American Brakes

[steve.c]

Hi All. Can anyone answer this simple question for me please !!!.
I have bought a folding bike a while ago ( from China and for £199 ??? ) and very good it is to and does everything I want of it but when I put it together out of the box the brakes were the wrong way around it front brake on the left etc and when I contacted the importer they said they are all like that ??.
Anyway when doing some checking I find that China as well as the USA are the same but WHY ?? and must be awfully confusing as there motorcycles are standard right brake on right side!.
I can emagine hiring a bike over there and having a very bad fall because of the brakes??.
Anywhere else the same !!.
Regards Steve

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I believe it's the same in Europe. I must admit that it doesn't make sense when their motorcycles have the brakes the other way round.

I came unstuck once, when i bought a Chinese electric bike for a friend. It had rim brakes, which had quite a lot of bite. He let me have a go on it up and down the road, but when I came back to a stop, I applied the brakes in the normal way and went straight over the handlebars.

 

[Wander]

I believe it's the same in Europe.

Yep same in Europe.

I believe that the logic is when riding on the left you can indicate right (across traffic) & still have your left hand free to apply the rear brake.

So when riding on the right you can indicate left (across traffic) leaving your right hand free for rear braking.

I have seen boxes in bike dealers with big stickers on them reminding them that the brakes have to be changed around before supplying to the customer in accordance with a BS number.

 

[ghouluk]

Mine are reversed like this to get my trekking bars on without having to change hydraulic brakes cables....took a bit of getting used to but no major traunas....just about to buy a second bike so will see how switchinh between themgoes

 

[flecc]

We've often been the odd one out with handedness on two wheelers, brake levers being but one example.

Many years ago our motorcycles had right hand foot gear change, one up for bottom gear and the rest downwards, and left hand rear footbrake.

But from when the Japanese bikes arrived we had to get used to all of that reversed, even the gear up/down sequence being opposite.

Unlike with brake levers, that's nothing to do with the side of the road we use, since Japan also drives on the left.
.

 

[nashdm2]

My KTM has the brakes reversed also, are we saying that this is correct or that the dealer should have reversed them before supply? Thanks........

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

My KTM has the brakes reversed also, are we saying that this is correct or that the dealer should have reversed them before supply? Thanks........

All KTM's are built for the world market, so yes reverse to the UK way. However no UK dealer should be sending them out with them that way round. They should be changed before you ever see a bike.

So yes, if you've got the wrong way round, you've been let down by the dealer.

Sorry!

 

[nashdm2]

Thanks for the prompt update, appreciated. I guess the lines should have been swapped over then as the levers will not swap as the reservoirs have to stay upwards? Can you confirm I am right please, then if so, I will get them swapped over at the service next week. Thanks........

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

Yes, its a simple swap of the hoses, you just need an 8mm spanner to do it. Very easy job, that the store should have done before releasing the bike.

Just don't pull the levers when the hoses are disconnected and its a simple job.

 

[nashdm2]

Nice one, thanks very much, appreciated.......

 

[Kuorider]

Anything with brakes that you operate for the first time, give the brakes a couple of gentle tries to get the feel . Handbrake on a pram or toe brakes on Aircraft, same rule.