Aftermarket Levers?

[Jim Moore]

Hi Guys,

My tiny little girl hands have a hard time reaching and squeezing the clutch and brake levers. Does anyone have any experience with aftermarket levers?

[Jess from VA]

Me too Jim (girl hands).

I long ago replaced the stock levers with Kuryakyn #7429s, which are shorter reach than OE, Chrome and not OE aluminum, and wider than OE.  Much better than stock.  The reach is only a bit shorter, but the wider levers are much easier an the hands (and easier to fine control braking and clutching).

This is just one site that has them (never used them). https://www.ridersdiscount.com/kuryakyn-widestyle-levers-chrome-for-honda-shadow-valkyrie-240736



There are (or were) 5-position dial adjustable (shorter reach) levers also available (Add-On/Wing Stuff/maybe Kuryakyn), for 1800 Goldwings that fit the Valkyrie (but a small tab had to be cut off one side), and one of my Interstates came with these on it, but they both fell apart after some years of use.

[h13man]

Hi Guys,

My tiny little girl hands have a hard time reaching and squeezing the clutch and brake levers. Does anyone have any experience with aftermarket levers?

I tried a set in the early days and the brake side was very cluttered to allow the right position/feel.

I read here a while back that a VTX 1800 master cylinder for the clutch makes clutching easier. Well it does @ a cost of $35 from Riley Parts on "flea bay" though a new complete OEM unit is $112 or less and it is much better/easier pull. The brake MC are the same on both the Valk and VTX1800.

[John Schmidt]

I've had a set of the adjustable levers on my ride for at least 10 yrs., probably longer, and still work fine. The wider aftermarket type also were a big relief, the adjustable units also came with the wider arm.

[WintrSol]

I also have adjustable levers; for about 8 years. I like them just fine. I searched for them, but could only find clutch-only adjustable sets.

[Jess from VA]

One other thing about my adjustable levers (before falling apart).

Taking the clutch side down to the shortest reach (1 or 5?), I had the distinct impression I was not fully disengaging the clutch.  Of course the bike will shift fine with no clutch at all at low rpms, but I always ran them both at 3, which was still shorter reach than stock.

IMHO, the Kuryakyns are much better and sturdier and perfectly ergonomic for my small hands.

[Jess from VA]

Pluggy, I stated Kuryakyn #7429 in my 1st post (and pic, and links).

[Pluggy]

Pluggy, I stated Kuryakyn #7429 in my 1st post (and pic, and links).

Yes, thanks.  Maybe there are other guys using other types, too.

[Jim Moore]

Thanks guys. I just bought a set of Kuryakyn 7429s for $62 on EBay. Thanks for the tip.

[WintrSol]

Different part number, but mine look a lot like these: https://cyclemax.com/products/gl1800-smooth-blade-levers?_pos=2&_psq=gl1800+lever&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Note that they out of stock.

[Jim Moore]

I installed the Kurakans yesterday ad went for a ride. The brake feels better although I don't think it's any closer. The clutch is still too far out.

There is a small push rod on the clutch side between the lever and the master cylinder (p/n 22884-MB0-006). My new plan is to trim a little bit off the pushrod and see if that helps. Has anyone tried that? The clutch engages at the very beginning of lever travel, so I have plenty of room for experimentation.

[Jess from VA]

I'm sorry if I steered you wrong Jim.

The fatter and better ergonomic shape should still be easier on the hands/fingers than OE.

Rotating the levers up or down a bit on the handlebars may improved ergonomics, if not the reach. 

[Jim Moore]

No sweat, brother. The brake feels much better. Still working on the clutch side. This issue is one of the reasons I like cable clutches.

[Jim Moore]

I installed the Kurakans yesterday ad went for a ride. The brake feels better although I don't think it's any closer. The clutch is still too far out.

There is a small push rod on the clutch side between the lever and the master cylinder (p/n 22884-MB0-006). My new plan is to trim a little bit off the pushrod and see if that helps. Has anyone tried that? The clutch engages at the very beginning of lever travel, so I have plenty of room for experimentation.

In case anyone is interested, my "trim the pushrod" plan was an absolute, unmitigated success! I finally got out to the garage this afternoon. I dremeled about 1/8" off the pushrod and reinstalled it. It was better, but not perfect. I took off another tiny sliver and BINGO! The clutch now has slack at the lever and it starts to engage a full inch closer to the grip. It is a huge improvement in comfort, ease of use, and precision for my tiny-handed self. 

[ridingron]

Thanks for the follow up report.