Top 3 Clutch and Brake Lever Tips for Dirt Bikes

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Here are 3 tips for your brake and clutch levers. With doing these tips, I haven’t broken a lever off all the way… maybe ever. Yes, I dump my bikes over all the time, and the worst that happens is they levers will brake off at the designated stress point the most levers (stock one’s anyway) have.
1 - Move the levers in. This means they won’t be the first thing to contact the ground, your bars will do that. Doing this will keep your levers lasting much longer. If you are running full wrap around hand guards, then this isn’t that important. If you are like me though, and don’t feel comfortable with the full wrap grips because of the risk of breaking your arm/wrist by getting it caught in the bar, then you will really benefit from this tip. Some part of the world pretty much require that you use a full wrap around grip, but my area isn’t one of those, so I don’t use them very often.
2 - Get the correct elevation. You are looking for something that feels natural when you are sitting and even more important, feels natural when you are standing up. You don’t want your wrist cocked at some strange angle. Avoid extreme angles here. No too high, not too low. The video shows vernally what I’m talking about.
3 - Don’t tighten them too tight. You want the levers to be able to rotate around the bars up or down when you take a “digger”. It’s amazing how much of a different this makes in how long your levers will last.
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[@rz350yam]

I love the comments about the wrap around hand guards. Here in Colorado, most people I know run the full wraps. I wouldn't ride without them. I can't count the number of times they've saved my hands and fingers from trees. As for breaking wrists when falling down, perhaps it is possible. For those who ride very fast in open terrain or race on a track, I wouldn't recommend them, as that possibility of going over the bars is much higher, at least in my opinion, than for those of us riding extreme technical trails, or fast through the woods. I'm 60 and have been riding since age 12. Never known anyone who broke a wrist using full wrap hand guards.

[@sethcarrington4326]

Couldn’t agree more, I’ve been riding since I was 3ish (20 now) and I’m just not getting into hard enduro and wrap around hand guards have saved my hand and levers an uncountable amount of times

[@MillerMountain70]

Thanks for these videos. This is one of my favorite KZbin channels of all time. Great content!

[@turbot609]

I dont know how i never thought about these things, but i already know this is gonna help me on the slow speed trails. Thanks brotha 👏🏻

[@UlisesGlez26]

Merry Christmas Kyle! I did that to my bikes years ago and I'm happy to say it's a lot more comfortable to ride like that.

[@Kuhliifa]

I think the tips you have five are great. Exactly what I do besides how tight you get your front break leaver. I have been racing motocross my whole life and you cannot finish a race with a broken throttle tube and I have broken throttle mounts and tubes from my front break leaver hitting my throttle, so I make sure those bolts are tight

[@dmccork]

Merry Christmas Kyle! thanks for the hard work and the great tips.

[@elcincero321]

Awesome. Merry Christmas!

[@21norseman]

Is anyone old enough to remember the DeHandler levers using Roger DeCoster & Bob Hannah’s name. They were 3 finger clutch and 2 finger Brake lever and we used to put Teflon tape under the perches also

[@tobywonkinoby8916]

Merry Christmas to the whole dbc crew!

[@jeffestrada6857]

Thanks for the video and information 👍

[@JoeJoeMoto]

Great tips mate.

[@ariejonid]

Great tips!

[@runnerfxabc8160]

Merry Christmas Kyle stay healthy👌👍

[@wv4life375]

Thanks Kyle and have a Blessed Christmas. Once you find that perfect location for your grips make an alignment mark on the perch and handlebars.

[@DiDoSvK]

Very good video Kyle.100% agree.Also another advantage when you move the levers in are that they are easier to pull and you can also glue them so you don't have to constantly check if they're tightened enough.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

nice.

[@coreymccaslin9144]

An old moto trick for keep Levers In tip top shape is using white Teflon plumbers tape on your bar. Can tighten the clamps pretty snug and the lever will still rotate freely when you have that silly tip over.

[@mattinthehat22]

I was looking for a clutch adjustment video. Just picked up a used '21 CRF 250F and the clutch is grabbing within 1/16th inch of clutch lever all the way out and the bike is tough to shift. Love the intro on this video!

