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/5 Brake pedal switch?

barrettnjones

New member
Happy Weekend.
Quick question/topic.
I'm installing new, aftermarket exhaust and the factory brake pedal hangs too low and is in the way. I noticed that mid to late '80s brake pedals don't hang as low.
Has anyone tried swapping? Will the newer pedal mount on a /5?
See pictures:


Old pedal
 

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I'm thinking of mounting exhaust like this R80 but need to raise the brake pedal.
 

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hard tellin', not knowin'...

Hey Barrett

Just looking at the off-set between the two pedals (or lack of..) it doesn't look like the R80 pedal would get you much clearance, and being "outboard" of the frame (assuming that you would adapt it to fit on the existing brake pedal mounting tube) it would not exert a straight-line pull on the brake arm. And that doesn't address the difference in mounting hardware either.

found a closer look at the R80 pedal mount

143807_10740814_1985_BMW_Motorcycle.jpg
Brakemount_zps2e93029b.jpg
 

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Last edited:
Sorry to resurrect an ancient thread, but I'm having a problem just like this, only reversed!

I have a new-to-me '86 r80 with aftermarket mufflers. There isn't a crossover/collection box. Instead, the headers simply connect directly to the mufflers under the foot pegs. As a result, the brake pedal hits the muffler before it can lock up the rear wheel. It looks like the previous owner actually ground a bit of material off the bottom of the brake pedal to add some extra clearance.

I can back out the pedal angle adjustment bolt to lift the pedal as high as possible, which then allows me to lock the wheel, but then the pedal is so high that I can barely get my toe onto it as it's nearly touching the bottom of the carb! It'd be totally unusable if I was wearing riding boots.

I was also wondering if an older style brake pedal would be a solution, the type that drops behind and back around the muffler.

This photo shows a beautiful solution, but I don't have the talent to fabric such a fancy pedal...

http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2014/10/19/1985-bmw-r80-st-by-fuel-motorcycles.html#.VTpwFa1Viko

I see bikes of similar vintage all the time with aftermarket mufflers but can't seem to figure out how their pedals work.

I could possibly bend the brake pedal into a better location, or also possibly bend the header so the muffler doesn't point up quite so high. Beyond that, I'm lost.
 
/5 brake

And the reason you want to be able to lock up the /5 rear brake is.........................?

Friedle
 
I don't have a /5, I have an '86 r80. I didn't mean that I intend to lock it up while riding, I mean I want my brakes to have the ability to lock it up.

In other words, I want my rear brake to have the capability to engage to the point of lockup. Of course, while riding I don't want the rear to lock and loose control. But as it is right now, my brake can't get even close to the point of lock up. Engine braking provides substantially more resistance than the rear brake, only because the pedal cannot be pushed down further as a result of the aftermarket mufflers interfering.

Right now, my rear brake is essentially non-functional. In my mind, a functional brake means one that has the ability to be applied to the point of lock-up. It's my responsibility as the driver to make sure it doesn't lock, not an ill-configured brake!
 
Hey and welcome aboard......No, short of a big hammer, a torch, or a bender I don't have an answer for you. Maybe with a bit of heat you can do something; but understand that those levers are most often aluminum and don't bend with much dependabilty.........Mainly what I am writing about to you is to advise you that ALL of us don't welcome new folks with a smart mouth attitude......Sorry about that.......It is obvious that you know enough to NOT lock up your brake and are trying to get your bike so that at least you can use that rear brake........God bless.........Dennis
 
Brake pedal switch

Sorry for thinking you had a /5. I was just quickly looking at the thread title.

Have you tried making any adjustments at the other end of the brake pedal, the wing nut adjuster at the end of the brake rod or the adjustment of the rear brake arm on the splined input of the rear brake cam or checking the thickness of the brake shoes.

Glad to hear that at least you are not trying to deliberately trying to lock up the real wheel.

Friedle
 
This photo shows a beautiful solution, but I don't have the talent to fabric such a fancy pedal...

Fuel_BMW_R90_02.jpg
attachment.php


The OEM pedal is a cast part and probably not a good candidate for trying to cold bend. Heating it to help bend it is also not a good idea. Aluminum, unlike steel, doesn't give much indication of how hot it is.
With steel you can gauge by the "orange-ness" of the heat, with aluminum it looks pretty much the same until it turns into a puddle of molten metal.

That doesn't look too difficult to fab; getting the bore diameter correct is the most critical part. Perhaps pickup another OEM pedal and TIG a new piece of aluminum bar stock onto it? I'd think
most competent welding shops could work this through with you, and some photos of similar rigs (like the one above). It would probably be easier to do in steel.

Can you post a couple of pics of your current setup?
 
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