Motorcycle gear levers and brake pedals

The gear lever and the rear brake pedal are the controls you work with your feet: the first on the left, to shift up and down, and the second on the right. Swapping them for aftermarket ones lets you set them up for your boots and riding position, replace one bent in a fall or add some colour around the footpegs. Almost everything in this section is made by Puig, in aluminium and for a specific model, plus one SW-MOTECH lever for the MV Agusta Enduro Veloce.

Why the stock ones do not always suit you

Factory pedals are positioned for an average foot in average footwear. With thick-soled adventure boots, the gear lever can sit so low that you have to force your toe under it; in trainers, the opposite happens and you lift your whole foot to change up. The brake is similar: set too high, you end up resting on it without meaning to on long rides; set too low, it takes longer to find. An adjustable tip solves both without touching anything else on the bike.

How to set them up for you

1. Sit on the bike in the boots you wear every day and put the ball of your foot on the peg, in your usual position.
2. Place the tip of the gear lever just below the toe of your boot, so you change up by rolling your ankle rather than lifting your leg.
3. Set the brake pedal at a height where your foot rests close to it without pressing, and you can brake with a short turn of the ankle.
4. Once done, check that the pedal returns fully to its stop when you let go and that the brake light comes on as soon as you start to press.

Model, version and what surrounds them

• Each part number fits certain models and years. Some cover several bikes built on the same base at once, such as the MT-09, Tracer 9 and XSR900, while others change between generations; the CB750 Hornet and CB1000 Hornet, for example, take different parts.
• Bikes with an automated gearbox, such as Yamaha's Y-AMT models, have no gear lever, but the brake pedal may be the same: the product name tells you.
• If your bike has a quickshifter, fit the lever without disturbing the sensor and check on a gentle test ride that it works both up and down the box.
• If you have moved the footpegs with relocating footpeg adapters, the pedals need to follow them: readjust the height of both.

Colours to match

Puig's have a non-slip surface and come, depending on the bike, in black, silver, blue, red, gold, green, orange or titanium. Since the gear lever and brake pedal are separate part numbers, you can match the colour of your footpegs or levers, or go for contrast. Every combination is listed under Puig gear and brake levers, and the Enduro Veloce part, with the rest of the brand, under SW-MOTECH.

Looking for the lever on the handlebar?

The front brake and clutch are operated by hand, and on scooters both brake levers sit on the handlebar. If that is what you need, see our motorcycle levers; and for somewhere to rest your feet, the motorcycle footpegs.