fmtnic Idaho got hit bad with pine 🌲 Beatles. Which rots the tree from the inside out. The die and fall. Everyone in that area carries a saw. And people in cars carry chainsaw and gloves.
If you keep the levers long and just move them in they will be easier to pull and have the same effect as shortened ones. Having the whole lever does make it easier to pull as well as give you more clutch control/ front brake feel compared to the shortened ones. Also with stock ktm hand guards they don’t crack or break nearly as much because the end of the bar hits just before them.
Midwest Mountain levers FTW. Life Changing! I won't ever run anything else on my KTM after using them. Also, just run full barks if you're doing a lot of trail riding and chances are, you're never going to break one.
I love watching your channel, Keep making these awesome videos! There are not a lot of channels out there that have good quality dirtbike content that are consistent. I really like that kind of trails and terrain you ride. You write everything from easy smooth trails up to "holy crap" rocky trails.
Thanks for your hard work with your videos. I really enjoy them. Levers are certainly a personal choice. I run stock levers with full rap hand guards. Up here in Nova Scotia Canada we can ride most of the year. With winter on our doorstep I find levers get cold to the touch. A tip I do to help with this is I put heat shrink rap on my levers to aid in keeping my fingers from getting cold. Tested this for a year on my 2017 300xc and it helps quite a bit. Love your channel. Keep up the good work.
Mike Ritter hey mike, great bike. I can almost see you from New Brunswick! Party on man. Riding a yz250 and just got my stolen cr back last night from 6 months back!
Sarah Gilbert hey there. That’s great news. To have a bike stolen is close to my heart. I’ve been a victim twice. Not a great feeling. Those yz are great bikes. I have a few friends that have them and love them. You should check out the R Squad on messenger. Great way to get the local news and rides that happen in our area. I was up in the Moncton area this past summer a road some amazing singletrack. Love to ride with the locals next summer or even this winter. I run carbide studs for winter riding.
Bad idea. The ball is there for a reason. It's to prevent the lever from impaling you. I've witnessed serious injury to a fellow rider who had crashed. The broken lever with no ball he was using pierced his leg and caused serious injury. Buy short levers, or move the perch closer to the middle of the bar.
Don’t do it, I did 30 years ago came off landed on the shortened lever, rounded with a file. It went straight through my body armour and deep into my chest, right through my left nipple.lucky it did not puncture any major organs. The balls on the ends of levers are on for a reason. Buy shorty levers don’t cut down smashed ones.
Robert Bradley I agree. I ran shortened levers until a hard smackdown jammed the lever into my finger, puncturing and dislocating it. I almost lost the finger. Had no idea that I was at risk doing so.
Dual-Sport/Enduro riders are a strange lot. One minute we’re blazing down virgin trails at way too fast of a speed, hoping and praying there’s not a 8 foot tall boulder immediately after that left turn, or worse a 30 foot drop off, the next minute we’re warning each other about unscheduled nipple piercings & splintered spleens from broken/shortened levers.😧 If we were really worried about any of that shit, we would never get on our bikes again. As advised by our mothers, and grandmother every time she sees our bike. I vote for staying stupid and fearless my friends😎
So, a little about that trail. It's a pretty renound loop that runs right along the border of the White Cloud wilderness area that was established a few years ago. By the Turd Obama. I usually run it the other direction starting on the little boulder creek trail, south of livingston mill/mine where you started. This route gives a spectacular riding view of the crown jewel of the white clouds, Castle Peak. Probably the most photographed mountain in the white clouds. The reason that loop is so heavily used by hikers is the fact that it is the main access to the wilderness area. Like a corridor. This loop, combined with the germainia creek and grand prize gulch trails about 15 miles south (as the crow flies) from frog lake (drone footage) are my favorite place to ride on Earth! Just breathtaking!
i have used wrap arounds for years and have not once even gotten caught in them its all about knowing how to ride your machine and how to bail and etc..
KYLE!!! I just got my stolen bike back last night! A mint 2002 CR250. I've owned it since new. I rode it home with no helmet I was so excited (never recommend that)! Anyway dirt biking isn't huge here and I love your personality so this channel means a lot. My bike was stolen in June btw
In '79 I had a bike with Magura levers. They claimed the metal was more malleable and would bend rather than break. I never broke one, but one had a wicked hook on it, so converted it to shorty and carried it as spare.
