Hi everyone Finally managed to test ride my dream bike yesterday. Matt black 2018 blade. Been really looking forward to it as an upgrade from my street triple. 15 mins into ride started getting a really painful clutch hand/wrist. It was so bad in the end I didn't want to change gear. The lever did seem to be a long way from the handle and I had to use the tip of my fingers to pull it in. A friend suggested fitting ASV levers if i buy it but worried about buying the bike if i cant sort the problem. I would probably fit a quickshifter anyway so that would help. Has anyone else had a similar problem. I was really disappointed but loved riding the bike otherwise.
And adjustable lever might give you a bit more movement so you can reach the lever but I've not had any problems like you're experiencing. Its possibly the riding position that you're not used too. If you get a blade you have too compromise a little.
Surprises me. You must have very short fingers or as said above, might it be possible to change your riding position? Adjustable levers will provide some relief, but overall, you would have to test before buying because it sounds as if you hav e a greater problem than the few millimetres that would be offered by ASV or similar. Initially though, you could increase the lever 'free play' (small circular adjuster where cable enters lever) which will give the effect of the lever having less travel and therefore less effort on your hand.
I would never offer such a comment because I am of the 'never offend anybody, politically correct' brigade. But what you say does have merit. When we think about this, anyone who has purchased a 1000cc bike, whether Blade or anything else, has obviously been riding many miles on other bikes. The clutch lever positioning is pretty much standardised across all makes with a 'grip measurement' averaged to allow for the smallest Asian hand to the largest @Nytol vicegrips. During our learning to ride we experience all the differences and idiosyncrasies of lever positioning and operation. We might learn that a cable needs lubricant to free it; we might learn that rotating the lever to a more comfortable grip position will help; or we might be influenced to changed levers all together. Given that @Alan Devon was merely test riding the Blade, I think this is no more than one of those differences between bikes. Surely there cannot be such a vast difference between a Triumph and Honda clutch operation? I would ask the dealer to perhaps check the clutch operation to ensure all is okay.
To be fair I noticed that Di who's small hands has a bit of a stretch on her oem levers...she's getting aftermarket ones. I've always found the aftermarket ones easier especially when doing high mileage or heavy traffic commute. For what they cost as a mod I'd always change them...they look tons better too. Plus a qs won't take the strain off for feathering 1/2 gear city stuff... So treat yourself Alan and your dream bikes sorted In fact try and get them thrown in as part of the deal
One thing i have found is having short ASV on the 16my blade without an issue. ASV make the same lever for the 17+ but with the controls between the lever and grip that little bit wider on the 17+ it makes the clutch just that bit too short.. im fine on the brake with two fingers, but sold the short one for a standard length and much comfier.. has it got short levers in it? Also When getting the suspension set up on my 16my by a TT rider the first thing he did was adjust the angle of the clutch lever downwards as my fingers were over reaching over the lever first. I never noticed this until he adjusted it.. Gloves make a difference too..
Clutches on the street and speed triples are exceptional. They really are very light indeed, a real joy to use.
Good to know. I hope the Daytona is the same. For this thread though it's the reach to the lever and not the pressure required that is the concern.
Those clutches on the triples are that light and nice to use it doesn't really matter how far the lever is or how much hand strength you've got they're still a lot nicer to pull than the blade.
While I've never had an issue, I could see the more aggressive seating position of the blade (over the Triumph) being a contributing factor. That being said, adjustable short levers are almost a must for these bikes.
Well I'm no piano player but I don't think my fingers are that short. Maybe it is a matter of me manning up and going through a pain barrier. Gonna take a mates blade out that has ASV levers to see if it helps. The Street Triple is a very light clutch. I suppose it could have been a combination of reach and the tighter clutch cable causing the problem. Thanks for all the (mostly) helpful suggestions.
Good point, Alan. There are some on here without a serious bone in their body. That will be a great yardstick for you to ride your mate's bike. I have a 2018, and I believe they are one of the lighter clutches in the range - next to the hydraulics of the 04 - 07s. Don't miss out on a truly great bike over this hopefully 'initial' problem.
Update: just got back from taking my mates 2010 blade out for a nice long ride and had no problem at all. He has ASV levers and they were much closer to the bars. Totally comfortable ride and I loved the power delivery. Back on track to get the dream bike.
Good to hear. Shame you have to fork out a couple of hundred, but if it solves the prob and makes for a better bike, well, that's a good investment.
Is the triple fluid and the blade cable? It was a big difference from my VTR but I have less trouble riding the blade wrists and hands don’t play up half as bad
