Bent Brake Lever

[philipviana]

Hi everyone, first post. I searched for "Bent Brake Lever" and found this thread from last year. It seems like it's best to simply buy a new rear brake lever when it gets bent. I figured I'd write a new thread now to see if anyone else has had this experience and what the best fix is.

Basically, I fell on my right side going at low speed on a right hand turn. Not a scratch on the fairing, but there are scratches on the bar end and the front brake lever end, and worst of all, the rear brake pedal is bent in, almost touching the exhaust. The brake lever won't operate because it's bent in so far. Fortunately it was not stuck down, so I was able to ride home (cautiously...)

What's the best fix? I hear that bending it back in shape is a bad idea because the aluminum might weaken and fail. I figure $25 for an OEM KTM brake lever is fine. Is it easy to install and calibrate the rear brake myself?

Secondly, should I be worried about the front brake lever? it's just got a scratch on the ball-shaped end, and from what I can tell it's operating fine. But if there's a test I can do to make sure it's still good, I'd like to know.

For reference - brand new rider, owned the bike for 6 weeks - first spill. Haven't down any work on a motorcycle myself but I am handy and interested in learning.

Thanks all.

- phil

 

[commandodave]

i can't speak with certainty about the rear brake lever, but cheap alloy levers are very prone to breakage when you try to bend them back into shape. Some claim better results if the lever is heated. The same goes for the front levers. I can recommend replacing both front levers with a set of cheap Chinese billet alloy levers. i have been using these on various bikes for over six years. I have a set of them on my RC390 as I write this. Adjustable, comfortable, and they provide bling. I got mine anodized orange to match the colour scheme. Many vendors on Ebay, Mine ran about $40 USD delivered to my door. You can also get a set of shift and rear brake levers off Ebay for less than $40, too. More bling! I don't have a set yet, but they look kewl.