I shorten my levers have for years. But I run full bark busters. I wouldn't run without a ball on the end of my levers without the rap around guards. Getting stabbed in a crash by your levers does not seem appealing.
i cut the clutch lever off my old drz400 because i did stunting and needed a 1 finger clutch. the brake lever would always snap off. only problem is i have a 2016 ktm 450sxf and am racing motocross. in australia, you cant race if you dont have the ball ends on them
When you break a leaver at it's stress point and you don't replace it, your new stress point is your hole hydraulic system which can cost hundreds of dollars to replace if broken
Yes, I prefer shorter levers for many reasons. I'm not sure why they are not more popular. I will sometimes safety wire an old spare clutch lever up under the seat just in case.
After new clutch or brake lever I always cut the ends off right behind the ball part with grinder or sawzall. They never brake like that also don't tighten up the pirtches super tight so if you wreck they can move befour they brake
I do the same, only I cut even more off, leaving room for 1 finger on clutch and 2 on brake. However, keep in mind you may get some grief at tech inspection at some events. And apparently for good reason after reading the comments. I may reconsider!
Full wrap guards stiffen up the handlebars and increase the likelihood of getting them bent when crashing = > this is my practical experience, not some theory. Also you will sooner or later distort them beyond repair and after crashes usually there is no possibility to return them to correct position without the tools. Best guards are the ones attached to clutch/brake perch (as on the vid)...regardless of handguards type used, it is very important to avoid bashing the trees with our handlebars completely. Use the plumbers teflon tape - wrap 1-2 layers around the handlebars (under the perch clamp). tighten the perch clamp front bolt fully. Tighten the back bolt to ensure solid fit during riding, but allow for rotation under excessive force (crash). Use the scalpel/knife to mark the default position of the perch on the bars (esp. tilt) for quick return to correct position.
That Idaho trip had to be awesome. The views are incredible. Only been there once, but not to ride 😞 I always cut down my levers and mounted them so that in the event of a crash the would rotate. Hand Savers from Fredette Racing went on every bike I owened.
I am using ebay cable stunt clutch system for 25$ and OEM brake lever shortened for two fingers. I didn't want to spend much money on that stunt clutch becouse i didn't know if it gonna suck or not so i bought ebay one, and i love it, 3 hours in slow forest stuff with one finger, no problem at all, before that i could ride about 45mins and it started to hurt. Good thing to buy! :)
Broke off the tip and bent my clutch lever with a curve the first week riding a beta 200 a year and a half later I use one finger for slow wheelies and will repeat for future bikes.
I've been cutting my levers with a hacksaw since I was a kid, then rounding the corners over. Works great and lasts for years. A few times I've changed the clutch lever just because it wore out and was getting sloppy, rather than breaking it off.
I prefer the 'shorty' levers myself but also keep the pinch bolts loose so in a crash hopefully the whole thing rotates preventing broken bits.... but I would be cautious of the lever being a mini spear as others have noted....usually I will hockey tape the ends to make it less of a poker.
Ive cut and welded my levers and they never broke in a year worth of riding. And i have a friend that does the same thing as you, but he takes bolt cutters, trims the lever, and files it.
B K yeah I just use a hacksaw and then file it smooth. Only on the clutch though, they make the clutch levers too damn long. Brake lever is fine stock for me I leave the ball. I use full hand guards though
Geoff Winner yep. I like the levers to be two finger at most, but i use one finger most of the time. I like both short so its comfortable to use with only 2 fingers and if i drop it, it wont hit the ground and break.
I dig your channel--informative and well produced. About the Tusk levers, $9-10 is very cheap because of course, they made in Red China...and all that is associated with that country.
the trick is to wrap electrical tape on the bar under the perches. then you can tighten bolts more so your shit doesn't droop in rough terrain...while in a crash the tape allows enough slip to avoid break or bend...and let you reef levers back into position after...and still be secure to finish without tools
250xc VS 250XC-W why do you like the XC better now? Of topic I am just shotgunning the approach on your channel lol. I am wanting the 2017 XC or 18 TPI Thanks again.
Use the cheap levers when you first buy the bike, keep the expensive OEM's safe, put them back on when you sell. Fresh, clean levers will make the bike appear cared for, as opposed to a couple horseshoe shaped levers.
I really don't get the fear if bark Buster's. I used to ride 95% MX, 4% deep woods, 1% open trails and never took my bark Buster's off, never had a probblem, and they were awesome all the time. Now I ride supermoto and the first time I drop my bike I know the plastic guards are going to brake and I'll put bark Buster's on.
Why buy shorty levers when you can cut the OEM ones? Better yet save yourself the effort/elbow grease and just throw/crash your scoot out on the trail.