[@Jrob711]

You should slide the levers in as far as possible because when your elbows are up and out (as they should be) your fingers naturally point in toward the front fender, thus the riding triangle.

[@jodynapier7643]

Thx, that helps a lot.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

David! We just exchanged phone numbers! Nice looking Beta you have there! Merry Christmas!

[@supergarball]

That’s pretty much how I set them up too. One thing you should mention to do before is to make sure your handle bar is setup correctly (rotation front to back) because you’d have to re-do your levers if not. On another note, it’s been exactly a year I’ve been watching your channel. Keep up the good work, love it.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

Thank you.

[@Travis_125]

I used to put plumbers tape under the mounts on my motocross bike to allow the levers to turn when I hit the deck.

[@Bimmere]

Hey Kyle merry Christmas to you and your family!! Another thing is it depends on the dealership when they first set up the bike, when I picked up my bike the lever perches were slid away from the grips, and I noticed that and was like “oh I had a good tech that assembled the bike”!

[@RWWRENTAL]

merry XMAS all you dirtbike fanatics!! great tips also

[@DirtBikeChannel]

Merry Christmas to you too!

[@CraigSmith568]

I looked at a KTM yesterday and they had the levers set up like this. I immediately noticed how much easier it was to use 1 finger. With them out my finger is closer to the pivot and it makes it harder to pull. Funny that I see this video the next day. Next mod on my bike.

[@zanderfaulkner9813]

I just got a new 2008 CRF 150r and I am looking for some parts to inhance the bike and how to adjust the shocks to a certian weight. Can you make a video showing how to do some of these thank you.

[@douglassfwilson]

On trials bikes we wrap teflon tape under the lever clamps.

[@64bruceb]

Merry Christmas to you Kyle and all the Dirt Bike Channel followers.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

Thanks Bruce. Merry Christmas to you too!

[@vincelosito215]

Merry christmas!

[@21norseman]

I am so jealous of that new husky

[@brookeday4796]

Nice to see you got a Husqvarna

[@andrejskamla9736]

Nice. 4th tip could be how far from the bar should the clutch/brake lever be... You know what I mean 😀😀 your videos are amazing. Your videos made my bike decision easy. I am 16 and I bought beta rr 300 2015. I added some upgrades and I love that bike.

[@YilgarnRallye]

yeah engagement point of the clutch in particular is important re distance from handgrip/bar and angle for the fingers - Tip 4 for sure !

[@sowersass2]

I appreciate the video and I was wondering about kill switch placement. Yours is outside of the clutch but mine is inside, But the placement of mine is a bit annoying because i bought ASV F4 pro mount levers and the clutch has the perch with the dial to adjust the clutch tension. But the dial makes my handguard position a little high but if i move the kill switch to the outside it would create more room, is there any downside to moving the kill switch? The levers are great btw I fell barely moving but the lever did its job and bent outwards. Sorry for long question.

[@EddiNice]

Wol Kyle, when did you get the Husqvarna TE300i?

[@DiDoSvK]

Can you review MME CLEVER LEVER?

[@AussieDazza]

A tip from me - wrap teflon plumbers tape on your bars and clamp over it. The teflon lets your lever mounts spin, preventing broken levers.

[@AEXRT65]

Yes i have see it from the mechanic of Colton haaker in the erzberg preparation...

[@1998TDM]

Yup. I just use a couple of wraps of electricians tape. They don't move until I hit the scenery. Replace as required.

[@punkin7144]

I trim a bit of the donut off so it cant interfere with lever pull.

[@1998TDM]

How shrewd.

[@gtiguy18t1]

I don’t think you’re a moron Kyle. Keep up the great work!

[@michaelduggar2801]

Love the channel, any plans on testing the new gas gas 250xc?

[@alvisvanags47]

Gas gas is same as KTM just in red collor 🤣

[@detroitpyro2859]

I have small hands how do I move the clutch lever closer to the hand grip. It's way out there and I cannot reach it lol. Also it engages when it's fully in the far away position how do I get it to engage when it's half way let out vs all the way out??

