hand brake

[rays hell]

Is a $1400 hand brake from ISCI my only option for my 13 RTS ?
I've seen some of the threads where owners have fabricated their own, but unfortunately I'm not that mechanically inclined.

[Chupaca]

wow..$1400.00 for a hand brake seems excessive. The fact that they do not work as well as the foot and for emergency stops need help of the foot brake. I have learned to live without. Dosen't seem that they are that costly for earlier years...

[Fat Crip]

I don't find the price as objectionable as the fact that it really isn't as sharp as it should be.

[jcthorne]

I looked hard at buying one of these. For the price I convinced myself to REALLY try and learn to use the foot brake as intended. Was frustrating at first, grabbing air instead of a brake handle. But only did that a few times and has not happened in a long time. Your brain will retrain to use the foot brake just like you do in a car. Its a lot cheaper than spending $1400 because you don't want to go through the learning curve. Really no different than learning to steer again. These are not 2 wheel motorcycles and do not drive like one.

[stewartj239]

I just installed the ISCI hand brake over the winter and I too was having trouble justifying the cost. What I can say is that it is a quality product. It works exceptionally well and I NEVER use the rear brake pedal now. I do all of my stopping using just the hand brake.

My main reason for buying it is that I am coming off of two wheels and could not get used to not having the front brake lever there. In addition, I feel that it is safer because I always ride with my finger on the front brake and the reaction time for getting on the brakes is much better than relying on just the foot brake.

[stewartj239]

they must made significant improvements/changes for you to be able to solely rely on the handbrake.

Roger - I'm assuming this is directed to my comment. I can't compare my ISCI hand brake to prior version(s), but my previous street bike had linked brakes, so I got accustomed to braking using only the front brake. I am able to do that with the Spyder now. The ISCI does require a heavy hand for quick stops, but it is totally doable. Even on the MX bikes, for light braking situations, I only use the front brake. It might boil down people's habits.

[Bob Denman]

The quality of ISCI's braking pieces makes it worth every penny of the price!
If you want to save money; buy cheaper toilet paper!
Don't scrimp on something like brakes...

[ARtraveler]

Like most accessories, the price is always up there. Many people use it out of necessity. If I needed one, I would not hesitate going with the ISCI. Would rather pay a premium price for the "best" than take a chance with second best.

[TuckMiddle]

I got a Spyder due to my back, right hip, and shoulder and lots of arthritis. I got the ISCI installed at their place in Montgomery. What a classy bunch of super people. At first, the original hand grip was way too far forward, so my handy dandy ATV shop heated it up and made it almost 50% closer, but didn't hit the grip with a full application. After using it as an exercise device for a while, I got more strength in my right hand and it' turned out to be pretty good. The new lever they have available has probably brought it up to 80% effectiveness. In a panic, your right foot better be there, but for normal stops the lever alone is ok in most cases. The end result of getting the Spyder is that my hip hardly ever acts up and I would probably be comfortable without the hand brake. Glad it's there though. Also, with the Utopia back rest, the Spyder is the most comfortable "chair" we own. If you still have pretty good use of your right hand, and elbow, ISCI should be fine. I also bought their double flag holder and it's machined as well as anything you've ever seen. Pay the bucks and get the long holder, puts the flags up behind the rear trunk, not below it. 43,000 miles of smiles since Sep 2011.
Tuck

[ARCTIC]

The handbrake kit and the ISCI crew are absolutely top notch. I have called them a few times to bounce ideas off of them and their customer service is great. I'm 100% reliant on the handbrake to keep me out of harms way due to an injury. Their brake kits are the only way some of us owners can ride and the price is part of the equation of owning a spyder. I've ridden 5,000 miles(ish) with the handbrake. I've adjusted it to it's absolute max and built my own custom brace to take some flex out of the mounting brackets. I can get it to 95%(ish) of what the foot pedal will do. I have noticed in emergency situations you have more strength in your grip and I've been able to engage the anti-lock brakes

[jcthorne]

they must made significant improvements/changes for you to be able to solely rely on the handbrake.

Good point, and the way I wrote it sure sounds that way. No, I always used both but would never call myself an expert at modulation between the two. Did get used to not having the had control.

The spyder is not front and rear, its all 3 at the same time proportioned by the ABS system.

