Can bent levers fail WOF?

**Tigadee** · 25th February 2012, 14:10

Had Haldanes have a look at my Zeal and they said my levers [clutch, gear, front & rear brakes] were bent - slightly to me - and would fail WOF.

That seems ridiculous to me as I can obviously use them. The front brake lever is bent only in such a way that it looks straight instead of curved.

The gear shift and rear brake levers are bent inwards from drops, but work fine.

The clutch lever has the tip broken and I have a new one to replace that, so not an issue.

**slofox** · 25th February 2012, 15:14

Just take it in for a warrant - you'll soon find out.

**nzspokes** · 25th February 2012, 15:16

Its been, but failed on that. Ive ridden the bike. My bikes ones have been worse and had no worrys.

My feeling it was a WOF/prepurchase lets find as much as possible to make money inspection.

**Scuba_Steve** · 25th February 2012, 15:28

I've never failed for my bent/broken levers 1s been bent for 8-9yrs now

**FJRider** · 25th February 2012, 15:42

If it fails a wof ... only a testing station is allowed to look at it. Take iit there ... and pay the testing fee there too ...

If levers need replaced ... replace them. Such is life ... its seldom fair.

**Tigadee** · 25th February 2012, 15:58

I have no issue with replacing the levers if they appear obviously bent. The clutch lever will be replaced because the round bit at the end broke off, so represents a puncture danger, so I concede that. The rest I just smell bovine excrement...

But the front brake lever is just straight instead of curved. The gear shift and rear brake levers are bent inwards a bit but they can be operated without trouble.

**AllanB** · 25th February 2012, 16:28

Interesting.

I'm running CRG shorty levers (yum). If you cut off the bent end of your lever by 30mm or so it would probably be the same lenght as my shorties - and I have no problem at WOF time (they do have knobs on each end though).

Has anyone ever been stabbed to death by their clutch lever?

**Tigadee** · 25th February 2012, 16:36

Originally Posted by AllanB

Has anyone ever been stabbed to death by their clutch lever?

Exactly!

**Madness** · 25th February 2012, 16:37

It's failed a WOF inspection due to bent levers. Does that not automatically answer the question posed in the title of this thread?

**jellywrestler** · 25th February 2012, 16:45

so whose to say those bent levers haven't been bent further and straightened weakening their structure and maybe, just maybe they might snap when used hard (front brake lever mainly is the risky one being alloy dunno what the rest are though)

**Katman** · 25th February 2012, 18:10

Originally Posted by FJRider

If it fails a wof ... only a testing station is allowed to look at it.

Pardon?

**cs363** · 25th February 2012, 18:15

Originally Posted by AllanB

Has anyone ever been stabbed to death by their clutch lever?

Maybe not stabbed to death, but it still looks fucking painful!

Click image for larger version.

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And yes, I know it's a pushbike, but it shows it can happen, even without a broken lever - and this was recently in NZ. I didn't post the other pictures as they're a bit gruesome.