[@dgarcia317071]

Hey Kyle, I used your link to purchase parts off Rocky Mountain. Just curious if their is a way to know you get credit or to know if I did it correct. Reason I ask is because I used the KZbin link but it also kept sending me through my Safari browser. So just curious if I leave the KZbin app do you still get credit.

[@bbjuneau]

What are your thoughts about folding levers?

[@erenskillz6739]

what are those grips brand

[@jackmccann1]

Great video. Is that your new huskie? Can you do a riding review on it? I’m stuck in between a tpi or carb huskie. Thx

[@casmitherz]

Jack McCann Man... I think about which one I would buy all the time... Since I have more than one bike I would buy the tpi just "because". I read about the pros and cons all the time... To me it's a toss up. There is an unbelievable husky dealer in Bakersfield CA. They are hardcore riders and support riding in any way they can. I would go have a talk with them (or call) in order to draw a conclusion about which bike. They would lay it out from experience. Anyhow, ride safe dude.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

I will be riding/reviewing it early 2019

[@imlaggingwtf_460]

Does anyone know how to adjust the clutch so I don’t have to pull it all the way into the handle bar for it to fully engage

[@captsam54]

What T nutdriver handle is that?/ thx..

[@ironthumb3048]

I put Teflon tape around the handlebars so I can tighten down the bolts all the way and they will move if I crash..I tried not tightening the bolts all the way but found that sometimes they would vibrate too lose and fall out

[@jondembs1073]

Randy you beat me to it, I do the same. Teflon tape!

[@ironthumb3048]

@@jondembs1073..Yes it works great

[@spymaine89]

out all the way from factory, because some have small hands or weaker fingers need full hand to pull. so adjust to your comfort . replace levers as needed. , location and tension.

[@jonruby1755]

What is a digger? Does that mean when you fall?

[@SD-co5sv]

You are spot on regarding bark busters. I had a set of lever guards on my KTM and took a header over a log trying to ride like Jarvis. My fingers jammed into the bar injuring my finger joints. I couldn't ride for months and one finger will never be the same. I have removed the guards off all of my bikes. I'd rather break a lever or master cylinder than my fingers and I suggest others do it as well. BTW, if you haven't noticed, the levers can move forward but they can't if you have bark busters installed.

[@GuneTools]

Merry Christmas. What Patreon channels do you support?

[@DirtBikeChannel]

Smarter Every Day, Peter Hollens, EverRide.... trying to remember who else. I used to support Barry Morris, but he blocked me for some unknown reason. You know any other good ones I should look into?

[@denesk2794]

The taller you are the harder to dial in the lever position. Such a big difference between standing/sitting, that it is impossible to get both position acceptable. I am 187cm / 6'3' and lever setup is a pain. Never an issue on my MTBs but a serious pain on my motorbikes.

[@1998TDM]

Yup, my levers look weird, they are almost under the bars. 6'2" with arms like a gibbon. Trials bike is the most outrageous.

[@denesk2794]

@@1998TDM Maybe time to develop a rotating lever, we could be the next "dropper post" company for dirt bikes. :) BTW, with a 11 or 12 size boot and long legs I kind of have the same dilemma with my brake pedals.... I either lock them up sitting down or cannot brake standing up. SOOOO much easier on my street bike (Duke 690) where I just remain seated all the time ...

[@1998TDM]

@@denesk2794 Hallelujah! I'm not alone. I suffer from big foot, too. So bad I set the rear brake of my trials bike on fire ... Seized it solid riding with my foot on the pedal. My street bike has the pedal canted down so it has to be deliberate, I ride motogymkhana when I can, rear brake is essential technique. If you ever see someone resembling a 6'2" chopstick, riding with their right foot stuck up at a funny angle it could be me.

[@michaelcardenas9566]

I feel all your pain.. I'm 6"2 270 pounds size 12 feet...

[@denesk2794]

@@1998TDM Yeah, Duke 690 is not an issue as I am sitting there all the time. On my Enduro 690 I had to set the foot brake to "sitting mode". Going down steep hills for 30 minutes at a time it was impossible to find a good "middle way". Now I absolutely cannot brake standing up, but at least I am able to brake without instantly locking up on steep descents. I really do think, that a solution is a 2-step foot brake, one that would have an upper platform for when you stand and a lower for when you sit. a 2 cm difference would make it work perfectly probably. Anything like that out there? As for the levers, I manage them somehow. Luckily I am clutching and braking with 1 finger and I am able to operate levers standing/sitting if they are somewhat tilted down. The big issue is the foot brake for me as I frequently alternate long sitting stretches with rough standing sections.

