Adjusting front brake lever?

ToyFan1

ToyFan1

Joined
May 11, 2018
Messages
107
Location
St. Louis
Bike
ST1300
i was going to adjust the front lever/mc assy down to correct my wrist angle but noticed it has almost no adjustment before the brake hose nub will make contact with the handle bar. anyone else run into this issue? any suggestions on how to adjust the lever down ?
 
The brakes are hydraulic. If by 'brake hose nub' you mean the ball on the end of the brake lever, then it sounds like you need a complete bleed. If by 'correct wrist angle' you want to twist the whole master cylinder/reservoir/handle around on the handlebars, I think there is a pin at 6 o'clock on the bar that prevents rotation (looking at the end of the bar). Sorry I can't be more help. I'm not exactly sure what you want. Pictures might help others who chime in.
 
exactly. the pin at the end of the brake hose attached to the master. it only allows a minimal adjustment to rotate the whole assy. it just makes it difficult to grab the brake lever as its too far up. like its at the 3 o'clock position and id like it at more 4-4:30
 
I'm not sure you can do what you want, with the stock components.

The ST1300 does not have levers or perches that are "rotate-able" are are many dirt bike levers and handlebars.

I think I understand what you're after, I've done that on my GSA to facilitate my reach while standing.
 
The angle of the wrist for anyone trying to ride this bike is almost always the same. If you are wanting to rotate the lever down, it suggests that you are taller than average - in which case a bar riser might be what you are after. I'm 6'4" (Or was when I bought my first 1300 - I seem to be shrinking). When I first sat in the bike in 2002, I didn't want it- I was leaning far too far forwards and had all of the weight on my wrists. So I went researching - bar risers. They don't lift the bars by much, but goodness - it made a big difference to the riding position.

Nb fitting bar risers has a knock on effect as brake lines, clutch line and throttle cable are stretched. I have the BikeQuip risers - which are just about on the limit without needing to replace the other hoses and cables.

Have you discovered that the rider seat has three positions ?

The problem with trying to twist the bracket up or down is that there is then nothing to lock it into place. There is a dimple in the bar and a raised lump in the bracket to fix it in position and to make sure that it cannot twist under heavy braking. Suddenly twisting away from you will have a very interesting effect on both your ability to brake and on the throttle.
 
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I seem to have an IIRC memory of pulling a locating pin from the assembly so I could get my hand/wrist/forearm alinged in the same plane. It created a minor problem in that the assembly would sometime twist on the bar a little and I couldn't tighten in enough to prevent that. There was also a worry about stripping the mount or snapping a screw in it. Using a thin rubber shim fixed that until the shim broke down. Today I might use a strip of silicone heat sink to test it's longevity.

But I don't need to do that. Somewhere along the line I've found my hand and wrist are always in comfortable alignment and adjustment hasn't been needed for several bike I've owned.

Hope you find an answer.
 
I am 6 foot, the seat is in the lowest position and it came with the risers already installed. i guess my issue is that the brake lever is too high so when i go to grab it i have to bend my wrist further back to get my fingers out from behind the lever to reach over the top to get a grip on it.. if that makes any sense. i rotated the clutch lever down to get the lever more inline with my wrist and works great. was just hoping to be able to get the brakes adj the same.
 
ToyFan1 said:
I am 6 foot, the seat is in the lowest position and it came with the risers already installed.
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Have you tried raising the seat? This would raise your arms and change he angle of your wrist on the grip. Comfort would depend on your inseam. If you cannot comfortably touch down with a higher seat position, it's obviously a no go.

@Sadlsor said, I'm not sure you can do what you want, with the stock components. - I have not seen any aftermarket parts that would allow you to do what you want. No doubt some other Honda bikes have pieces that could be transferred, but it would take more than a bit of searching and work.
 
ToyFan1 said:
I am 6 foot, the seat is in the lowest position and it came with the risers already installed.
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Is this the problem ? Trouble is, the ST1300 comes with risers of sorts, and they are normally removed when other taller risers are added. It is needed for the 3 bolting points of the handlebars.
I'll find out tomorrow which parts I took off when I put on my bars. They are in a plastic bag somewhere 'handy'.
RonAyers seems to have them in stock for not much money.
 
When you refer to the brake hose nub I assume you mean the part of the casting the prevents the brake hose fitting rotating when the banjo bolt is tightened. I have used a Dremel to cut those off on other bikes where I needed more freedom to position the brake lever or hose, and nothing exploded. You just need to make sure to prevent the brake hose fitting from moving if you ever need to loosen the banjo. No big deal in my opinion.
 
TerryS said:
When you refer to the brake hose nub I assume you mean the part of the casting the prevents the brake hose fitting rotating when the banjo bolt is tightened. I have used a Dremel to cut those off on other bikes where I needed more freedom to position the brake lever or hose, and nothing exploded. You just need to make sure to prevent the brake hose fitting from moving if you ever need to loosen the banjo. No big deal in my opinion.
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ok cool. thats what i was wondering if that could be done
 
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