can brake levers be bent if heated?

[soundbeltfarm]

my boy has a little lt50 and he can use the brake lever but only just.
i want to know if i can heat the lever and bend it towards the handlebar a bit so he can use the brake easier?
or will it be made of shit metal and just stuff up if i try to heat it?
or should io just leave it or try to bend it cold?
anyone here have any suggestions?

[MSTRS]

Probably bend OK cold (not talking much bend after all) but it'll snap if you bend it back

[HDTboy]

If you're very gentle, and don't say my name, it should be all right. I'd give it a bit of heat with a hot-air gun, just to soften it a bit first

[F5 Dave]

Well a better bet is to drill a small hole in either the brake lever or the mount where they bear against each other & insert an M3 bolt or similar.
Depending on the arrangement you could also drop a pin in vertically for the same effect.

This will restrict how far the lever returns. (have to adjust it so there is freeplay of course). Then you just remove it as he gets bigger.

[FROSTY]

mate --old fart memory here-isn't the LT cable front brake?
if it is then ease the cable off a bit and slide some split washers onto the cable between the lever and the lever perch. Thatll push the lever closwer for his hand.
If its hydraulic,rather than bending the lever I would see if there is adjustment on it -if not try grinding the point that pushes on the master cylinder.

[soundbeltfarm]

mate --old fart memory here-isn't the LT cable front brake?
if it is then ease the cable off a bit and slide some split washers onto the cable between the lever and the lever perch. Thatll push the lever closwer for his hand.
If its hydraulic,rather than bending the lever I would see if there is adjustment on it -if not try grinding the point that pushes on the master cylinder.

yeah its a cable system.
will try this and see how it goes.
cheers for all the help people

[RiderInBlack]

Had to straighten the clutch handle on "Roxanne" after she fell over at a Poker Run (I had parked her on too softer gound OK). Carefully heated the Alloy handle on a stove element (important note be very careful not to over heat Alloy as it melts easy) and (with my bike glove on) held the handle while I hit it with a meat tenderiser as a turning hammer to restraighten it. Cooled it in some water and refitted to the bike. End result, the handle with good enough to use until I could get a replacement, and my gloves were nice and toasty for the run:devil2:

Replace the handle because Alloy that has been heated can loose it's strenght (no point in having a clutch haddle braking of in your hand, A:msn-wink: ).

[duckman]

For Gods sake man, Get your poor kid some bigger hands ... :rofl:

[soundbeltfarm]

ahaha yeah he takes after me with the small hands ha

[ZorsT]

after my bin, i just bent the clutch and brake levers with a big metal pipe
I bent them cold, and carefully

[Pixie]

Heating alloy is the wrong technique.Aluminium becomes Hot Short,(becomes brittle when hot)A heat gun probabley doesn't get any where near hot enough to have any effect on metal other than drying it.
I don't know if those glass filled nylon levers are still available,but if you get one of those you could heat it and bend it

[RiderInBlack]

Heating alloy is the wrong technique.Aluminium becomes Hot Short,(becomes brittle when hot)A heat gun probabley doesn't get any where near hot enough to have any effect on metal other than drying it.Agree with the heat gun bit, but they make speciality horse shoes out of Aluminium at horse shoe competitions by carefully heating straight alloy bar in gas forges. They even forge weld alloy. Very easy to over heat but (one minute you shoe is looking good :Punk: and then it's a pool of alloy:doh: ). And yes after Alloy is heated it has to be cooled right otherwise it is brittle (which is why I replaced the handle after straightening it).