Hi all
Planning to dump the naff bush and plastic " bearing" in the rear brake and gear levers on my XB12XT ( believe all XB,s use the same lever pivot bushing?) and fit proper sealed ball bearings.

Need to ream out the bore slightly, to get a better bearing choice, and get some thrust washers made and was just wondered if anyone else though that was a good idea and would like to do the same and get a few more washers made/ bearings ordered etc.

Initial parts costs are around £8 a lever (using lipped outer bearings)
Let me know
Paul

Why not a bronze bush?

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08 Specialized Langster

Do the late levers come with a plastic bearing now? Fifty quid for a pivot bolt with a f*cking plastic bearing?
I assumed, it's still the common brass bearing in the brake lever and none at all in the clutch lever.

PS: got a pair of cheapo OEM-alike levers here: http://www.ebay.de/itm/BUELL-BREMSHEBEL ... 5d444db526 but did not have to install them yet.

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"It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living."
Terry Pratchett

Bronze bush OK but still wear/drag ( minimal).
Have converted levers before to bearings and they just give a better/ consistent feel and life ( as pack with either no corrode grease or ZX1 grease )
I might just be fussy but its nice not to have a constant lever with no, or little, maintenance

Conversion is just for rear levers as not enough meat to play about with the front, hence the ASV levers on mine......
P

I had CRG levers once and they had no bush, so I made a bronze one and pressed it into the enlarged hole...

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08 Specialized Langster

Been a big fan of using delrin or nylatron bushings for stuff like this. Many applications would be better suited to plastics than metal bushes or roller/ball bearings.

At work, I've been placing composite bushings in places where it is simply inconvenient, difficult to access or requires too frequent lubing. Rig hands don't give a fuck. Not their money if they don't take care of the stuff. Stuff comes in for maintenance worn, dry and corroded far too often.

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Bob Krzeszkiewicz
2012 XR1200X - 2011 Kawasaki Z1000SX - 1999 Buell X1

Thank you for all the info
Will look into bushing materials, oil/ greese nipple, options

Does it not have a nylon bush already?

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08 Specialized Langster

fitted needel bearings in grumbly 3 years ago in the rear brake n gearechange pedals but its been in bits for the last year .....so only used um for two

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IF IT BLEEDS WE CAN KILL IT ,THIS STUFF WILL MAKE YOU A GODDAM SEXUAL TYRANASURUS ,YOUVE BEEN PUSHING TOO MANY PENCILS DILLON .GET TO THE CHOPPER

It does has bushing but in the in the usual buell way its minimal and both levers rattle about and would rather do a long term fix than replace with the same.

Guess I was spoilt by my old VFR750FJ which still have 136,000 miles on it and the levers still had very little wear/ play.

Amazing what good, matched, metals and a grease nipple will do.

Looked at needle rollers, as right size is available, but reaming out to 16mm gives more
bearing choices/ grades.

I suppose it simply comes down to personal choice.

+1 Sintered Phosphor Bronze.

Plastic bushes are great until dirt or grit gets in there. Foot levers get loaded at odd angles too.

Tapered roller bearings - now that would be a different matter.

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Sept 2017. Email will find me.

Probably better to concentrate on the important things first though

Grumbly may have had posh bearings on the controls but they did nothing to stop the wear on the oil pump gear which led to the catastrophic failure of the engine...

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08 Specialized Langster

Was lucky, or unlucky depending on your viewpoint, enough to grow up in a scrap yard/ garage and learnt pretty quick that everything ends up as scrap and If you tune it - it just gets there faster....

Best money you can spend is on the suspension, as good as the buell is this can be improved.

If it moves grease it, if it squeks oil it and use quality bearings.... Eric what were you thinking when you used extra light duty bearing in the front wheel....

When I bought the VFR I bought a spare engine, just in case, and will do the same with the buell.

Sorry to hear about the oil pump gear, hope the 2008 type last longer.

Use ZX1 in all my vehicles - pause for laughter and many derogatory comments - and the Uly is no exception as its been in both holes for the last 20,000 miles with no engine or clutch problems