Shorty levers are aftermarket replacement clutch and brake levers that are shorter in length than the original manufactured levers. They allow the rider to cover the front brake and clutch lever with only two fingers while curling the other fingers around the handle bar, without pinching any fingers when pulling the clutch.
Standard, original or OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) levers are the levers that the bike comes out with when it is bought brand new. These levers are full length levers which run from the connection point right through to almost the end of the handlebar.
If you haven't used shortly levers, you might not know what you are missing. But if you had two-finger levers on an adventure bike before, you will never want to ride with standard long levers again.
To ride confidently off-road, you need to have an aggressive attitude and be in an attacking position. This means that your elbows must be bent and pushed forward. This position allows you to decouple yourself from the motorcycle in rocky or uneven terrain. Open elbow riding allows your body to move freely on the bike (forward, backwards and towards the sides depending on what the terrain requires) without restrictions.
Usually, when you are uncertain, getting tired and fatigue starts kicking in or you are not riding with conviction, you tend to drop your elbows resulting in a riding position that makes you look like a chicken in a pot. Get the picture? Usually this position will unify you with the bike’s movements making it almost impossible to detach yourself from the bike. When riding off-road it is critical not to become part of the bike’s movements, but to decouple yourself completely from it.
When holding the handlebars with all 5 fingers wrapped around the grips, clutching until your knuckles are snow-white - will naturally put you in a position where your elbows will be forced against your ribs - yet again not allowing your body to decouple yourself from the movements of the motorcycle. How white should those knuckles then be? Imagine the handgrips of the motorcycle are two toothpaste tubes with both caps slightly opened. The firmness of your hands on the handlebars must be in such a way that the toothpaste don’t come out. To maintain optimum control over the handlebars and ensuring efficient reaction time you want two (or one) fingers positioned on top of the clutch and two (or one) fingers resting on top of the brake lever. The two fingers resting (not pulling whilst riding) on the levers decreases the reaction time when applying the front brake and pulling the clutch in an emergency situation. This results in a reduced stopping distance, potentially saving your life.
They also greatly reduce the reflex response to grab a “handful of brakes” which could result in the front wheel locking up and wash out.
Two fingers at the front brake lever also serves as reference point for your hand, making control over the throttle more stable. Two finger levers improve clutch and throttle control resulting in less fumbling in technical sections and in stop-and-go traffic. Shorty levers add confidence and improves the rider's overall handling ability and ergnomics of the bike, even more so when the rider is in the standing position.
Zalig, geen pijnlijke vingers meer. Ligt goed in mijn wijs en middelvinger. En ik heb kleine handen ook hier een voordeel. Werkt perfect!
Complete your purchase
