An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and maintaining your motorcycle's brake lever is crucial to being able to stop your motorcycle, whether stopping normally or in an emergency. Here are a few things to keep a look out for, and what you can do about them.
Check your motorcycle brake by squeezing your hand brake. How far does the brake lever move? Less than half an inch from the grip? If so, you have a problem. You need half an inch finger clearance to keep one of your fingers from being trapped behind the brake lever in an emergency. If this happens you won't be able to properly stop your motorcycle. Sometimes a simple adjust is enough to fix the trouble.
If the motorcycle brake lever actually touches the hand grip, you have a bigger problem. Most likely there is air in your motorcycle brake line. You will need to bleed out the brake system and replace it with fresh brake fluid. This should take care of the problem.
However, if there's not any air in your motorcycle brake line, then the rubber tubing may be getting weak. If this is the case, you'll need to replace it entirely, and there is a better alternative to rubber. Try replacing your motorcycle's brake line with armour clad flexible tubing. You'll notice a definite boost in your motorcycle's braking power, and the line will last far longer.
We hope you'll agree that it is well worth it to check your motorcycle brakes on a routine basis. A little maintenance can save you life.
