Machine screw type on choke lever

[BrianDowning]

Ah, one of them. How much gap do you need, could move the throttle a couple of smidges outboard?

The higher the better (to a point). I'd like to move the lever up to the throttle grip as close as possible so the brake will line up.

Brian

[BrianDowning]

If you have original levers the screws should be 1BA but some pattern types use M5. If the choke lever was originally a “stand alone” type i.e. it was fitted with its own clamp, these tend to sit lower on the bar than those that were part of the true combined lever. There are also different sizes of throttle clamps too.

Thank you! I've ordered BAF 3/16 and I'm crossing my fingers. Those specs seemed to be the closest to the existing screw.

Brian

[BrianDowning]

Maybe I have the wrong end of the stick but can you not dismantle the unit and put the lever in a vice and tweek it with a very slight upward bend ?

I've done that as much as I dare however the main reason for the angle of the assembly is that it still is slightly on the handlebar bend.

Brian

[SPRIDDLER]

The simple solution is to replace the combined levers with individual ones.

(Ensuring that the brake lever is the correct one having 7/8" distance between the lever pivot bolt and the nipple centre).

[clive]

The simple solution is to replace the combined levers with individual ones.

(Ensuring that the brake lever is the correct one having 7/8" distance between the lever pivot bolt and the nipple centre).

simple may be Spriddler but its going to be a lot more expensive than two screws and a bit of packing!

[Greybeard]

simple may be Spriddler but its going to be a lot more expensive than two screws and a bit of packing!

But probably safer. Packing the top part of the bracket will stop it from clamping around the bar evenly and perhaps lead to it slipping. Just the sort of place where a bodge aint needed. Bending the lever was mentioned earlier and seems the better option to me.
You could of course remove the choke altogether, or leave it fully open and just ignore it - Ive never found one necessary on any of my old bikes. A tickle to start from cold and theyre away.

Steve

[SPRIDDLER]

But probably safer. Packing the top part of the bracket will stop it from clamping around the bar evenly and perhaps lead to it slipping. Just the sort of place where a bodge aint needed. Bending the lever was mentioned earlier and seems the better option to me.

That was also my thinking. It's windy, dark and still tipping with rain here so with now't much else to do I'll elaborate.......

As an example, let's say that you need to put an 1/8" thick packing shim under the top half of the lever clamp - (if less than an 1/8" is sufficient then surely the lever can be bent a smidge more to clear the twistgrip?).
By inserting the 1/8" shim you will in effect be converting the top half of your existing 7/8" diameter 'bars to 1" diameter so the top half of the clamp won't fit snugly to the whole circumference of the shim but will be held away except for two 'high' spots adjacent to the screw flanges where the clamp is touching the shim.

In theory, the clamp will not grip the 'bars as firmly as intended because the top half of the 7/8" clamp will be in contact with the now 1" 'bars only at the ends, thus allowing the whole assembly to flex/twist when the brake lever is operated, giving a spongey feel to the brake lever and possibly fracturing when the brake lever is pulled hard in an emergency.

Try it, I'd be interested to know the result.

You could of course remove the choke altogether, or leave it fully open and just ignore it - Ive never found one necessary on any of my old bikes. A tickle to start from cold and theyre away.

Exactly the same on my '54 G3lS and it's not running rich, but I don't tend to ride when it's bitterly cold except twice in the past fifteen years in snow and ice on the section's New Year's Day runs. Daft or what?

[ajsph]

the screws in my levers, are 1 BA, I think you have the wrong choke lever, there are 2 diffrent types, the one you need has an angle nearly 90 degrees
Poul

20221108_161926_1.jpg

[BrianDowning]

The shim would be rounded to the shape of the handlebar, no loss of grip.

Yes, the 90% would be better. I'll try to find one. Thanks you for confirming the 1BA screw size.

Brian

[SPRIDDLER]

The shim would be rounded to the shape of the handlebar, no loss of grip.

I won't labour the point Brian because I've never done it, but I visualise that with a shim in the top half of a 7/8" clamp not all of its inside surface will fit snugly against the 'bar as in effect the internal diameter/radius of the top half of the clamp will be reduced (assuming it will fit over the 'bar at all). As I mentioned earlier, let us know your result.
(Out of idle interest I may experiment down the shed tomorrow )