Clutch (and Brake) Lever Upgrade?

[xprof]

Gentlemen (and Ladies): I have ridden forever, and all my old bikes required a hearty 4-finger squeeze on both the brake and the clutch lever, until I got the R1200R. These brakes are so good that I almost immediately switched to 2-fingering the brake, and I love it. Trouble is, the clutch is heavy and requires a longer throw, and if I use 2 fingers the OEM lever meets my other 2 fingers and the clutch is not fully disengaged, at least not enough for idling at a stop, so I use 2 fingers on my right and 4 fingers on my left. Not optimal.

About a month ago I badly screwed up the ring finger on my left hand, and clutching is now difficult and painful. I yearn for a short, curved 2-finger clutch lever like the levers on my mountain bike, and think a similar lever on the brake would be equally nice. I don't really care about looks, just ergonomics. Does anyone here know what I'm talking about? Suggestions for me?

[jkhomes]

Wonderlich has a surprisingly large number of options.

The Vario levers might be what you are looking for. http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorc ... evers.html

[xprof]

Thanks John. Anybody tried 'em?

[Matt]

There are BMW accessory short levers that someone on here has tried

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=21509

[zei220]

I have the vario levers, and they are very versitile. Masses of adjustments . Shame I'm so far away, or you could try them...

[Don C]

A while back, I ordered a pair of long orange anodised CNC machined levers from eBay. Ithought that the orange levers might look good next to my orange faux Rockster stripes. And the price of only 25 bucks seemed too good to be true.

It was too good to be true. They don't fit. Not even close. They are supposed to be sending some better ones from China. I'm not holding my breath waiting for them. It takes them a week to just respond to any message. I suspect that they are trying to string me along until it is too late to give feedback or complain to Paypal. So you might want to avoid the $25 eBay levers. I'll update if the correct levers ever do show up.

[xprof]

Thanks for the warning Don!

Has anybody tried these from ADVdesigns? They look affordable...

http://www.advdesigns.com/hipeadshalle.html

[Scriber]

I had the Varios on my k1200s. They felt great. The only problem is that the brake lever could be easily, and inadvertantly, adjusted just by bumping the adjuster thingy. First time it happened I thought I had lost brake fluid when the lever pulled almost all the way to the throttle grip. The upside was that I learned I don't panic all that easily.

I also didn't think they looked all that cool, but I was always getting compliments on them. They are well made, and were easy to install. I adjusted them for three fingers on both sides, which means they didn't stick out to the end of the grips -- nice in case of a tip over.

The upshot is I will get them again for my r12r. If they haven't improved the adjuster I'll do something about that myself this time.

[BigEasy]

I have Pazzo levers on my RR, the long ones, and love them. They have a good bit of adjustment and are HIGH quality, great fit and finish.

I had a set of the short Pazzo's on the Z1000 I owned a couple years back an liked them equally well. The way those sat on the perch you could only use two fingers and operation of the controls was just fine for me.

[xprof]

Thanx guys, I've ordered a set of the ADVdesigns shorty levers, and will report back after they arrive and are installed.

[xprof]

ADV designs shorty levers arrived and installed. Very nice, and less than half the price of the competition! They outperform the OEM levers, adjust much easier and look better (sportier, more "tech"), all for only $130 plus shipping for the pair, and they got here fast, too. Here's the URL:

http://www.advdesigns.com/hipeadshalle.html

I recommend them both as a bargain and as a useful upgrade!

[Scriber]

Hmmmm....those look nice.

2 or 3 fingers on the levers?
Is it easy to keep the fingers that aren't on the levers from getting pinched between lever and grip?

[xprof]

Scriber wrote:

2 or 3 fingers on the levers?
Is it easy to keep the fingers that aren't on the levers from getting pinched between lever and grip?

Currently it is 2 fingers on the brake (just perfect!) and 3 fingers on the clutch, and no pinching of the remaining fingers. I'm going to try using 2 fingers on the clutch, but that will require gripping a little farther out the grip, so I'm not sure if it's worth it. Moving the lever in along the bar a bit may also be an option, but I'd rather not. If I make any improvements I will post, but as of now these levers are a big improvement over OEM, in my never-humble opinion.

[xprof]

Went for a spirited ride on California hwy 33 today, a world-class twisty road; met a group of younger/faster/experienced riders, and actually managed to (barely) keep up. Fun, fun, fun! But what I wanted to actually report is that the new shorty brake/clutch levers from ADVdesigns really made a difference: I shifted more and quicker with the easier-to-use clutch, and braked easier and smoother, with 2 fingers on both levers. I now recommend shorty levers in general, and these in particular, as they are quite the bargain at $129.95 the pair, with an extensive choice of colors (though I got plain black).

[BLAIR1200R]

Thanks xprof ! I've upgraded the levers on all my bikes except this one and was researching the same thing… putting them on the Christmas list!

On the Adventure Designs website, in the features list, it says,"6-position Roll-N-Click Adjustment"… interesting, because this is the term used by Constructors Racing Group (CRG) for their product.
Did the box show CRG as the manufacturer? If these are CRG levers, then I must say this is a great deal! I had CRGs on my CBR1000RR and they were one my favorite products that I put on the bike… very well constructed, wonderful form & function

http://www.constructorsrg.com

[SF_Hooligan]

Thanks xprof ! I've upgraded the levers on all my bikes except this one and was researching the same thing… putting them on the Christmas list!

On the Adventure Designs website, in the features list, it says,"6-position Roll-N-Click Adjustment"… interesting, because this is the term used by Constructors Racing Group (CRG) for their product.
Did the box show CRG as the manufacturer? If these are CRG levers, then I must say this is a great deal! I had CRGs on my CBR1000RR and they were one my favorite products that I put on the bike… very well constructed, wonderful form & function

http://www.constructorsrg.com

They're not CRGs. According to the photo, the video and the page info, they're JPRs. I don't know anything about that brand, but the ADV Designs guys are good folks and I wouldn't expect them to sell anything that wasn't good stuff.

I just upgraded to a set of Pazzos, which are positively kickass, and I got a good price on 'em—$180.

[1200bc]

I don't think CRG make levers for the R1200R, do they? I bought the Pazzo levers, made almost right next door. Excellent quality. First installed the longs off my K1200S, but it bothered me that the clutch lever bottomed out on the bar end weight, so bought the shorts and like the feel and look. Like to support North American manufacturing if possible.

[Bill Stevenson]

I had never considered changing my levers before, but after reading this thread am wondering. I am suffering from a tremor in my hands that is making it increasingly difficult to control my bike. Would changing to these levers actually make it easier to find and hold the friction zone on my clutch? I use 4 fingers at all times, do these shorter levers work OK for 4 finger actuation?

[xprof]

If you want to continue using all 4 fingers, Bill, I see no reason for you to change from the OEM levers. On the shorties, my 5th (little) finger becomes an orphan; it has nowhere to rest. I find myself clutching with the middle and ring fingers, the index unemployed, and braking with the index and middle finger, the ring and pinky finger wrapped around the grip. I prefer the new setup, but it is certainly an individual thing, and only for those who are looking for a change.

[Bill Stevenson]

Thanks Mike. BTW, you live in a very nice area. I have bicycled many times from SB up to Solvang, usually along the coast on 101, and then returned the next day taking the inland route over the mountain pass on 154. When I was younger it made a nice weekend ride. To say the least I miss California.