I’ve had the GS for two years. I started using two fingers for clutch and brake about a year and a half ago so I could modulate the clutch better at slow speeds. I thought about getting short levers at that point but it wasn’t really a high priority since there were other things going on.
Oddly enough they arrive like a brick of coca-hína from a bad 80’s cop show. Inside is a nice box with the levers in bubble wrap and cut foam.
They are sold by about two dozen no name companies that rebrand the same thing over and over. I bought the MZS ones from ebay. They have a slight texture, you know for better grip on the top of the lever. Yes the top, that part that doesn’t really get used. Anyway, I paid $10 less on ebay than amazon wanted, so for $22 shipped to my door in under a week I did pretty good for myself.
Well, short is a bit of a stretch and since the same guy is machining all the inexpensive ones this is what you get. Three fingers if you want them. Would be nice to see a true short lever pop up. So they obviously aren’t doing any good sitting in the box. Time for the install. As a side note I chose to leave my handguards in place.
First things first on the brake side, move the throttle cable out of its clip and adjust it out of the way. Then remove the bolt holding the lever on. No picture but there is a nut on the bottom of the bolt so grab an 8mm wrench or socket too. Give the lever a firm pull the separate the linkage from its socket.
You’ll need to press out the brass bushing so you can transfer the linkage to the new lever. I used the same torx bit to remove the bolt and press out the bushing.
Ah, the infamous spring I read so much about but was never photographed in the wild. Make sure you point the linkage in a safe direction and keep a finger over the end so it doesn’t pop out when the bushing comes free. It isn’t under an extreme load, but enough to take flight should the occasion call for it.
I took the opportunity to clean up the linkage. If you like dirt then they go back together all the same with it still on. I recon this will be the one and only time mine get “the treatment”. The brake has a dogleg on the end while the clutch does not.
Getting the brass bushing back in is the most difficult part and required a few light taps with an implement of force. Again the torx socket bit is great. Keep in mind our old friend the spring is keeping tension on the linkage and preventing the hole from lining up.
Both linkages came out with some grease so they got some new white lithium grease before going back in. Once you get the socket back in the slot just give it a firm push until it seats. Line up the bushing and get the bolt and nut snugged down.
Final install check revealed the bolts that hold the lever pivot were not tight. They tighten with a nylock nut on the underside and it appears easiest for the manufacturer to secure them without snugging them down. I took care of this myself to tighten up the feel of the levers. There did not appear to be any risk of separation due to the use of the nylock nut.
Done! The other side is exactly the same. Which is a shame because I took picture of both with my greasy hands the whole time. These are amazing and I would suggest everyone get a pair of aftermarket levers. The adjusments make setup a breeze and my clutching is much smoother. They come in short and long, even adjustable. For $22 bucks it might be the best farkle bought this year.