In recent years, we see more and more electronics on the bike. This has drawbacks such as having to pay close attention to the maintenance of its batteries as we saw in a recent article.
But it also has a lot of advantages and the arrival of new technologies such as brake assist has brought a lot of safety to the handlebars of our motorcycles in recent years, reducing the risk of accidents.
But reducing does not necessarily mean nullifying and if you are here it is either that you fell or else you made a mistake with the stand on your motorcycle and it fell.
In this kind of situation, there are several parts that are known to take first and among those parts is the brake lever. Therefore, that is surely why you are here.
Indeed you wonder if it is possible to straighten a brake handle word and especially how to go about it. This is what we will see in the rest of this article with several methods.
Never try to straighten a hot motorcycle brake lever
The first thing to do when you want to straighten a motorcycle brake lever, is to never try to do it hot. Indeed, we are annoyed to see frustrated and this is understandable.
We just damaged our bike and we feel guilty, so we want to try to solve the problem as quickly as possible and we therefore try to straighten this grip hot, as if nothing had happened.
The problem is that this handle is aluminum and although this metal is relatively flexible, it is also brittle if you do not do it the right way and do it hot, that is clearly it.
Therefore, you may simply end up with a broken grip in your hands and in this kind of situation, you can imagine that straightening a motorcycle grip is going to be a bit complicated.
No, the thing to do is to calmly return home where you will be able to apply one of the two techniques that we will tell you about in the rest of the article. Techniques that have the best chance of success.
Method 1: straighten a motorcycle brake handle with a torch
Exactly, let's talk about the first technique to straighten a motorcycle handle which will still require a little material since you will need a clamp, vice et a blowtorch to carry it out.
The first step will be to put your brake handle in the vice by wedging it through the shed at the end. There, turn on your torch and slowly start heating the handle.
Don't go too hard, we just want the handle to be a little bit more malleable. Once that's done, you can cut the torch and take your piece to work the metal and shape it to the right shape.
There you have it, you have successfully straightened a motorcycle brake lever, but it's not all over yet. To ensure that the handle regains strength, immerse it in a bath of cold water to do a thermal shock.
This thermal shock will have the effect of restoring a little solidity to your motorcycle handle. However, be aware that this will not replace the original strength.
In addition, if you opt for this solution as a temporary replacement, by the time the new handle arrives, it is not necessarily necessary to go through this thermal shock step.
For this technique, you will need:
- Lock your handle in a vise
- Heat it gently with a torch
- Straighten it with pliers
- Immerse it in very cold water to give a thermal shock
Method 2: straighten cold in a vise
You don't have a torch, well no worries, it is possible to do without it, even if this necessarily increases the risk of your handle breaking when you try to straighten it.
The technique to be applied to straighten a motorcycle brake handle without a torch is in itself the same or almost as the previous technique. First, wedge your handle in a vise.
Then, using a hammer and a rag that you will apply between the handle and the hammer so as not to damage the part, you will slowly make it regain its original shape.
To help you regain the correct shape, what we will be able to advise you is to help you with one model, typically the other brake lever which is intact.
After a few minutes, you should have successfully straightened a motorcycle brake lever without problems. Don't hesitate to take your time, it's not a race and above all, never go too hard.
The risk without having the effect of heat to make the aluminum more malleable, it is quite simply that it will end up breaking if you ever go too vigorously when you try to straighten it.
In summary, you must:
- Lock your handle in a vise
- Protect the area where you are going to operate with a cloth
- Gently straighten it with a hammer
Be careful, a straightened handle is more fragile
In this article, we have seen how to straighten a motorcycle brake lever in a simple, fast and efficient way, but there is one thing that we especially want to draw your attention to.
Aluminum is a metal that is known to be brittle and necessarily retyping it this way is potentially dangerous. Indeed you will weaken its structure by straightening it and thus make it much more brittle.
The risk is that in the event of heavy braking, the handle breaks and remains in your hand, which will obviously be very dangerous. Therefore, straightening a word brake handle should only be temporary.
This must be a way of being able to continue using your motorcycle until the new grip arrives. In addition, given the price of a motorcycle handle, do not risk your health.
Become a motorcycle handlebar expert
A motorcycle handlebar, everyone knows what it is in principle. It must be said that it is one of the most important parts that you will find on your machine.
Yet do you know him that well? Indeed, you could learn a few tips by taking a look at our article dedicated to it.