[@mikeschoolcraft21]

I cut both levers as short as possible. The new Yamaha has them.

[@Offroadnederland]

use Teflon tape between the steering wheel and the attachment of your controls. I saw this at the motorcycle set up of Jarvis and Haaker. and this works perfectly.

[@Dainesevr46]

How can I make my fingers stronger so I can use the clutch and brake with one finger

[@mattschaper2915]

Ride only using the one finger, it’s difficult but your body gets used to it

[@tomthebattleaxe]

I currently have a broken pinkie from not running wrap around guards. Never again...

[@DirtBikeChannel]

tomthebattleaxe It’s funny that you say that, because one of my riding buddies broke his pinkie because of the full wrap around guards :)

[@tomthebattleaxe]

Dirt Bike Channel Well that is funny. The moral of this story is run what you are comfortable with.

[@callaverster1829]

Is that your te300i?

[@DirtBikeChannel]

Yes.

[@singletrackmarc819]

I knew he was bringing in some extra money didn't know it was that much if I was bringing home an extra 2500 a month damn right I would have a new bike every year but he literally has like 10 new bikes a year. In one year I've seen yz250fx yz250x 300xc 250xc 150xc 250xcf 350xcf 300rr 300ser 300sefr 250tpi HUSKY and ktm that's 13 bikes in one year maybe a year and half

[@singletrackmarc819]

It must be nice to buy a new bike 10 times a year. I have been riding 20 years and have never even had a bike less than 8 years old I wouldn't know what to do with a new bike that I didn't have to work on every week

[@taylor2105]

Go get you a new one. The resale on dirtbikes is ridiculous. I always ran old bikes and spent a lot trying to make them great again. Just got my first new one. No need to fix it up to ride, or pretty it up to try and sell when it's time. Just ride it for a few years, sell it. Then put the same amount, that you would have put into maintaining the old bike, into another new one.

[@xterrential]

He begs for paetron money all the time. People who watch his stuff basically pay for all his new bikes. It is a bit unethical in my opinion. Edit: he pulls in around $1500-$2000 a month in donations and link kickbacks. Granted he does spend time making videos, but this amount doesn't even include you tube ad revenue. If I was getting an additional $2500 a month you bet I would be buying myself a new dirt bike every 6 months.

[@jontanner2555]

How do you view his methods as unethical?

[@singletrackmarc819]

I'm not sure what he meant about that either all I am saying is he must have a damn good job to spend $100,000 or more on bikes a year 11 bikes in a year at almost 10 grand a piece is pretty damn impressive if you ask me

[@therealdjt532]

Don't ride with your wedding ring. I learnt my lesson when it restricted the movement to bend and tore ligaments on my knuckle.

[@scisneros0]

Dear Kyle. You are completely wrong about the levers settings concerning how up or down should they be. You suggest lowering it down about 30 to 45 degrees from a straitght line and the correcto positioning is either flat with with the floor or Just about 5 degrees down. And this is for a reason... when you sit further back on the bike or Just position yourself over the rear fender (to take weight on the front wheel) if your levers are too low, you will Just feel totally restrictive to use the lever and will have no strenght in your hands to use them... Just look where all the pros use them...or ask trial riders for advise on this matter. Greetings

[@mobgma]

depends on riding style and type of riding you do.

[@scisneros0]

@@mobgma yes, but we are talking about enduro here.. And they shouldnt be so lowered down... Just see how all the pro enduro riders use them... And that is for a reason

[@mobgma]

@@scisneros0 you are right but he is not a hardcore enduro rider like graham jarvis lol nor do i think he wants to be.

[@ariel_monaco]

Use a 1-finger lever...

[@21norseman]

Merry Christmas to all. remember Jesus the Messiah this Christmas

[@sambrinegar5193]

rip that husky

[@nicolebraxton6273]

👎🏻

[@djordjekuzmanovic13]

You talk too much