+DirtBike Channel -- Kyle, I run these folding levers from amazon on all my bikes, including my 2017 Husky TX300: www.amazon.com/Dirtbike-Orange-Clutch-Levers-2014-2017/dp/B075R3P6SB/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1512513460&vehicle=2017-1193-16312-------------0&sr=1-2-fkmr1&ymm=2017%3Aktm%3A250+xc&keywords=2017+ktm+250+xc+folding+lever About the same price as your tusk ones. Also Cycle Gear sells the Trackside brand that I think are a little bit more sturdy. That, and keep your controls clamped just tight enough to stay in place so if you do crash they will rotate around the bars.
Can I inquire why did you turn off the comments on the video about keeping dirt bikes clean, are you getting negative trolls? Or just too many ridiculous questions like this one haha!
Dude just run forged levers, they bend instead of breaking off like cheap cast type like what you've got. The forged ones also can be bent back, the ball on the end of the lever is there to stop it sticking in you!🙈🙈🙈 bruh..
l live where this video was shot and its awesome but we work hard on the trails. glad to see other people enjoying them too. happy riding!!
when I watch videos of people riding in the forests of the USA there are fallen trees just laying everywhere. Why is this?
fmtnic Idaho got hit bad with pine 🌲 Beatles. Which rots the tree from the inside out. The die and fall. Everyone in that area carries a saw. And people in cars carry chainsaw and gloves.
Love the evolution of your channel production quality. And love seeing your kids grow up!
If you keep the levers long and just move them in they will be easier to pull and have the same effect as shortened ones. Having the whole lever does make it easier to pull as well as give you more clutch control/ front brake feel compared to the shortened ones. Also with stock ktm hand guards they don’t crack or break nearly as much because the end of the bar hits just before them.
Midwest Mountain levers FTW. Life Changing! I won't ever run anything else on my KTM after using them. Also, just run full barks if you're doing a lot of trail riding and chances are, you're never going to break one.
I love watching your channel, Keep making these awesome videos! There are not a lot of channels out there that have good quality dirtbike content that are consistent. I really like that kind of trails and terrain you ride. You write everything from easy smooth trails up to "holy crap" rocky trails.
Thanks for your hard work with your videos. I really enjoy them. Levers are certainly a personal choice. I run stock levers with full rap hand guards. Up here in Nova Scotia Canada we can ride most of the year. With winter on our doorstep I find levers get cold to the touch. A tip I do to help with this is I put heat shrink rap on my levers to aid in keeping my fingers from getting cold. Tested this for a year on my 2017 300xc and it helps quite a bit. Love your channel. Keep up the good work.
Mike Ritter hey mike, great bike. I can almost see you from New Brunswick! Party on man. Riding a yz250 and just got my stolen cr back last night from 6 months back!
Sarah Gilbert hey there. That’s great news. To have a bike stolen is close to my heart. I’ve been a victim twice. Not a great feeling. Those yz are great bikes. I have a few friends that have them and love them. You should check out the R Squad on messenger. Great way to get the local news and rides that happen in our area. I was up in the Moncton area this past summer a road some amazing singletrack. Love to ride with the locals next summer or even this winter. I run carbide studs for winter riding.
Mike Ritter ... great bike ! riding a 16 TE 300 in Cape Breton ... hoping the snow doesn't hit too soon !
love the videos man i wanna get some bikes for me and my kids.... just had knee surgery so ive been binge watching your channel, keep it up!
Bad idea. The ball is there for a reason. It's to prevent the lever from impaling you. I've witnessed serious injury to a fellow rider who had crashed. The broken lever with no ball he was using pierced his leg and caused serious injury. Buy short levers, or move the perch closer to the middle of the bar.
Don’t do it, I did 30 years ago came off landed on the shortened lever, rounded with a file. It went straight through my body armour and deep into my chest, right through my left nipple.lucky it did not puncture any major organs. The balls on the ends of levers are on for a reason. Buy shorty levers don’t cut down smashed ones.
Robert Bradley I agree. I ran shortened levers until a hard smackdown jammed the lever into my finger, puncturing and dislocating it. I almost lost the finger. Had no idea that I was at risk doing so.
same happened to my mate, straight into his leg.
Good point.. never thought about that possibility.
Dual-Sport/Enduro
riders are a strange lot.
One minute we’re blazing down virgin trails at way too fast of a speed, hoping and praying there’s not a 8 foot tall boulder immediately after that left turn, or worse a 30 foot drop off, the next minute we’re warning each other about unscheduled nipple piercings & splintered spleens from broken/shortened levers.😧
If we were really worried about any of that shit, we would never get on our bikes again. As advised by our mothers, and grandmother every time she sees our bike.
