Aluminium front brake levers snapping?

Ducati single cylinder motorcycle questions and discussions, all models. Ducati single cylinder motorcycle-related content only! Email subscription available.
Moderator: Morpheus

Moderator: ajleone

LexH
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:24 pm

Aluminium front brake levers snapping?

Postby LexH » Mon Jan 16, 2017 2:40 pm

Has anyone ever experienced or heard of the original aluminium front brake levers on early narrow cases like 175/125 Sport snapping under heavy braking?

Someone just told me they were "very dangerous" and "snapped by hard braking". I see replicas for sale that are made of chrome plated steel. Is this why the replicas are steel not aluminium?

double diamond
Posts: 555
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:20 am

Re: Aluminium front brake levers snapping?

Postby double diamond » Mon Jan 16, 2017 8:21 pm

I’ve not heard that nor seen evidence of it. I’ve seen cast brake levers break from impact but the original Ducati levers are not cast. They are quite malleable. I’ve heated and straightened handlebar levers that were considerably misshapen without breaking them. Questionable origin replica levers are an unknown. I do recall a report that the brake plate anchor pin on steel slider forks such as the F3 and 175/200 motocross will break off where they are welded to the fork leg after many years of use. The 175 Sports that I have seen do not use the steel slider fork. Not sure about the 125.

Matt

Eldert
Posts: 771
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:23 pm
Location: Hazerswoude Rijndijk Netherlands

Re: Aluminium front brake levers snapping?

Postby Eldert » Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:26 pm

Hi Lex

the guy that had them made up wanted to avoid anyone sueing him over a broken lever so he had them made up in steel .

i had aluminum clutch levers brake on me . i drilled the hole in the lever all the way thru and used longer nipples .
problem solved .

Eldert

Snakeoil
Posts: 109
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 12:10 pm
Location: Upstate NY

Re: Aluminium front brake levers snapping?

Postby Snakeoil » Wed Jan 18, 2017 2:42 pm

I had a repop lever snap for a vintage Honda. I told the vendor about it. Not only dangerous on the road, but razor sharp at the fracture. Mine snapped while taking a bike off a lift. Had heavy work gloves on.

I have never heard of any OEM lever snapping under breaking. Liability would be huge.

Regards,
Rob

Jordan
Posts: 1380
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:29 am

Re: Aluminium front brake levers snapping?

Postby Jordan » Wed Jan 18, 2017 11:20 pm

Snapping brake levers!
Test by squeezing hard with two gloved hands.
It'll give the cable nipples a good workout too. :)

I'd assumed aluminium alloy levers are cast by some method that avoids brittleness.
But maybe they are supposed to be forged?

LexH
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: Aluminium front brake levers snapping?

Postby LexH » Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:24 am

Thanks for all the replies. I've never heard of an OEM aluminium lever snapping either. It's certainly never happened to me. Perhaps it is just an issue with replicas made of unsuitable material.
Lex

CaptonZap
Posts: 27
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2016 3:04 pm

Re: Aluminium front brake levers snapping?

Postby CaptonZap » Thu Jan 19, 2017 3:22 pm

LexH wrote: Perhaps it is just an issue with replicas made of unsuitable material.
Lex


Or OEM that has been straightened without heat being used, or maybe just one to many times.
Whenever someone starts telling me what junk something is, my immediate thought is, "what did you do that might have contributed to that failure?"

CZ


Return to “Ducati Singles Main Discussions (& How to Join)”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Boxprod and 55 guests