Setting up for adventure riding

[gav24]

This tip may already be buried somewhere else in this (long) thread, but instead of taking spare levers and having to change them, drill a 3 or 4 mm hole about 2/3 the way along the lever towards the ball end. If you drop it the lever still breaks, but at the weakest point where the hole is and you should have enough left to get home or to the next bike shop for a new one.
Also not a bright idea to leave the lever with no ball on for too long as they make a great spear! I have the scar on my arse to prove it - sorry no photos!

Also barkbusters are banned from mx, because if your hands slip forward off the bars, or you go over the bars, the leverage on your wrists will snap them easily - ouch! Also notice that most riders in the world enduro champs use the flag type for that reason even though bark busters are allowed... But, having said that, I use bark busters and dont worry about levers!

[junkmanjoe]

umm not sure about haveing a look at your ass.
bit i got a big scar on my back from a crash.

and yes it plays in the back off my mind about hands falling through the barkbuster bars after kissing the dirt.

[Oscar]

Also barkbusters are banned from mx, because if your hands slip forward off the bars, or you go over the bars, the leverage on your wrists will snap them easily - ouch! Also notice that most riders in the world enduro champs use the flag type for that reason even though bark busters are allowed... But, having said that, I use bark busters and dont worry about levers!

I keep hearing this (and the first time I can clearly recall, by a Aussie competitor at the NZ Three National Enduro at Riverhead about 20 years ago), and in all this time - racing, organising and officiating at any number of off-road events I have yet to see it happen. It would take a strange set of circumstances to propel your hands down rather than forwards. Think about it, if you're propelled over the bars, you go forward and up and so do your hands.

Edit: this got me to thinking and I checked the MNZ rules. They were pretty much as I left them - MX bikes aren't allowed "metal handlebar protectors" in NZ or Island Championships, SX bikes are never allowed them.

[Wolf]

I keep hearing this, and after twenty five years of racing, organising and officiating at any number of off-road events I have yet to see it happen.
It would take a strange set of circumstances to propel your hands down rather than forwards. Think about it, if you're propelled over the bars, you go forward and up and so do your hands.

I've dropped the XT four times and ridden into a gorse bush once and not had any risk of getting my hands caught in the bark busters but they sure as fuck spared my levers.

I've been warned off the flag type by other riders on the grounds that they do not have the rigidity to protect your knuckles if you clip a tree branch - admittedly not as much of a risk on an MX track as on a natural trail.

[Oscar]

I've dropped the XT four times and ridden into a gorse bush once and not had any risk of getting my hands caught in the bark busters but they sure as fuck spared my levers.

I've been warned off the flag type by other riders on the grounds that they do not have the rigidity to protect your knuckles if you clip a tree branch - admittedly not as much of a risk on an MX track as on a natural trail.

I hear ya.
Pre-bark busters I broke fingers and levers.
Since fitting them (on my barnd new 1984 IT200!), no broken levers of digits.

The other problem used to be gorse and scrub pulling in/jamming clutch levers (bad) or front brake levers (much worse).

[Wolf]

The other problem used to be gorse and scrub pulling in/jamming clutch levers (bad) or front brake levers (much worse).

Yeow! Fuck. That evoked a cringe reaction. My gut still feels knotted at the thought of it - especially the idea of clipping the front brake lever...

Junkmanjoe, it's never crossed my mind when I've come off that my hands might get caught in the bark busters. Usually I've fallen well clear of the bike and the only thing I've managed was to twist my ankle from getting it caught under the bike and (in another accident years ago) smack my nuts on the instrument panel as I went over the handlebars...

[Oscar]

Yeow! Fuck. That evoked a cringe reaction. My gut still feels knotted at the thought of it - especially the idea of clipping the front brake lever...

I got worse stories than that - how about getting into a wicked slide in deep mud, thinking you'd cleared that fence and then smacking your clutch lever into the strainer post with your hand still on the bars...

[Oscar]

Junkmanjoe, it's never crossed my mind when I've come off that my hands might get caught in the bark busters. Usually I've fallen well clear of the bike and the only thing I've managed was to twist my ankle from getting it caught under the bike and (in another accident years ago) smack my nuts on the instrument panel as I went over the handlebars...

I've been out of competition for a while, but I think that stuff's an urban myth.
The 2009 FIM MX regulations only say that handlebar protectors must be constructed from a shatter proof material.

[warewolf]

I keep hearing this (and the first time I can clearly recall, by a Aussie competitor at the NZ Three National Enduro at Riverhead about 20 years ago), and in all this time - racing, organising and officiating at any number of off-road events I have yet to see it happen. It would take a strange set of circumstances to propel your hands down rather than forwards. Think about it, if you're propelled over the bars, you go forward and up and so do your hands.

Edit: this got me to thinking and I checked the MNZ rules. They were pretty much as I left them - MX bikes aren't allowed "metal handlebar protectors" in NZ or Island Championships, SX bikes are never allowed them.

Yep, lots of rumours about it, but never known it to happen, or talked to anyone who knows anyone who had it happen to them.

One reason barkbusters might be banned from MX/SX could be to stop the argy-bargy.

Another reason might be because landing from a big jump is the most likely time your hands could get knocked off the bars and down between the bars and barkbusters - and shortly after that the bike will tumble with some force.

[junkmanjoe]

Junkmanjoe, it's never crossed my mind when I've come off that my hands might get caught in the bark busters. Usually I've fallen well clear of the bike and the only thing I've managed was to twist my ankle from getting it caught under the bike and (in another accident years ago) smack my nuts on the instrument panel as I went over the handlebars...

you bring a tear to my eye, banging ya nuts.
im my younger years i slid forward on to the tank of my 125 mudbug, smacking my nuts and arseing off.
i understand the odds are next to none of hands through the bars.
i dont have the barkbusters.
mine do have a solid alloy piece of flat running around the front.
not that im in to crashing, but the ones i have do work great.

[warewolf]

This tip may already be buried somewhere else in this (long) thread

Yes... try a search for "lever". Some discussion prior to post #73 and after. (And yes, the spare clutch lever works on the 640A, the brake won't but should fit the single-disc 640E.)

Oh, and metal putty can be used to make a new ball end for WOF and to stop the jagged end wearing a hole in your gloves. DAMHIK.

[Wolf]

you bring a tear to my eye, banging ya nuts.

Meh. Was so hyped up on adrenalin and such at the time of the crash that I didn't feel it.










Five minutes later, when I started to calm down, however...

[Padmei]

Yes... try a search for "lever". Some discussion prior to post #73 and after. (And yes, the spare clutch lever works on the 640A, the brake won't but should fit the single-disc 640E.)

Oh, and metal putty can be used to make a new ball end for WOF and to stop the jagged end wearing a hole in your gloves. DAMHIK.

Um... you need the ball ends for a WOF? Ohoh...

[NordieBoy]

Um... you need the ball ends for a WOF? Ohoh...

In theory you do...

[Woodman]

barkbusters are great for smacking the flimsy markerposts out of the way on tight gravelly roads, until you hit a solid oldschool type one that is concreted in.

Trust me it is not very pleasant.

Do not run them now and have started a gorse collection in me gloves