I vote for staying stupid and
fearless my friends😎
Robert Bradley yes that ball tip is there for a reason.
The intro song just made my day 10 times better!
So, a little about that trail. It's a pretty renound loop that runs right along the border of the White Cloud wilderness area that was established a few years ago. By the Turd Obama. I usually run it the other direction starting on the little boulder creek trail, south of livingston mill/mine where you started. This route gives a spectacular riding view of the crown jewel of the white clouds, Castle Peak. Probably the most photographed mountain in the white clouds. The reason that loop is so heavily used by hikers is the fact that it is the main access to the wilderness area. Like a corridor. This loop, combined with the germainia creek and grand prize gulch trails about 15 miles south (as the crow flies) from frog lake (drone footage) are my favorite place to ride on Earth! Just breathtaking!
i have used wrap arounds for years and have not once even gotten caught in them its all about knowing how to ride your machine and how to bail and etc..
Those "chinese" "un-breakable" levers are good and cheap. Only 17$ both levers! Some of them need little modding, but after all I recommend those!
KYLE!!! I just got my stolen bike back last night! A mint 2002 CR250. I've owned it since new. I rode it home with no helmet I was so excited (never recommend that)! Anyway dirt biking isn't huge here and I love your personality so this channel means a lot. My bike was stolen in June btw
In '79 I had a bike with Magura levers. They claimed the metal was more malleable and would bend rather than break. I never broke one, but one had a wicked hook on it, so converted it to shorty and carried it as spare.
My bark busters saved my hand a few days ago on a ride at Tahuya, my front tire washed out and my bars clipped a tree.
I shorten my levers have for years. But I run full bark busters. I wouldn't run without a ball on the end of my levers without the rap around guards. Getting stabbed in a crash by your levers does not seem appealing.
i cut the clutch lever off my old drz400 because i did stunting and needed a 1 finger clutch. the brake lever would always snap off. only problem is i have a 2016 ktm 450sxf and am racing motocross. in australia, you cant race if you dont have the ball ends on them
I put teflon tape around the handle bars level mounting area so if I fall my levers rotate instead of breaking
I do that too.
When you break a leaver at it's stress point and you don't replace it, your new stress point is your hole hydraulic system which can cost hundreds of dollars to replace if broken
Yes, I prefer shorter levers for many reasons. I'm not sure why they are not more popular. I will sometimes safety wire an old spare clutch lever up under the seat just in case.
I've actually always cut mine down and then bend a little hook on the end to help when it's wet or muddy.
After new clutch or brake lever I always cut the ends off right behind the ball part with grinder or sawzall. They never brake like that also don't tighten up the pirtches super tight so if you wreck they can move befour they brake
I do the same, only I cut even more off, leaving room for 1 finger on clutch and 2 on brake. However, keep in mind you may get some grief at tech inspection at some events. And apparently for good reason after reading the comments. I may reconsider!
Full wrap guards stiffen up the handlebars and increase the likelihood of getting them bent when crashing = > this is my practical experience, not some theory. Also you will sooner or later distort them beyond repair and after crashes usually there is no possibility to return them to correct position without the tools.
Best guards are the ones attached to clutch/brake perch (as on the vid)...regardless of handguards type used, it is very important to avoid bashing the trees with our handlebars completely.
Use the plumbers teflon tape - wrap 1-2 layers around the handlebars (under the perch clamp). tighten the perch clamp front bolt fully. Tighten the back bolt to ensure solid fit during riding, but allow for rotation under excessive force (crash). Use the scalpel/knife to mark the default position of the perch on the bars (esp. tilt) for quick return to correct position.
That Idaho trip had to be awesome. The views are incredible. Only been there once, but not to ride 😞 I always cut down my levers and mounted them so that in the event of a crash the would rotate. Hand Savers from Fredette Racing went on every bike I owened.
I am using ebay cable stunt clutch system for 25$ and OEM brake lever shortened for two fingers. I didn't want to spend much money on that stunt clutch becouse i didn't know if it gonna suck or not so i bought ebay one, and i love it, 3 hours in slow forest stuff with one finger, no problem at all, before that i could ride about 45mins and it started to hurt. Good thing to buy! :)
Broke off the tip and bent my clutch lever with a curve the first week riding a beta 200 a year and a half later I use one finger for slow wheelies and will repeat for future bikes.
