Service brake and clutch lever pivots

Each hand lever turns on a pivot bolt. A dry, dirty or worn pivot makes the lever stiff, slow to return, or loose and rattling. A sticky clutch lever is sometimes just a dirty pivot. This job cleans and greases the pivot, and covers fitting a new lever if one is bent or broken.

Safety

• After working on a brake lever, the brake must work and the brake light must come on before you ride.
• On a hydraulic brake lever, do not push the master cylinder piston out by accident. Keep the reservoir cap closed and fluid off paint.
• Do not straighten a bent lever. Cast alloy levers crack when bent back. Fit a new one.

You need

• Tools to fit your pivot bolt and locknut. Grease (silicone grease on the hydraulic brake lever pivot, as the K-Light manual uses).
• A new lever of the correct type if needed: brake lever for your master cylinder, clutch lever for your perch.

Steps

1. Clutch or cable brake lever: slacken the cable adjuster fully and free the cable from the lever.
2. Remove the locknut under the perch, then the pivot bolt. Keep any small spring or bush.
3. Clean the bolt, the bush and the hole in the lever. Look for wear: an oval hole or a grooved bolt means a loose lever.
4. Grease the bolt and the bush. Grease the cable nipple seat.
5. Hydraulic brake lever: check the small pushrod tip or contact point that presses the master cylinder piston. Grease only the pivot and contact point lightly.
6. Refit the lever, bolt and locknut. The lever must move freely with no side play. K-Light 125 front brake lever: pivot bolt 1.0 N·m, locknut 5.9 N·m.
7. Refit the cable and set free play: clutch or drum brake.
8. Check the brake light switch under the lever: the light must come on as the lever is pulled and go off when released. K-Light 125: light on at about 15 mm lever travel. If not, see Test and adjust the brake light switches.
9. Check the perch clamp is tight enough that the lever does not move when you pull it. K-Light 125 left lever assembly bolt: 10 to 12 N·m.

Check your work

• Lever returns fully and quickly. No side play.
• Brake works and brake light works. Clutch free play is correct.

If it did not fix the problem

• Clutch still heavy: Lubricate control cables and Clutch lever is very heavy to pull.
• Brake lever feels soft: Brake lever or pedal feels spongy.

Reference values (K-Light 125)