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BUSTED Levers &
Rubber Washers!
I thought I would treat you to a Biker Special
technical tip.
Now this may seem silly to some, but believe me, this is
one of the handiest little tips ever. I just love using scrap inner
tubes to solve problems. And this article is all about a darn good use
for a home made rubber washer!
1. Busted - a sight we hate to happen when
were out riding!
OK wise guys will know a lot of this, but remember, many riders are just
starting out and need all the help they can get.
This is the scene, your half way through a race, or out trail riding
with your friends and miles from anywhere. When a silly mistake causes
you to drop the bike - and bang, hey presto as the bars hit the ground -
you have broken a lever.
Even if you are carrying a spare
and tools, you will still lose lots of time. And lets face it, most riders
don't usually carry many spares on them!
The best cure for this problem is
prevention. Yes try and stop it happening in the first place. Now wise guys
always make sure their lever clamps are a bit loose. So that if they are
knocked, the levers can rotate around the handle bars a little, instead of
snapping like twigs.
BUT - I have to problems regarding
this. It is hard to judge how slack. If they are a bit to tight - it just
doesn't work. If they are a bit to loose, either they loosen of a bit more and
your levers just won't stay in position. Or worse still one of the bolts could
completely fall out.
Biker's Cure -
2. From
an old inner tube cut a small strip of rubber.
Cut a small strip of rubber from an old inner
tube as shown in photo 2.
3. Snip a small hole
in the strip.
Next snip out a very small hole as shown in
photo 3. And trim the rubber to a washer shape around the hole. See photo 4
below for an idea of size.
4. Washer has been
shaped to match the lever bracket.
Our new rubber washer needs to be a tight
fit onto the clamp bolt. This is to grip the bolt and prevent it from ever
being able to fall out of the bracket due to undoing itself. See photo 5
below.
5. The new washers
must be a snug fit on the bracket bolt.
The other great thing about using a rubber
washer on the lever clamp, is that it behaves a bit like a spongy spring
washer. So it enables us to tighten the clamp up with some 'feel'. Meaning
that, its not either tight, or loose. Which lever clamps normally tend to be -
either one or the other.
6. Before Tightening.
The rubber washer is now in place and it
will give plenty of 'feel' for tightening the clamp. And it
also prevents the bolts from ever falling out.
This 'feel' now allows us to adjust the lever
clamp just right. It makes it easy to judge how tight to do it, to allow it to
move when knocked, BUT not move at any other time! AND there is never any
worry about it becoming looser while riding.
It also means you don't lose the bolts when you
take the clamp off when working on your bike.
Well what do you think - what a
brilliant tip!
7. Metal hand guards
are good at preventing levers
from breaking too if you have any!!!
I normally use metal handguards as well - just
to be sure. But Sarah borrowed the ones Ian bought me for my Honda on my
birthaday - before I even got chance to use them, for her KTM200. That was 2
years ago - and I am still waiting for the replacements she promised me!!!
Sarah, I hope your reading this?
Articles
Copyright © Adrian Harris - Not to be
reproduced without prior permission.
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