Cannot Reach Clutch and Brake Lever Comfortably

Cannot Reach Clutch and Brake Lever Comfortably

by Sophia
(Reston, VA)

Question 1:

I have a 1987 Honda Shadow VTC700. I am 5'2", 30" inseam. My feet reach the ground comfortably. I can reach the handle bars. I wear boots with a thick sole and a little heal to add height.

I have small hands. My fingers do not reach the clutch or brake lever comfortably. As a result I cannot start smoothly and stall out.

I looked up adjustable levers for clutches and brakes. I was only able to find them for Sportsbike and Honda Cruisers, non for my specific bike, year or model.

Can I use the Sportsbike handles on a cruiser?
http://www.rideitmoto.com/products.php?id=9

Anyone have my issue? How did you resolve it? It's keeping me from riding. I anxious to get this fixed ASAP.

Check out the handle bars, and levers. the clutch is bent away from the handle. I have to replace it or bend it back.

Question 2:

My g/f's bike. How do you move the seat forward on a 2006 Honda Shadow VTX 600? Hard time reaching the handle bars.

Thanks

Comments for
Cannot Reach Clutch and Brake Lever Comfortably

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Jul 14, 2011

Reach Issues
by: Anonymous

I have the same issue with my VTX 1300S and we've had a hell of a time finding something that works. Now, I have added Baron kickback Risers and also put on Kuryaken levers on both sides. The clutch seems to be better at this point but I still have not found a good/appropriate reach for my brake lever. Our next move unfortunately is going to be new handlebars which means to cables which means more $$ But...what's a chick to do? Good luck!

Jul 14, 2011

Reach
by: Lynn - Florida

Tom has some excellent advise! Thanks Tom!
I am very short and was lucky to find a used bike that already had risers on the handlebars. If Tom's suggestions doesn't help, your friend may what to look into installing risers. They come in several lengths. This has helped my reach a lot. I also have a similar problem that my clutch hand will get tired in city traffic because my clutch is hard to pull & hand is small. I wear leather batting gloves (Walmart $18) which help me grip the lever. I could have a mechanic install an easy-pull device but haven't taken that step.

Going to your mechanic to resolve issues is always best. Happy trails!

Jul 13, 2011

Clutch and Brake levers
by: Laura

Thank you for the info, been having this issue for a while and no one seemed to be able to tell me how to fix it. I asked my mechanic to help me out and he did and now I am so much more comfortable riding it amazing. Thanks again for your suggestion!

Jul 11, 2011

Levers
by: Tom, ABATE of WI

First off, I'm an MSF RiderCoach, and I have to deal with this problem almost on a daily basis with our training bikes. In order for a beginner to learn, we often customize the controls within reason to make them "fit". I enlarged your picture, and this is what I would recommend. There are four bolts, 2 on each side, that hold the lever perches to the bar. Loosen them a little, enough to let them move with some effort on the bars. Turning the levers "up" to get them more in line with your hands will make a huge difference. Loosening the four bolts that hold the handlebars will allow you to rotate them either back towards you, which will make them easier to reach, or away, to make them taller. It's amazing what a simple adjustment like this will do to improve control.

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