[Fat Crip]

Arctic, I'm interested in what you've done to get the best out of yours. I am 100% reliant on mine as my right leg is paralysed and find the hand brake OK most of the time, but I worry about what would happen in an emergency.

Eric


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[mpsicon]

I installed a ISCI brake on my "12 RT, just because I've spent 30+years learning and using the right hand for braking (and also throttle). I still have and use my two wheeler as much as the spyder, and don't want to lose any skill I have learned.

[jerpinoy]

It will cost you less if you just learn the foot pedal brake. JMHO.

[stewartj239]

The only reason the front hand brake isn't there is because BRP was too damn cheap to put it on. There are only pros for having it, just like on a real motorcycle. For a machine that is supposed to attract people accustomed to riding on 2 wheels, BRP marketing totally missed the boat on that one.

[stewartj239]

The only reason the front hand brake isn't there is because BRP was too damn cheap to put it on. There are only pros for having it, just like on a real motorcycle. For a machine that is supposed to attract people accustomed to riding on 2 wheels, BRP marketing totally missed the boat on that one.

In addition, isn't the Spyder marketed toward older motorcyclists who no longer want to or can't balance on two wheels as well as people who have handicaps / disabilities? I know there are plenty of people on this forum with hip, leg and foot problems. Wouldn't the Spyder be more enticing to those people if they offered the hand brake? I hope BRP marketing is reading .....

[jcthorne]

The only reason the front hand brake isn't there is because BRP was too damn cheap to put it on. There are only pros for having it, just like on a real motorcycle. For a machine that is supposed to attract people accustomed to riding on 2 wheels, BRP marketing totally missed the boat on that one.

I completely disagree. Its a Band-Aid and has no real purpose except for handicap applications. The ONLY reason motorcycles have separate hand and foot brakes is that the technology to correctly proportion front to rear braking across all conditions with a single control did not exist until the last decade or so. Can Am decided to make a clean break with the old tech and controls, just as they did with the steering, stability control and transmission. Even with the add on hand brake handle, there is no manual proportioning, its just activating the same brake control as the foot pedal. IE its redundant and a band aid approach. Learn to ride the new vehicle and its not needed. Its evolution. Hand shifters disappeared from bikes long ago too.

[NancysToy]

I completely disagree. Its a Band-Aid and has no real purpose except for handicap applications. The ONLY reason motorcycles have separate hand and foot brakes is that the technology to correctly proportion front to rear braking across all conditions with a single control did not exist until the last decade or so. Can Am decided to make a clean break with the old tech and controls, just as they did with the steering, stability control and transmission. Even with the add on hand brake handle, there is no manual proportioning, its just activating the same brake control as the foot pedal. IE its redundant and a band aid approach. Learn to ride the new vehicle and its not needed. Its evolution. Hand shifters disappeared from bikes long ago too.

I have to agree with you. While the hand brake on a Spyder may be useful for some riders with disabilities, it is unnecessary for the vast majority. People don't complain that the throttle isn't a foot pedal when they switch from their cars, so adapting to different controls on different types of vehicles shouldn't be a problem. It's all a matter of adjusting to the vehicle at hand...sort of like learning where the radio knobs are when you drive your wife's car.

[bullant12]

I completely disagree. Its a Band-Aid and has no real purpose except for handicap applications. The ONLY reason motorcycles have separate hand and foot brakes is that the technology to correctly proportion front to rear braking across all conditions with a single control did not exist until the last decade or so. Can Am decided to make a clean break with the old tech and controls, just as they did with the steering, stability control and transmission. Even with the add on hand brake handle, there is no manual proportioning, its just activating the same brake control as the foot pedal. IE its redundant and a band aid approach. Learn to ride the new vehicle and its not needed. Its evolution. Hand shifters disappeared from bikes long ago too.

Although most of your braking power comes from the front, BRP made the Spyder with full anti-lock brakes similar to a car (as well as the Dynamic Power Steering, but that is another post), and the human leg (if not handicapped) has more power to apply pressure than the human hand.

In addition, isn't the Spyder marketed toward older motorcyclists who no longer want to or can't balance on two wheels as well as people who have handicaps / disabilities? I know there are plenty of people on this forum with hip, leg and foot problems. Wouldn't the Spyder be more enticing to those people if they offered the hand brake? I hope BRP marketing is reading .....