I've been cutting my levers with a hacksaw since I was a kid, then rounding the corners over. Works great and lasts for years. A few times I've changed the clutch lever just because it wore out and was getting sloppy, rather than breaking it off.
I prefer the 'shorty' levers myself but also keep the pinch bolts loose so in a crash hopefully the whole thing rotates preventing broken bits.... but I would be cautious of the lever being a mini spear as others have noted....usually I will hockey tape the ends to make it less of a poker.
Ive cut and welded my levers and they never broke in a year worth of riding. And i have a friend that does the same thing as you, but he takes bolt cutters, trims the lever, and files it.
B K yeah I just use a hacksaw and then file it smooth. Only on the clutch though, they make the clutch levers too damn long. Brake lever is fine stock for me I leave the ball. I use full hand guards though
Geoff Winner yep. I like the levers to be two finger at most, but i use one finger most of the time. I like both short so its comfortable to use with only 2 fingers and if i drop it, it wont hit the ground and break.
Looks like the Big Boulder Chain? Correct me if I’m wrong
I dig your channel--informative and well produced. About the Tusk levers, $9-10 is very cheap because of course, they made in Red China...and all that is associated with that country.
I have bark busters on mine never brake them and they are safe..
Awesome trails! It looks like you guys had a blast. Is winter over yet?
I just mount my levers far in so half of the lever pass the grips
Make a video on what else you put in your riding pack and what you recommend to put in there in looking for lighter tools/parts to put in mine
He already had this video.
the trick is to wrap electrical tape on the bar under the perches. then you can tighten bolts more so your shit doesn't droop in rough terrain...while in a crash the tape allows enough slip to avoid break or bend...and let you reef levers back into position after...and still be secure to finish without tools
I use teflon tape.
Can you do a video of controlling the 2 stroke powerband
Dominik Garstenauer I ride a rm 85 it’s my first 2 stroke and I’m starting to get the hang of it
Those rocks were probably the type 3 rip rap.
Just an FYI, levers with the round ends are required for AMA events.
250xc VS 250XC-W why do you like the XC better now? Of topic I am just shotgunning the approach on your channel lol. I am wanting the 2017 XC or 18 TPI Thanks again.
Great information!
Stock oem levers for Ktm are $70 in Canada! 🤨
Use the cheap levers when you first buy the bike, keep the expensive OEM's safe, put them back on when you sell. Fresh, clean levers will make the bike appear cared for, as opposed to a couple horseshoe shaped levers.
i just move the entire clutch and brake assembly inward. this way i have levers that seem short but have better mechanical advantage
Best solution right there
I really don't get the fear if bark Buster's. I used to ride 95% MX, 4% deep woods, 1% open trails and never took my bark Buster's off, never had a probblem, and they were awesome all the time. Now I ride supermoto and the first time I drop my bike I know the plastic guards are going to brake and I'll put bark Buster's on.
What ktm is that?
Hahaha that sounds about right to break your levers as soon as you replace them. That is the same kind of luck I have 😂😂.
A shorty silencer on a 300 bike is the best tjing you can do
ASV folding shorty levers are the way to go. They last the life of the bike.
Why don’t you have any more subs? Amazing UA-camd bro
Why buy shorty levers when you can cut the OEM ones? Better yet save yourself the effort/elbow grease and just throw/crash your scoot out on the trail.
+DirtBike Channel -- Kyle, I run these folding levers from amazon on all my bikes, including my 2017 Husky TX300: www.amazon.com/Dirtbike-Orange-Clutch-Levers-2014-2017/dp/B075R3P6SB/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1512513460&vehicle=2017-1193-16312-------------0&sr=1-2-fkmr1&ymm=2017%3Aktm%3A250+xc&keywords=2017+ktm+250+xc+folding+lever
About the same price as your tusk ones.
Also Cycle Gear sells the Trackside brand that I think are a little bit more sturdy.
That, and keep your controls clamped just tight enough to stay in place so if you do crash they will rotate around the bars.
I cant beleive u havent got a timbersled kit yet so u can do videos all year round.
Have to ask... have you ever ran into a big bear?
Can I inquire why did you turn off the comments on the video about keeping dirt bikes clean, are you getting negative trolls? Or just too many ridiculous questions like this one haha!
Lol I do the same thing
Damn you over explain everything.... EVERYTHING
Dude just run forged levers, they bend instead of breaking off like cheap cast type like what you've got. The forged ones also can be bent back, the ball on the end of the lever is there to stop it sticking in you!🙈🙈🙈 bruh..