Bent Clutch Lever

so finally (after 4 days) the inevitable happened. I dropped the bike from a standstill while I was taking a break off road (still a beginner, stopped sideways on a slope and my foot didn't get a good hold so couldn't hold the bike... and whack it fell although I did slow it a bit).

Anyway bike is still in perfect condition except for the clutch lever. At first I was worried about the plastics and chassis but I swear it doesn't even have a single scratch.

Bad news is the clutch lever bent slightly and the whole clutch plus mirror slid on the handlebar, leaving a nasty scratch.

Apart from finding out that in the tool kit exactly that key is missing, I managed to find a farmer with the right key. Anyway the clutch is still useable. Works fine except that since its bent toward the handlebar, its "leverage" is greatly reduced. (it's now perfect for someone with tiny hands).

Anyway my question, did anybody manage to bend the lever back in place after a drop without breaking it. reading online on motorcycle sites I found that some claim it worked for them dozen of times, others say it broke everytime. So I guess it's also related to the brand of the clutch lever and so here I am.

Any info on any experience of doing this to the R/X would be great :)!

another quick question. I need to pain/spray paint/colour the scratched part of the handlebar but am unsure how I am supposed to find the right colour. Is there a specific colour code for it I could take to a shop? Could I find it anywhere?

Thanks for helping me out!

and for future reference, the first mod on a bike like this should be hand guards. which are now on the top of my list!

bigg wrote:

another quick question. I need to pain/spray paint/colour the scratched part of the handlebar but am unsure how I am supposed to find the right colour. Is there a specific colour code for it I could take to a shop? Could I find it anywhere?

Thanks for helping me out!

and for future reference, the first mod on a bike like this should be hand guards. which are now on the top of my list!

+1 on hand guards - they are also great for hitting cager's mirrors in traffic!! Hand guards also keep you warm in winter.
Clutch lever: my guess is you'll crack the casting.... You could try some heat, but not very confident.....
Colours: You could try matching RAL colour code at a paint shop, but I think the cheapest method is to strip down bars & re-spray with the colour of your choice.

I've never seen anyone successfully unbend one.

my experience is they always break on the rebend.

The lever will break every time unless you use heat. I take mine off and use a propane torch to get it really hot then straighten it out with a rubber mallet.

Actually, I've bent these very same Yamaha levers back into proper shape dozens of time with success.
The thing is to not go overboard and to use two big box wrenches, one to hold the lever steady, and one to do the actual bending.
No heat or anything else required.

The WR-250R and WR-250X come stock with a clutch lever that's been on Yamaha motorcycles since 1983, so they've been bent a million times, I'm sure.

Scratch on the handlebar?
Personally, I'd clean off any paint flakes or dirt, reposition your clutch lever perch where you want it, and carry on.
No need to be worried about what happened.
For off-road riders, this is fairly routine.

YZEtc wrote:

Actually, I've bent these very same Yamaha levers back into

Scratch on the handlebar?
Personally, I'd clean off any paint flakes or dirt, reposition your clutch lever perch where you want it, and carry on.
No need to be worried about what happened.
For off-road riders, this is fairly routine.

On one part the scratch is deep enough to see the actual metal surface. If I leave it like it is I'm afraid it'll rust quickly. If it was a superficial scratch I wouldn't mind. Not trying to fix aesthetics, just want to make sure it doesn't rust on that spot