Building some running boards for my 86 honda four trax 350.
Have the left side done and now I am starting on the right side but the foot brake is in the way. Thanking of removing it and just using the hand brakes .
Has any one removed it . Is it worth keeping.
heck yeah it's worth keeping !..lol. unless you just want to use tree's to stop ?..lmaoooo. I've seen many running boards on these models, and they never removed the foot brake lever ?..why should yours ?.
That is strictly up to you , around here the ground is flat and lots of water , drum brakes don't last long any way , you don't really need them , the engine rpm's will slow you down , a lot of people take the brakes completely off the bikes in the front and back -------me I like having brakes and replace the drums with disc when ever possible ------------ I have made floor boards before but not for a 86 350
I wouldn';t want a machine without brakes, that doesn't sound safe to me at all, things happen, things fall into trails, people step out, KIDS? dogs, SNAKES?
having brakes is a MUST deal for me
and after SO many yrs of riding Motorcycles, NOT having a foot brake would drive me nuts, its a more natural thing at times and a safety deal, as if a hand comes off a handlebar you can some times save yourself with the foot brake and vice versa?
I would imagine if a BAD accident happened a lawyer could come after you if you Removed it too, sounds like a long shot, but sadly this IS the world we now live in?
can see some jacka$$ stealing it, running into a tree and suing you for it? DON"T laugh, it is possible ?
never say never!
HAHA
when I ran one local farm, I was always getting folks trespassing and putting up treestands on the property
I would TAKE the stands and leave a NOTE saying if you want them back, call me!
But I will have you arrested for trespassing IF you did so, as that would PROVE they were trespassing according to local laws here!
I never once had anyone CLAIM a tree stand and some of them were a 300+ dollar stands!
and I GOT a lot of them, say 40+ over a 10yr period
I would hold them for a yr and then sell them
HEY< I tried to give them back !! HAHA!
HAHA
when I ran one local farm, I was always getting folks trespassing and putting up treestands on the property
I would TAKE the stands and leave a NOTE saying if you want them back, call me!
But I will have you arrested for trespassing IF you did so, as that would PROVE they were trespassing according to local laws here!
I never once had anyone CLAIM a tree stand and some of them were a 300+ dollar stands!
and I GOT a lot of them, say 40+ over a 10yr period
I would hold them for a yr and then sell them
HEY< I tried to give them back !! HAHA!
Back to brakes... I currently have no front brakes as I'm waiting for funds to allow me to buy a front disc conversion. My rear works in a fashion, it stops me if I plan ahead! An emergency stop would involve a fast down gear change! That said, I ride accordingly, I never whizz around because I like my bones in one piece.
So the answer is, yes, it's perfectly fine to remove your brake, just ride accordingly. If you trail ride your going to need brakes really, if your in mud bogs and ATV parks you'll probably be fine. Stay safe.
I prefer not to break my foot. My wife has a broken foot right now, and it is definitely not necessary. In fact, it's a hassle. I would suggest you avoid it.
History of brakes: Classic - one front hand lever on cable, one rear foot pedal on a rod. Now brakes "seem" redundant because there are two brake levers each for a front and back (hydraulic) and a rear brake pedal on a rod. Furthermore, when in 4 wd, all brakes are engaged from one lever.
Why would you need a rear brake connected by a rod to a pedal? Only if the hydraulics fail. How often do hydraulics fail? Only once per customer, because after that you are dead.
Just a couple of hints about installing floorboards.
You can easily keep the rear brake foot pedal: If you are installing solid type running boards you can install something like a 1/2 inch bolt thru a hole in the floor board for using the foot brake. If the foot brake is properly adjusted you only need about 3/4 inch of travel to activate the brake. Attach the bolt to the foot brake pedal.
I built some floor boards(foot guards) on my Yamaha 350 Big Bear and I used 1/2 inch steel dowel rod or you can use sucker rod or re-bar. Really easier doing this instead of building solid floorboards or using expanded metal type.
What made mine more user friendly to build was I used Electrical metal clad cable, 12/2 with ground, also called mc cable. It's corrugated aluminum and you can bend it by hand easily and it holds it's shape to make patterns. After using the MC cable to make my patterns I used a Oxy/Acetylene torch to make the bends I welded pieces of flat steel to the ends of the floor boards at the frame attaching points and where the clutch and brake pedal were located. (so as the foot guards can be completed unbolted when necessary) I used Black rustoleum truck bed liner to coat them after the fit was tested. I've been using them for about 6 years. Some have asked me where I bought those foot guards.
I'm going to do the same on my 86 Honda Fourtrax when I get some time. It appears it will be easier than the Yamaha.
Main reason I installed them on the Yamaha is I almost got a leg broken once and a ankle another time due to foot getting to the ground in front of the rear tire and sticks (limbs) getting caught in britches leg and pulling foot off of pedals to ground. Just happened to be going slow both times and just lost meat and bent bones instead of being broken (foot cannot go to the ground now in harms way in front of the tires or pedals) I ride the rig thru brush and woods where their is lots of ground debris and the foot guards will really reduce risk of foot and leg injuries.
One word of caution: When welding on and around anything that has electronic ignition: I unhooked the
Battery, both cables and always keep the ground welder lead real close to the arc point. So as to help eliminate stray current thru the frame of the equipment being welded on and less likely to damage electronic components.
Failure to take precautions with on board electronic equipment can result in expensive stuff being electrically damaged due to the welders stray currents.
:wink
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