Although BRP did make the Spyder a stable vehicle and a blessing for most people who cannot ride on 2 wheels, catering to a specific type of handicaps (missing right leg so add a hand brake for them) is not a marketing mistake. I hate to say this, but there is not a single handicapped person in BRP's promotional campaigns nor have they ever mention specific markets that they specifically target. BRP has been doing the Spyder without a handbrake since 2008 and I believe that there is no legit reason to do it when there are companies that can convert the Spyder to a person's needs.

[Fat Crip]

I thought the point of the foot brake was to sell to car drivers without two wheel experience.


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[Pennyrick]

In addition, isn't the Spyder marketed toward older motorcyclists who no longer want to or can't balance on two wheels as well as people who have handicaps / disabilities? I know there are plenty of people on this forum with hip, leg and foot problems. Wouldn't the Spyder be more enticing to those people if they offered the hand brake? I hope BRP marketing is reading .....

BRP didn't miss a thing IMO.

The machine is sold as a Roadster, not as a motorcycle. It isn't ridden like a motorcycle and in many places it isn't licensed as one. The farther away that BRP removes it from being a motorcycle enhances their opportunity to sell to their target markets. A fully integrated foot braking system coupled with the VSS system is an engineering delight.

We added the ISCI handbrake to my wife's RT but if she didn't have a disability that requires that type of assistance it would not be needed. Even then, without some kind of power assist there in no way the hand brake can out perform a foot brake.

Stewart... I guess you think they ought to put the hand throttle and hand choke controls back in automobiles as well?

[stewartj239]

Guys. I'm just expressing my opinion like the rest of you. As I've said before, the main reason for me adding the hand brake was for quicker response time. The hand brake accomplishes that without a doubt. There is no way a finger on the brake lever is slower than you having to lift your foot and apply the brake with it. Also coming off 2 wheels, you are still going to ride the Spyder like a motorcycle. It is natural especially if you've got the SM transmission. I appreciate that many of you defend the front hand brake by not being there, but I am on the other side of the fence. People can make their own decisions about what is important to them.

[daveinva]

I've always been completely okay with the footbrake, but I've often suggested a darn good reason for adding handbraking: when taking a trike hard into a corner, since the trike doesn't lean but *you* do, from time to time a Spyder rider will inevitably find themselves out of position to easily use the footbrake in a corner. There are times it's simply impossible to use the footbrake in a corner without upsetting your center of gravity atop the Spyder.

And, considering that, unlike a two-wheeler, since it's perfectly safe on the Spyder to (almost) always use significant braking in a corner, the lack of a handbrake to modulate said braking feels not only hits performance, it's also a potential safety consideration (i.e., when you're surprised by a giant turkey vulture strutting in the middle of a blind forest corner, as I once was, I'd really be happier having a handbrake in easy reach than having to awkwardly shift in mid-corner to stomp on the brake pedal! ).

That said, for me, it ain't ever been *close* to worth $1400 to address. For $300... maybe.

[stewartj239]

Stewart... I guess you think they ought to put the hand throttle and hand choke controls back in automobiles as well?

What was the point of this post?

[stewartj239]

I've always been completely okay with the footbrake, but I've often suggested a darn good reason for adding handbraking: when taking a trike hard into a corner, since the trike doesn't lean but *you* do, from time to time a Spyder rider will inevitably find themselves out of position to easily use the footbrake in a corner. There are times it's simply impossible to use the footbrake in a corner without upsetting your center of gravity atop the Spyder.

And, considering that, unlike a two-wheeler, since it's perfectly safe on the Spyder to (almost) always use significant braking in a corner, the lack of a handbrake to modulate said braking feels not only hits performance, it's also a potential safety consideration (i.e., when you're surprised by a giant turkey vulture strutting in the middle of a blind forest corner, as I once was, I'd really be happier having a handbrake in easy reach than having to awkwardly shift in mid-corner to stomp on the brake pedal! ).

That said, for me, it ain't ever been *close* to worth $1400 to address. For $300... maybe.

Another good example of what I'm talking about. I had two instances last summer of similar scenarios as I was trying to learn how to rely solely on the rear brake pedal. After the second one, I decided it wasn't worth it.