Hi ya'll
I was looking throughout this forum for an answer to what I thought would be a common occurance...anyway, on my son's eton 90, the brake levers are too far out for his small hands to pull on safely, can you apply some heat and bend these levers back closer to the grips, or will they just snap?
or can I just bend them.
any suggestions would help.
Thanks
Rob

 

Welcome to the forum robint, what I did years ago when my boys were little was to take one of the nuts that go on the threaded part of the valve stem of a motorcycle tube. And I cut a slot in it so it would slip over the cable in between the lever and the bracket. Then I crimped it closed over the cable so it wouldnt fall off. It put the lever about a 3/8 to 1/2 inch closer to the bar so they could reach it. When they got bigger I took the nut off and it was back to normal. I assume you could bend them with some heat from a torch but they may break anyway.

 

...quite inventive, I probably need it an inch closer, but maybe I will try your method to see what happens.
Thanks

 

I bent my yamoto brake lever with a torch. Depending on the quality of the pot metal, yours may break. I also put a hook at the end, so his hand wouldn't slide over the ball.

 

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Another suggestion is to replace the rear brake hand lever system with a foot brake system. If wondering, I designed/created and installed a foot brake system on my son's '03 Pred-90 (which is cable drum design). Both my young riders are foot brake control riders. Installing a foot brake is one of the best mods I've done to it. For a hydro foot brake for the E-Ton brand, surf: http://kfabproducts.com/prodpics/brake_pedal_assy.jpg

Hope this helps as well....

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yea, that's a good idea, and I'am surprised all the kid's ATV's aren't that way, because it would surely help the transition beacause the bigger quads all use a foot brake.

 

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To me, its more then a transition thing. A foot brake allows better braking stength, faster reaction time and more natural control for one's body. To stop, my kids press down on their foot. A foot / leg has 1.5 times "push strength" of one's own body weight. Much more strength then a little little muscles in one hand. In a panic stop, kids hands tend to "panic grip", and they press their feet forward. Ever see a cat fly though the air and watch its paws? As seen, all fours are pushing outward. Just like young rider's feet and legs. During a panic stop, their legs / feet push outwards as well. With my young riders, I've seen the difference of before and after installing a foot brake system. End results is like comparing night and day.

Note: Ever wonder why our automobiles have "foot brakes"? Because its better.

To me, foot brakes should be mandatory on all mini-quads. Especially hydro disc brake systems for mud / crud riding conditions.

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RobinT!

Hats off to you for recognizing this problem with being able to grip the brake handle. While your working that issue you may want to review these other important "fit" issues to avoid future problems.

The leading cause of youth ATV injury originates from improper fit to control the size of machine being operated.
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Children cannot maintain position or control without increased risk of falling or being thrown from the machine because:
• Leg length - A minimum of 3 inches of clearance between the seat and the top inseam of the pants when standing on the foot rests is required to enable the operator to maintain balance on the foot rests when turning and riding over hills and rough terrain.

• Arm length - While seated on the machine and gripping the handle bars there should be a distinct bend in the arm at the elbow. Without a bend, there will not be sufficient reach to properly grip the handle bars when turning.

• Hand size - While gripping the handle bar with fingers extended to the brake lever, the first joint of the index finger should extend beyond the brake lever. If it doesn’t, the hand is too small to safely operate the brake.
(these are minimums)

Again - great call on your part to address this. Unfortunetly it is often after a serious incident these factors are introduced.

 

WhoDat
Thanks for the tips on proper fitting minimums for the ATV.
I will assess my son's fit on his from your suggestions.

 

I was able to bend mine in by putting a broom handle against the mount and squeezing the brake handle in by hand with no problems.