Brake and clutch lever level

[Gorillastrom]

Hello everyone,
I have a bit of a strange question. I was riding my 2008 v strom 650 to work on Friday and noticed that my hand right hand guard was lower than my left. On closer inspection I realised that my clutch level and my brake lever were not level to each other. The front brake lever being lower. In fact, the brake oil reservoir wasn’t flat but slightly tilted downwards. I bought the bike a couple of months back and have dropped it on the right hand side once. Is it possible that the bracket holding oil reservoir, brake lever, hand guard has twisted forwards? Or is it supposed to be like this? Is the brake lever supposed to be lower than the clutch level on the opposite side of the handle bar?

[Rixington43]

It could have moved from a drop definitely.
As far as I know your lever angles are personal choice within reason, taller people might angle them down, shorter people might have them flatter.
Only issue is you may need to tilt them back to flat to bleed fluids but they can then be angled down again to where you feel most comfortable.

[Gert]

It sounds like your handlebars may be bent or the perch may be rotated.   Do you have handlebar raisers installed?

Try measure each side to ground, while the bike is held upright and the front wheel pointing forward, to test for a slightlty bent handlebar. 

If I recall, there is a locating pin under each perch cluster, that fits into a locating hole in the handlebars. A trick from the off-road, is to wrap plumbers tape under each perch, to allow for the perch cluster to move if the bike takes a nap. This lessens possible damage to the perch cluster, mirrors and levers.

[UK_Vstrom650]

Have you tried adjusting them to match? Could it be the previous owner didn't have them aligned and you've only just noticed?

[Gorillastrom]

Thank you all. I will check height to ground today but good to know that the height difference between left and right lever was not by design! Also thank you for understanding what is an almost incomprehensible message written in the early hours of the morning.
I don’t have handlebar raisers installed to answer your questions and I did buy the bike from a tall Ozzy bloke and I’m a small Italian bloke so there is a chance that he maybe wanted the brake lever further away.. but if the handlebar is bent then I’ll also have an answer. I will try to adjust them back to the same level because it definitely feels like an unnecessary stretch.  Cheers blokes.

[Upt North]

The hangdguards and levers can be a little tricky to get right. It could be the guard has twisted at the bar weight end when it became horizontal. But like the boys have said it's all adjustable.
Upt'North.

[Gorillastrom]

Brake lever adjusted. No big deal. At least now I don’t have to reach further to get to the front brake.
I was applying acf50 to my bike today when this piece came loose from the exhaust. Seems to have literally rotted away. Anyone know if a stainless steel replacement is available? I can’t see anything of the same design as this. On eBay I can find a Suzuki DL650 exhaust repair clamp but I’m not sure if it’s the correct part? Anyone have any idea?

[Rixington43]

If it's the clamp from one of the pipe joints then they're a known issue.
Measure the diameter where it was originally and look for Mikalor W4 clamps, they're fully stainless including the bolt and they open completely so they can be installed without any disassembly of the exhaust.

[Gorillastrom]

Thank you rixington. It is indeed a clamp from a pipe joint. OK I’ll do as advised.

[Gert]

https://www.v-strom.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=41533.0 may have a possible answer to question wrt the exhaust clamp on the 1st gen Vee / KLV.

[Gorillastrom]

Thanks Gerd,
Yes measured the pipe at 44-45mm at the section where the old one rotted away. Ordered mikalor w4 of the appropriate size. Should be with me tomorrow. Weather is shite in cambs anyway so I am in no hurry to ride.

[purplebikeunicorn]

IIRC my bike has punched marks on the stock handlebars indicating the "stock" control positions. They line up with a mark or the join between clamps (my memory is shocking at 2am).

"Stock" as they definitely do not suit everyone, and I've moved mine slightly for ergonomic reasons!