So I'm going to preface this message with the fact that I have never owned a quad in my life. I bought my first one ever today and went riding for a good while.

I could have swore the salesman told me that it was a manual which didn't bother me because the last car I had was a stick shift and having a clutch didn't seem like it would be hard to get used to.

I picked up this 2005 Suzuki Eiger and I can't figure it out because the foot pedal on the left is for the gears but the left hand handle is definitely brakes and not a clutch. The right hand is also a brake, and the right foot pedal is also a brake. Can you have a manual trasmission without a clutch? This makes no senes to me. The hand brake on the left doesn't seem to work very well and the foot brake on the right stays down when you push down on it. Is this supposed to happen or is it stuck or...?

Please help me figure this out and help me learn what the hell I'm doing. I don't really know anyone else who rides, it is just something I decided to pick up on.

Thank you a ton!

 

The Eiger is a clutchless manual. For the most part only the sport quads require you applying a clutch. All you need to do is let off the gas and shift using your foot. The lever on the left side is your rear brake handle. The pedal on the right side is also a rear brake lever. If you are pushing that down and it is staying down, the spring on your rear drum is probably not strong enough, your drum may be full of muck, or ??? I would not consider it uncommon to have this stay down. The rear drum brakes on most quads are shitty at best. I had the same thing on my old Kodiak 400 and have it again on my King Quad 400 (the newer version of the Eiger). On my King Quad once I ride a few feet the shoes release and everything returns to its original position. I worked on the rear brakes on my Kodiak a few times and got them working well for about 2 miles each time. I spent the $$$ for new shoes, seals, etc. and it was all a waste. I learned to ride using just the front brakes and rode over 1,000 miles that way without a problem (including the mountains at Hatfield McCoy in WV). Now, out of habit, I ride my King Quad the same way without any issues. If you shift your Eiger into a low gear going down a hill the transmission will do all the rear wheel braking you need. Hope this helps. Enjoy your new machine and ride safely!

 

That's too cool about riding through Hatfield. I live in Morgantown, WV.

Thanks so much for all the information. That helps a ton. Yeah, the rear brake lever pedal on the right side is really annoying when it sticks down. I'll have to figure something out.

One more thing. The rear brake hand lever on the left is where the locking mechanism to hold the brakes down to park it is at. It doesn't work very well so it tends to drift. I guess this is something I just need to take somewhere and have repaired?

 

The left hand brake lever cable goes to the same place the right foot cable does, go to the back of quad at right rear wheel and look for the two black cables just mounted inside of wheel, that the brake panel, you could loosen the wing nuts and see if that arm they go thru is sticking if so Then like said brakes or brake arm is full of mud or water and yes have to be removed and cleaned and replaced shoes and clean brake cam also....