rear brake operated by a brake lever on the left hand bar?

[colin1]

a few months ago i had a go on a yzf450 and was told not to use the clutch when changing up or down. this seemed a bit odd at first but was fine. it means that the clutch lever is no longer needed.

however operating the footbrake while balancing on the pegs wearing big motocross boots was a bit tricky

so I have wondered, would it be possible to have the rear brake operated by a lever on the left hand bar, while you still have the front brake operated by the brake lever on the right hand bar ?

so the brakes are as easy to control as on a push bike

even better are there any bikes that already do this ?
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[andy198712]

it prob had an auto clutch in it, makes it semi auto and doesnt stall,

i've seen these but i think its more a kinda thumb lever like quad accerators?

[Korn]

How about a left-hand master cylinder slaved onto the existing rear brake? Something like this...

https://www.solomotoparts.com/catalog/Thrust-Company-Rear-Hand-Brake-Stunt-Kit-for-Suzukis-p-22202.html
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3516 Miles, 11 Countries

[Kickstart]

Hi

Presume you still need the clutch to pull away (not aware of any proper off road bikes with auto clutches). I would be tempted to go for the thumb operated rear brake system (lever goes under the l/h grip and you push it with your thumb).

All the best

Keith
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[G]

You can get centrifugal clutches for quite a lot of popular off road bikes. Means they can be tuned for maximum acceleration and shouldn't stall if the bike is dropped (which I can see being a big advantage with a heavy 4 stroke kicker).

I don't know how well it would work, but one thing I've seen discussed before is just nabbing a mountain bike braking system - instead of the cable pulling at the caliper, have it pulling on the rear brake lever it's self.

[stinkwheel]

As kickstart says, you get special thumb-operated brake levers for this exact purpose. Or you could bung the lever and master cylinder off a bike with a hydraulic clutch on.

G's idea has some merit too. No need for bulky hydraulic lines down the length of the bike and you would retain the normal rear brake lever too. You could use one of those funky 2-finger jobs.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[colin1]

some great replies there spoilt for choice and all with an interesting individual twist

im a bit surprised that there was something special about the yzf450 i rode as i had just assumed that this clutchless shifting was something that big dirt bikes did

and come to think of it we were told to do the same thing on the supermoto wr450's

hand controlled braking makes the idea of getting an offroader even more appealing. maybe i'll get one in a few years time.

of course kickstart is right that you will still need the clutch sometimes but not so much. didnt realise this until i thought about it and remembered. i hadnt thought of a thumb lever and i guess that wdnt get in the way

my inner cheap-skate like G's idea but it would need a bit of effort to install and develop to work well

thnx guys
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[carlnicholson...]

There are loads of companies who deal with brake system conversions for disabled bikers.

Try and get a disabled biker mag, or search for the NADB on the web.

I'm sure you will have loads to choose from.
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"THOSE WHO RISK NOTHING, DO NOTHING, ACHIEVE NOTHING, BECOME NOTHING."

[NSR Mick]

Mick doohan used one after he had smashed his leg up. I seem to remember one being in new products recently in either PB or MCN.
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[Section59]

[Sparks!]

[colin1]

[Section59]

Its the same for all bikes. Aslong as you change down at the correct RPM, it'll slot into position just as easy as it would going up the box.

TBH though, i only use clutchless downshift when im going slow and cant be arsed to reach for the clutch.

Im not good enough to do it when on the brakes flying into a corner, and i cant afford the repair bill for when i get the revs wrong and hear the nasty sound of the gearbox eating itself.

[GearboxGeezer]

Why not get a thumb clutch?

U only need it for pulling away and stopping, itll requier alot less effort than a brake. Then you can use a proper bar, Would make wheelies miles more safer/easyer