Sport bike setup - Brake/gearshift?

[Rev DJ]

Having done a few k's on my new toy, I am looking for advice on how to correctly set-up the bike's rear brake and gear-shift levers. The rear brake seems too low and the gear-shift seems to high. I know how to adjust the heights but I am looking for advice on how to set these for the safest and most efficient operation. What should I be looking at here? Cheers DJ

[ipod1098]

Don,t get too overwhelmed(sp), just adjust and ride to see how it feels to you, and re- adjust accordingly.. you won,t/can,t go wrong.

[Blue Velvet]

Adjust for comfort and natural feel, so that you aren't moving your feet a lot to use the controls.

[vifferman]

Yeah, what they said.
It's not rocket science - just about what feels right. Some things have a 'correct' way to be adjusted, like your levers should be positioned such that when you're sitting comfortably, your hand/fingers are in a straight line with your forearm when operating them.
Sometimes my brake pedal feels like it's in the wrong position - either too high or too low, so presumably it's right. Most of the time I don't notice it.
But my stupid 'budget' gearlever doesn't have any adjustment (apart from moving it on the spline, which is too coarse) so I had to resort to heating it up and bending it down a tad (metric, of course).

[onearmedbandit]

I thought that the spline was the only method of adjustment. Or are there bikes out there with adjustable gear levers?

[vifferman]

I thought that the spline was the only method of adjustment? Or are there bikes out there with adjustable gear levers?

I thought Suzukis had adjustable throw rods connecting the gearlever and the small lever on the spline? Certainly the VTR and CBRs do, and even my crappy old VF500 did, but the VFR750 and 800 do not. I'm thinking of getting a CBR600 gearlever or similar, and adapting it to mount on the footpeg bracket.
The VFR's gearlever just mounts backwards on the spline, so it's operating in the opposite arc to your foot, whereas the VTR had a lever that pivoted at the footpeg, and this connected via a threaded throw rod to the lever on the gearshift spline. This gives almost unlimited incremental adjustment AND the ability to reverse the lever on the spline to have a race shift pattern.

[onearmedbandit]

Yeah you're right, I was picturing it in my head and thinking of adjustment on the actual lever, not the connecting rod.

[skidMark]

Adjust for comfort and natural feel, so that you aren't moving your feet a lot to use the controls.

but you have to anyways if you are riding with toes on pegs....

otherwise yeah i make it so i can slide my foot forward easily for both upshift and downshifts then easily back so my toe is on the peg again....

different setup if you are riding n00b though i spose lol

[pritch]

Father Christmas brought me another riding text (Pridmore) and this one counsels having the brake pedal set up so that you have to move your foot at least a bit.

Reg Pridmore doesn't like the idea that riders can stomp hard on the brake pedal too readily.

Other sources say that the brake should be adjusted so that the wheel doesn't instantly lock up when the pedal is pressed.

My Hornet was set up nicely and you had to work quite hard to lock the rear wheel. I have inadvertently locked up the back wheel on the VFR though.

[vifferman]

On the VTR1000, the back brake was almost useless (only used for low-speed manouevres), yet conversely, it was easy to lock up if stomped on. In contrast, the VFR's rear brake is very useful (courtesy of the DCBS) and also very hard to lock up.

[Blue Velvet]

Let me explain. When I said move your feet a lot to use the controls, I meant, for example, having to hoist your foot up unnaturally to change gears. Let me repeat that I said move a lot. If you have to move your feet so much you are fumbling for the levers then the bike's not set up for you, is it?

Cheers.

[skidMark]

Let me explain. When I said move your feet a lot to use the controls, I meant, for example, having to hoist your foot up unnaturally to change gears. Let me repeat that I said move a lot. If you have to move your feet so much you are fumbling for the levers then the bike's not set up for you, is it?

Cheers.

why are women always right.

yeah i get what ya mean now.

[FilthyLuka]

why are women always right.

yeah i get what ya mean now.

SHH! dont encourage em...

[Ralph]

Just what feels right to you, however I have moved my rear brake lever down
a bit more to avoid unwanted lock ups so have to push almost as far as my foot
will allow on the peg before it locks.

[Rev DJ]

Hey everyone, thanks for the feedback - excellent. The Hyo has a setup that allows for very fine adjustment of both the rear brake and gear-shift levers. I have made a slight adjustment on both - getting the gear-shift lever to sit nicely on my left foot (not too high) with the rear brake sitting just below the right foot (enough to give good travel and feel on the rear brake). It feels much better. I'll give this setup a run for a couple of weeks and see how it behaves. Cheers DJ