FOR THE DO-IT-YOURSELF DUCATI OWNER

CHANGING THE BRAKE/CLUTCH LEVERS

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19mm End Wrench or Socket, Multi-Purpose Grease, Rag

Changing the brake or clutch lever is really a simple job.  These dang things are always the first to break in a fall, so it's a good thing.  Luckily I haven't been that unfortunate, but I can still show how it's done:

Start by removing the 19mm locknut with an end wrench or socket.

Then you can pull the pin/bolt out, but be ready for the lever to go flying, as it has pressure applied to it by the brake (or clutch) piston.

Now remove the lever and make sure that the brake light switch activator doesn't fall out, and that the piston rod doesn't fall out.

The arrows show the position of the two, but now you should remove them to grease them up.

Lube the tip of the rod, then stick it in place and the grease should hold it.  Then lube the end.

Now the fun part- lube the little switch activator thing, then stick it back in place, and the grease will hold it in position until you get the lever back in.

Clean off the surface of the old lever, or the new one for that matter, and lube the pivot points- that includes the two ring shapes on top and bottom, the bowl that the piston rides in (in the screw on the handle), and the leading corner.

At this point, lube the bolt/pin up and set it aside, then install the lever, making sure that the piston rod fits into the little bowl of the screw, and that the brake lever switch activator stays in position (ignore this for the clutch side).

Once lined up, stick the pin back in.  Too much grease is a good thing, you'll wipe up the excess later.

Check that the lever operates smoothly and there is no binding.

Now wipe up all the excess grease with a rag.

Finally, you can tighten the locknut.  But, STOP!  Don't tighten it without testing the operation of the lever.  You should grab the lever, activate it a bunch of times, and while doing that, tighten.  You will notice that it operates smoothly up to a point, and when the nut is too tight, the lever doesn't spring back.  Tighten it only up to the point where the lever still operates smoohtly without hanging up.  As a last precaution, you can run a zip tie or safety wire through the lever to make sure it doesn't go south when you're trying to brake!

If you are replacing the lever with a new one, there is a good chance that the adjustment screw on the handle will be out of whack.  You will need to adjust it for proper and safe braking- if adjusted improperly the brakes could lock up or not work at all.

Locate the screw on the side of the handle, then remove the master cylinder cover and seal.  SLIGHTLY pump the brake or clutch lever (fluid will jump high if you operate it normally), and check for surface movement in the reservoir.   Continue to slightly screw in the adjuster and check for fluid movement on top until there is no more   (surface movement indicates that the return circuit is open, which is necessary to operate correctly).   When you no longer see movement when pulling the lever, back out the adjuster counterclockwise one full turn, and check for movement again.   You should be set then.  Check for proper release and operation before heading around the block just to be safe.

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