Mechanics’ real-life horror tales

Top mechanic John Birchall got a shock when he saw this brake lever lash-up

Abike’s brakes do an important job, so you’d expect all parts associated with this vital piece of kit to be in tip-top condition. John Birchall, of Stourbridge Motorcycles, recently found a brake lever that was most certainly not in tip-top-condition. He was amazed by this almost creative brake lever fix. What really smacked his gob was the fact he discovered this dastardly brake bodge had been carried on a motorcycle training school bike. Birchall, who has been fixing motorcycles for more than 20 years, said: “Not one bolt was the same on this broken lever. I find it amazing that the Suzuki Gladius was used by a riding instructor. You’d think he would know better and set a good example to his pupils.

“The bolts used were nasty and rusty. If this terrible fix had failed, the rider would have had no rear brake at all. It was a crazy bodge job, considering a new lever would have cost about £30 and it would have taken about half-an-hour to fix. “Of course, a pattern part would be cheaper, but you need to keep an eye on quality as levers are an important part of any bike. They should be regularly checked and kept well lubricated.”

The bike’s owner was suitably embarrassed when Birchall pointed out how easily this lever could have failed. Birchall added: “A bumpy road and lots of town centre riding, when the brake is used a lot, would soon vibrate those nuts and bolts loose and then who knows what might have happened?”

‘If this terrible fix had failed, there’d be no back brake’