In the early days of the NABD each and every adaption had to be done 'from scratch'. However, over the past three or four years we have been able to obtain certain kits which simplify (and lessen the cost of) many types of adaptions. As the national committee has negotiated some rather good discounts on some of these kits, it is now common practice for us to buy them in batches and supply them as part of adaption grants. Also it is quite common for disabled riders who do not need the assistance of an NABD grant, to purchase these kits via the NABD to get them at the discounted cost.

In this article I will give you a brief description of these kits and their uses. At the moment we have six different types of kit:

• The Kliktronic Gear-changer

• The left-hand thumb brake

• The twin (or tandem) lever

• The Easy Clutch

• The hydraulic to cable conversion kit

• The left-hand throttle

(All kits come with a full 12-month manufacturer's guarantee). These kits can be fitted by yourself, but we usually recommend that you have a qualified engineer fit them for you.
Examples of all the kits we can supply as part of a grant are shown within this issue of Open House on bikes that have been adapted to the needs of disabled riders, and the photos on this page show what parts are supplied in the respective kits.

The Kliktronic Gearchanger
This is a product that was developed some years ago by Bob Sirett and Keith Holland at Kliktronic for Bob's son Carl who became paraplegic following a serious bike accident. It has since proven to be a godsend for countless other disabled bikers.
The kit is an Electro-mechanical device comprising of a main cylindrical double pole solenoid with a connecting rod extending form one end which when energised will extend or retract up to approximately 25mm from the central (neutral) position. Also supplied is an electronic control box, a complete wiring harness, handlebar mounted push-button switches spare button covers, and a solenoid mounting clamp (this clamp may not fit every bike so you may have to have another made to suit your bike). The push button switches come as standard to fit a 7/8" handlebar, but we can supply them to fit 1" handlebars as well. The kit is supplied complete and with fairly 'idiot proof' instructions.
There are a couple of other ways you can adapt a bike's gear changing. You can have a cross over linkage from the left to the right-hand side and have a heel and toe lever set-up for the gear change and rear brake. Or you can have a twin cable twist grip on the left-hand side of the bars and have the gear lever made with an extending rod facing to the rear. Then you connect the cables to either end of the rods, when you twist the grip one way it will change up a gear and the other way will change down a gear.

Thumb Brake Lever
This lever is at the moment only available to be mounted on the left-hand side of the bars, we are hoping to find one that will be universal, it is clamped around the bar by two bolts and uses about 5/8" of lateral room on the handlebars. There are no hydraulic pipes or reservoir supplied with this kit so you will need to purchase these to suit your particular machine.
Where the machine has a twin disc front braking system we recommend, having one front calliper connected to the thumb brake, and the other front calliper linked to the rear brake system with an adjustable pressure switch. But it is up to you if you fit it another way.

Twin (Tandem) Lever
The twin lever kits, which we can supply, will only work with motorcycles that have cable operated front brake and clutch. The kit consists of two levers mounted on a single handlebar clamp, and a couple of standard cable adjusters. There is also a switch for the horn and indicators. This lever kit can be used on either side of the handlebars for the brake and clutch.
If your bike has hydraulic operated levers, you can still have a twin lever system, but you will need to have an engineer build one up to suit your vehicle, similar to the one on the adapted bike in this magazine.

Easy Clutch
The easy clutch is a device that works with cable only operated brakes and clutches and not hydraulic ones.
This kit fits between the handlebar lever and the cable and should fit most bikes; it can be fitted at the other end of the cable if there is no room at the top end.
The easy clutch is a simple device that works when you pull the handlebar lever the cable pulls a pivoted lever inside the base unit, this lever can be adjusted internally by moving the pin to another hole, (simple but effective). It has proven very useful for riders with limited strength or mobility in their hands and fingers.

Hydraulic to Cable
This is a new product we have recently found, it actually utilises a clutch cable for trail bikes, but we have had it fitted to a brake system on a trike and also, as you will see in this magazine, used it to lighten the clutch on a bike.
The kit is designed to mount to a variety of motorcycles made by different manufacturers. It may prove necessary to combine and adjust specific pieces of the system for the best operation of your specific vehicle. A selection of different pieces is included in this kit to achieve the correct installation and operation, but you may need to make some parts. You get full fitting instructions with this kit. The hydraulic system can be bled if needed. The kit consists of a lever, master cylinder, hydraulic pipe leading to a slave cylinder, and a short piece of cable which attaches to the slave with a variety of different nipples and an adjuster.

Left Hand Throttle
The NABD normally use a second hand 'twin cable' throttle for use as a left hand throttle. It is easy to fit, as all you have to do is use the return cable as the throttle cable on the left side, (you may have to have a new nipple fitted to suit your bike). Obviously if your bike already uses a twin cable twist grip, you simply transfer it to the left bar and reverse the cables though you may have to alter the length of the cables or carefully re-route them.
You may also need the switch gear mounting on the left hand side of the bars, if the ones on your bike are fitted as part of the throttle unit, you can obtain second hand separate switches for this.

I hope this article has given you a better idea of some of the adaption techniques available nowadays. We are always on the lookout for new innovations, which will simplify adaptions for disabled riders. So if you come across a product that can be utilised in this way let us know.