Ever broken a lever?

Do you carry spare levers?
I've been wondering if I should stock up on spare bits and pieces before taking longer trips. And what makes sense to take along? So far I have bulbs and now also a puncture kit.

Clutch cable is a popular choice.

Personally, I wouldn't carry a lever.

I would make sure I have the right tools to get the wheels off too.

I've broken the end bobble off before in a small stack but had enough left to get home - albeit in 2nd gear all the way as I'd also broken the shifter.

While I might consider carrying spare levers if I was going on an epic journey, I'd more than likely just settle for a set of cables instead.

Not that long after buying my cb(first big bike) i dropped it, very gently mind when doing a u-turn on a slope and i broke the brake lever.Never thought about it that much after as i got it home no probs and just ordered another.

But after a thread on this forum about broken clutch cables i decided to not only carry a spare clutch cable but also a clutch lever as i can see getting home might be a bit of a problem without a clutch(although ive read someone saying its possible).

I carry can tyre weld, adustable spanner, philips and flat head screw driver, clutch cable, small rachet set goes up to 13mm. Pays to come prepared, broke lever in half when bike fell over (not cb) stil able to get home it was very short

Yeah puncture repair is a gooden but choosing the right one can be confusing having never used one myself.

Good tool set.(although i can foresee that "bollocks aint got nothin for that" bein an issue with the limited space.

Most important for me though is breakdown recovery, although sometimes i wonder"if i dont know where i am how could i tell them?", bein a lover of random rides.

got a mobile phone? AA/RAC etc. can trace you rom it I believe.

Never had to use my breakdown recovery as most of us prob havent(bein on cb's) but thats good to know, thanks.

I fit all that stuff under seat,  bit tight it goes in   , yeah proper tyre repair  with rubber bungs be better but it get u home if ur stuck ,   it got me home before, u cant fix punture in dark.

I carry levers, as well as a puncture repair kit, leccy tape, fuses, bulbs and tools.

OE toolset + clutch cable is all I carry. Tires had OKO OnRoad puncture preventer injected, headlight bulb gets replaced yearly (filament bulbs, even the Osram Nightbreaker, will deteriorate over time) and taillight bulb is LED.

This means my luggage box can hold a big ugly chain lock!

Levers? Yeah, broke the bubble off one some time ago. Replaced at a convenient time later; it looked not right. Wouldn't carry one around though, as I've ever only broken one.

I've seen pictures of levers drilled quite near to the bobble, which ensures that they break at that point if you drop the bike, and reduces forces which could bend the remaining stump or deform the lever mount. Seemed quite a good idea.

I carry a tool kit and puncture repair kit. The only time I've called a breakdown man was for a puncture, and he taught me how to fix them. I've not bothered to get breakdown cover this time as I don't think they offer much unless you pay ££££ to be recovered to home. I don't carry a clutch cable, but keep an eye on that and replace it regularly. I think I should also check and replace throttle cables on a regular basis, a friend got stranded when he snapped one. He didn't have breakdown cover, but a kindly passing van man got him home, for a small fee.

I get free breakdown cover with carol nash it can only  be use  3 times in one year

Thanks guys! Food for thought...

I have free breakdown cover with the insurance but I'd probably prefer to fix and get rolling if it's something minor.

I think I'm going to go with picking up a small vice grips to carry instead of the levers as apparently people have successfully used one as a makeshift lever or gearshifter and of course it's a useful tool.

Clutch cable from Honda only has 4000 miles on it. (Still pack a spare...?)
Instead of the levers I'm going to do a bit of preventative maintenance and replace the throttle cables. They could be the original ones for all I know.

All good suggestions about stuff to carry. I've taken very similar thing when going on holiday and then had to use (some!) of them.

I reckon some kind of puncture repair device + pump is probably top of the list as this can genuinely happen anywhere and is easy to fix.

My throttle opening cable snapped the other month - I had no tools (or cable repair kit or spare cable) so had to rely on the kindness of a van driver parked in the same layby to give me a lift. I could have fixed it if I had been equipped with a length of cable inner and some of those screw-fitting cable ends, plus tools. Maybe these should be on the list to make the complete kit?

I don't carry tools normally, not for any good reason, but just because I took them off the bike after the holiday - they are also the tools from my garage/workshop/shed, so they are needed for other things. I really should make a separate toolkit for the bike! (I've been saying that since my throttle cable snapped!)

eternally_troubled wrote: really should make a separate toolkit for the bike!  (I've been saying that since my throttle cable snapped!)

May I recommend: The OE toolkit! Not only does it fit snugly in the tiny compartment in front of the taillight, it's surprisingly spot-on functionally. Provided, of course, that you haven't changed some of the bolts to ones with non-OE head-sizes.
As with all things Honda, it's cleverly thought-out.

I keep considering getting This set to complement my OE kit when on longer excursions.

I have used folding/adjustable ones for a long time now.

ANDYC wrote:I have used folding/adjustable ones for a long time now.

Proper kit. Could you be persuaded into revealing where you got it from?

stormbringer wrote:

ANDYC wrote:I have used folding/adjustable ones for a long time now.

Proper kit. Could you be persuaded into revealing where you got it from?

I'll try and delve into the archives and find out   my memory isn't as I remember it

My purchase history on fleabay doesn't go back far enough.
However if you just search for CB500 folding levers they do show up. I got mine from Hong Kong and they have done about 100k so far. You can get them from France but pay about £40 more for the privilege, and they are probably the same ones anyway.

stormbringer wrote:

eternally_troubled wrote: really should make a separate toolkit for the bike!  (I've been saying that since my throttle cable snapped!)

May I recommend: The OE toolkit! Not only does it fit snugly in the tiny compartment in front of the taillight, it's surprisingly spot-on functionally. Provided, of course, that you haven't changed some of the bolts to ones with non-OE head-sizes.
As with all things Honda, it's cleverly thought-out.

Yes you can. Shame I don't have one! I agree that it fits very neatly under the seat and has a carefully selected choice of things.

They never seem to come up on ebay cheaply when I am looking...

My experience  of kit that comes with bike isnt great, metal in tools is very soft, there cheaply made, my cb came with no tools, as usual norm with second hand bikes. I make up my own tool kit for bikes

eternally_troubled wrote:

stormbringer wrote:

eternally_troubled wrote: really should make a separate toolkit for the bike!  (I've been saying that since my throttle cable snapped!)

May I recommend: The OE toolkit! Not only does it fit snugly in the tiny compartment in front of the taillight, it's surprisingly spot-on functionally. Provided, of course, that you haven't changed some of the bolts to ones with non-OE head-sizes.
As with all things Honda, it's cleverly thought-out.

Yes you can.  Shame I don't have one!  I agree that it fits very neatly under the seat and has a carefully selected choice of things.

They never seem to come up on ebay cheaply when I am looking...

I may be able to help you (at least partially) there. You have pm.