CNC Adjustable Brake/Clutch Levers _Follow up

[HotRodZilla]

I'm in total agreement with SLK50 on this. When I bought my Pazzos, I thought they were strictly bling. I was wrong. Something about them makes them feel better than the OEM levers. Maybe the angle, maybe the way they pull, but even others that have ridden my bike commented that the levers feel different, and it's always for the better.

For what they cost, I'm glad they look good AND feel good!!

 

[Geezer]

I have the cheap Chinese lever on my clutch. Mine is black and has been on for a couple of years, probably 30k miles. The finish looks as good as it did when new.

I installed it because my left hand would get fatigued using the regular clutch lever after a long day of riding. Maybe it's from an old injury or arthritis, or something. Anyway, the shape of the Pazzo knockoff is more comfortable and I can ride longer before my clutch hand starts to hurt.

I also bought the matching brake lever, but never bothered to install it, so for me it's not the bling factor..

 

[Fred W]

I hear you Geeze. Specially if we are hiding them behind those (function over form) V-strom hand guards. I forget if you run those or not, but I do.

...but I have a feeling you guys are going to cost me another $40 on these knock offs. I'm thinking (stealthy stock color) silver with bass bote blue adjusticaters.

Sorry Pazzo peeps, but there is still no way that they are worth the difference.

 

[ahchiu]

I have the Pazzo shorty levers, like them because they have more adjustments, I use two finger's for clutch and brakes, I also changed out my clutch slave to have an eaiser pull and the levers made it perfect for the clutch engagement piont.

 

[HotRodZilla]

When I bought my Pazzos, I don't know if these knockoffs were available. Had they been, I don't know that I would have spent the extra for the Pazzo branding. However, I am very happy with them and will replace any OEM levers on any street bike I buy with either the Pazzos, or the knockoffs.

Now that its been at least a year and the people that guinea pigged these don't seem to have complaints other than some anodizing, they may he a very good alternative.

 

[mingo]

Out of curiosity, what do these levers (or the Pazzos they are knocking off, for that matter) do better than the stock ones?
Are they more comfortable? Give better control somehow? Or is it just the bling factor?

For me it was first and foremost one gloved hand easy adjustment of the lever on the go. It's a lot easier to move the adjuster than to try to rotate it with one gloved hand on the stock levers. Also, I'm not sure why, but the replacement clutch seems to make clutch effort easier. Also, I wear Lee Parks deer skin tan gloves and the raw aluminum stock lever turns my clutch hand glove to black and lastly, I prefer black levers to sliver ones.. I wouldn't spend $200 to solve these issues, but $34? Sure.

 

[BigFJR]

I got these, $34 with a standard clutch and shorty brake. Silver w/blue "adjusticators". Comfy and cost effective. I would prefer to buy US if there were comparable and not 5 or 6 times the price. Ah well.....

 

[Twinrivers]

Really? I always thought that anodizing was anodizing. Is it possible to do a bad job of anodizing? (I really don't know)One way to prevent the black levers from looking like *** when the finish wears off is to get the silver ones.

IMO Pazzo levers are priced obscenely. I know things are pricey up d'ere in CA-na-da, but jeeze. They're just fricken' control levers. How could they ever be worth that much ($200 a pair)?

To answer your question there are differences in anodizing. The process determines the depth the anodizing penetrates into the aluminum. Chromic anodizing goes about 0.0002 to 0.0005" deep, is a lower cost process and does not hold up well. Sulfuric anodizing can go as deep as 0.001 to 0.003" which wears much better. There is also hard anodizing that makes the surface hard like heat treating steel does. Improper surface prep (bead blast or etch) will affect the durability of the anodizing. If you see anodizing that is flaking off that is caused by poor surface prep.

With an application such as brake and clutch levers Sulfuric or hard anodizing would be the way to go. The cheaper levers are most likely Chromic anodized.

 

[Bustanut joker]

The "reds" I bought are holding up well. However as I just push it to add miles and never contact them..

At 1/5th the price a guy could buy a set every year and be a kool kid.

 

[creg-ny-baa]

Well, I'm a completely satisfied Pazzo customer, having had them on three bikes. I like the closer reach that they offer (small mitts), the contour, and the fact that the larger "dogleg" seems to provide better leverage, especially on the clutch side. That being said, I'm taking a flyer on the Asian set, based on guarded opinions offered here and elsewhere. I'll post up pics when they get here, which (according to others' experiences) should be in a couple weeks.

 

[Fred W]

One thing to be aware of on the earlier 2nd gen bikes is that the clutch lever needs to travel a pretty good distance to get full disengagement. Many 2nd genners had dragging clutch symptoms that were caused by adjusting the lever to be too close to the handle bars.

 

[creg-ny-baa]

Thanks, that's good to know; would this apply to a 2007?

 

[Fred W]

Yes. '06 and '07 at least. At some point they went back to the same slave cyl as the 1st gens, which I believe happened in '08.

 

[Erik]

Really? I always thought that anodizing was anodizing. Is it possible to do a bad job of anodizing? (I really don't know)One way to prevent the black levers from looking like *** when the finish wears off is to get the silver ones.

IMO Pazzo levers are priced obscenely. I know things are pricey up d'ere in CA-na-da, but jeeze. They're just fricken' control levers. How could they ever be worth that much ($200 a pair)?

To answer your question there are differences in anodizing. The process determines the depth the anodizing penetrates into the aluminum. Chromic anodizing goes about 0.0002 to 0.0005" deep, is a lower cost process and does not hold up well. Sulfuric anodizing can go as deep as 0.001 to 0.003" which wears much better. There is also hard anodizing that makes the surface hard like heat treating steel does. Improper surface prep (bead blast or etch) will affect the durability of the anodizing. If you see anodizing that is flaking off that is caused by poor surface prep.

With an application such as brake and clutch levers Sulfuric or hard anodizing would be the way to go. The cheaper levers are most likely Chromic anodized.

Anodizing does not penetrate aluminum, it builds up. Hard black anodizing tends to be about 20 microns thick, (0.020mm), standard is around 10 microns. coloured anodizing tends to be slightly less. For items that are to be exposed to the elements, architectural class 1 should be used.

 

[AKjitsu]

Every black CRG I've had ended up purple after three months of Arizona sunshine. Every Pazzo has remained inky black for many years and many thousands of miles. Worth it? Your call.

 

[Fred W]

So, what color do the silver ones fade to?

 

[creg-ny-baa]

So, what color do the silver ones fade to?

Dull?
With purple adjusters, I guess, if you start out with black ones.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Even if you buy the cheap ones and the anodize fades, you can always take them to your local plating shop. Prolly less than $10.

 

[Erik]

Even if you buy the cheap ones and the anodize fades, you can always take them to your local plating shop. Prolly less than $10.

Yup, just strip them first yourself. Oven cleaner works well.

I'm not sure about the price though... they usually do it for free for me because the machine shop I work for does lots of business with them. If it is an uncommon colour, expect to pay a $150 or so setup fee. With black or clear they can just throw them in with whatever their next batch is. Always get everything done in the same batch because colour matching is nearly impossible.

(colours described as silver or titanium are actually clear, and the colour is that of oxidized aluminum.)

 

[SLK50]

I got mine in clear ( bright silver ) and after a couple of years

still look like new. But as others have said, the black adjuster

has faded to gun metal grey. Not an issue for me.