heating/bending the levers - I don't want anything breaking on her bike, as she's a brand new rider, and she shouldn't need to deal with anything like that. I've been modifying boats, cars, bikes, and the occasional airplane for decades, so it's not like I'm afraid to do it... I just hesitate to add a variable of uncertainty onto an older used bike if I don't have to :)

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 12/17/19 at 12:03:30

Heat them off the bike. I would make the bend just past the portion that mates to the cable, where the actual lever begins.

Alternatively you could weld a stop area to the lever too restrict its full travel back.

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by IslandRoad on 12/17/19 at 14:38:14

Mike, FWIW I bent my brake lever recently (using the method suggested here). The brake lever got bent upwards in a small spill I had on the bike. I was apprehensive to do it, but it turned out to be really simple and effective.

I used soap as directed, and a small bottle torch. I then laid the lever on a flat chunk of wood and tapped it a few times with a plastic mallet.

You would never even know anything had been done.

For your purposes you might grip the lever in a vice between two pieces of wood to give you the angle to work with.

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by batman on 12/17/19 at 20:42:51

The levers are aluminum , heating anneals them ( softens them so you can bend them without harm) soup lets you know when the temperature has been reached, allowing them to air cool will let them return to their original strength , It's really that easy, and time and cost effective. Pull the lever in ,an measure the gap between it and the handlebar ,before taking them of the bike ,that will be nearly the amount allowed for the bend. (if you bend them too far and they strike the bars ,you can simply repeat the process , and bend them back out a little)

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by DragBikeMike on 12/17/19 at 21:28:56

In the link you posted, the lever set is for 7/8" bars. The Savage has 1" bars, so I doubt that the lever assemblies will fit.

Also, the price is awfully low for what you get. Considering you get the master cylinder, perch, levers and all the hardware, $65 bucks is ridiculously cheap. I would be concerned about quality. That master cylinder is the lifeblood of your wife's most important brake.

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by ohiomoto on 12/18/19 at 06:24:34

I understand the concern but I would have no problem sending my wife out with bent levers as long as they were only bent once. After years of hitting the ground racing motocross, I promise you that those bent levers don't break. It's when you try to straighten them. That is when they break (or the next crash :)).

Normal usage imparts very little force on the levers and it would take far more force to bend or break a lever than any of us could impart with our bare hands.

I would bend them and then do some tests. Like blocking the lever from its normal range of motion and see if you can bend or break them. Once you have proven that you can't break them, they are "safe".

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by batman on 12/18/19 at 06:55:10

I agree with DBM, the other problem with replacement on the master brake cylinder is if it is sized correctly , it may well be too large or small to work with the Savage /S40 caliper .

Https:// Biketech.7blogspot.com/2013/08/straightening-bent-levers-html (knowledge is power)

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by Mike Barnett on 12/18/19 at 12:15:43

It's possible I may have been looking for a more difficult solution than I need. After looking at the clutch handle and perch, along with the way the full stroke of the handle lever matches the angle of the bar when fully compressed, I think the best idea would be to simply adjust the cable to where she is comfortable, and then drill and tap a setscrew into the handle or perch to limit return travel (just enough so there's no slop in the assembly when the handle is released) if needed. Additionally, we're going to install different grips with a slightly smaller diameter. If needed after all this, we'll try the heat bending method for the brake lever, though to be honest, it's the clutch that is giving her the most trouble.

And thanks to those mentioning the diameter of the bar... I did measure it yesterday and found that it was indeed 1" diameter, but there are some online sources listing them as 7/8", and I jumped the gun by assuming they were correct. I'll keep you posted as to what we do and how we do it - maybe I'll start a "Savage For Small Hands" thread!

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by antmanbee on 12/18/19 at 14:58:41

002426280F2C3F232839394D0 wrote:

I'll keep you posted as to what we do and how we do it - maybe I'll start a "Savage For Small Hands" thread!

You mean a Savage for Trump thread? You will have to move that to a different sub forum.

Title: Re: Adjustable levers
Post by IslandRoad on 12/18/19 at 18:12:57

Mike, you mentioned thinner grips. Biltwell make some great thin grips (I use their 'Recoil' brand). They are very reasonably priced.

If you change grips you may need to file down ridges on the stock throttle tube. They're quite proud as they fit into slots on the inside of the stock foam grips.