Ask me now, how many times I have bent my pedal… too many! Lucky on Xt660z both pedals are made out of thick steel, and not like aluminium pedals – can be bent back without breaking. Problem is, it’s so thick that it’s near impossible to bend it back by hand, and if that happens on the trail you are in big trouble!
I had mine bent backwards under the footrest, I had it wrapped around the footrest and anything in between…and that really sucks.. To stop that from happening ever again I decided to add a pedal anchor! “Pedal Anchor”, but sometimes called “Brake Snake” too for some reason.
What is a motorcycle gear/brake pedal anchor?
Motorcycle pedal anchor is basically a metal cable that connects the tip of the pedal to something solid like a bash plate, frame or sometimes engine case (personally I wouldn’t advise to anchor it to engine cases, I will explain that later).
What is the purpose of the motorcycle gear/brake pedal anchor?
In a motocross world it’s mainly used to stop branches and rocks getting stuck between the engine cases or frame and pedal itself, as that could cause unwanted breaking / gear change, or simply stuck pedal. But it also helps to keep the pedal where it should be, by preventing the pedal being bent back or away from the bike.
How to fit a motorcycle brake/gear pedal anchor.
Process is very simple. First need to drill a small hole on the pedal as close to the tip as possible, push the cable thru and crimp it. Anchor the other end on the bash plate or frame making sure that cable is not too long as it would serve no purpose, but at the same time it does not restrict the pedal movement! I would say the best way to find the spot to fit it would be by extending the imaginary line from the pedals pivot point past the middle of the pedals movement range (that’s between pedals upper and lowest position) and attach it to something solid. Here is a picture to show what I mean.
DIY motorcycle pedal anchor vs pedal anchor Kits.
There are few kits that are sold online, and I had one myself too. But after 1 off the cable itself got ripped apart and I still bent my brake pedal! After that I made my own that never failed me!
The truth is, it’s just a cable with a bit of metal tube squashed (crimped) on both ends! I bet even bigger gauge wire crimp connector could hold it in place well enough!
For the wire itself I used 3mm thickness stainless steel cable, but that’s a bit of an overkill and old clutch cable probably could do the job just as well. For reference, the kit that I had, came with a cable no thicker than 1mm, that’s more or less the thickness of the throttle cable, and for me – it wasn’t strong enough. To fit it to the bash plate used one of the old handlebar ends (shaped like a mushroom), obviously trimmed to size so it does not stick out too much!
…oh, and the reason why I would advise NOT to anchor it to the engine casing, because the last thing someone would like to have, is not only a bent or snapped pedal, but also a big hole in the engine!
Explore More!
- Story of my lovely Bombproof Yamaha XT660Z tenere!
- Yamaha XT660Z Bearing and Seal Sizes – cheat sheet!
- How to make motorcycles Cable Clutch lighter! (Part 1/3)
- Cheap ways to make your motorcycles clutch lighter! (Part 2/3)
All Yamaha XT660Z faults and hiccups that left me scratching my head.
- How to fix rattling headlight reflector
- How the regulator rectifier overcharged my Tenere’s battery.
- Funny oil leak, or how i lost 1 liter of oil in 500 miles.
- Funny story: how my XT660Z fuel reserve light tricked me, leaving me stranded!
- How the starter relay got fried twice on my xt660z!
- How I fixed a squeaky / rattly dash on my xt660z!
All Yamaha XT660Z Mods!
- Hole in the air filter box (for rear shock removal).
- Heed crash bars.
- Barkbusters.
- Protaper adventure Evo Handlebars.
- Rally style clamps and handlebar risers.
- Ultimate addons case and Touratech gps bracket.
- Folding mirrors.
- Clamp type of bracket for dash.
- Wind Buffeting modification.
- Toolbox.
- Storage box for First Aid Kit.
- Folding screen extension – Modified.
- Paintwork.
- Seat Hump Removed – Flat Seat Mod
- Dynojet Power Commander V and power mods.
- Foam Air filter.
- Ohlins 6nm springs.
- Hyperpro progressive spring.
- Swingarm bearing modification.
- Wiring loom – switch controls.
- Fiberglass under seat storage.
- Shortened rear brake pedal with anchor and welded folding tip.
- Extended Clutch actuator arm.
- Shortened brake and clutch levers.
- Pivot pegs.
- Fuel tank air bleed modification.
- Shortened Side Stand.
- Lowered Rear end.
- Suspension Grease Niples.
- Lucas Regulator Rectifier.
Explore More!
A list of posts about Bike Maintenance and General Modifications that might be Interesting to know!
General Modifications:
- Throttle Tamer Mods (4 ways to tame your horse!)
- Projector headlight conversion from right side road traffic to left and vice versa.
- How to make your own Exhaust or how to modify an existing one.
- Power Commander (PCV) and Thoughts on it.
- Brake Snake / Pedal Anchor – why and how!
- Lighter Clutch Mods:
- How to make motorcycles Cable Clutch lighter! (Part 1/3)
- Cheap ways to make your motorcycles clutch lighter! (Part 2/3)
- How to make a Hydraulic clutch lighter on your motorcycle! (Part 3/3)
- How to make Custom Clutch or Throttle Cables – Easier than you thought!
- How to make clutch lever lighter (Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Specific)
- Rear Suspension and Drive-Train:
- How to extend the life of Cush-Drive rubbers.
- The dangers of motorcycle lowering links, Important things to know!
- How to swap rear shock spring with no special tools!
- The Best Motorcycle chain lube!
- How to set motorcycle chain slack when suspension is not standard?
- How To Remove Stubborn And Hard To Reach Chain Adjuster Bolt
- The List of Most Useless Adventure Motorcycle Mods And Bling!
- Dangers of the lowering kits (things to know before Lowering your Bike!
Bike Maintenance:
- How to pass MOT the first time – every time!
- How to Maintain your motorcycle Locks (works with all locks!)
- Best Suspension Bearing Grease!
- What grease to use on your motorcycle?
- How to shorten Life of your wheel bearings! (Or what not to do to them!)
- Why should you grease your bolts! (And not only Bearings!)
- What is the best Chain Lube for your motorcycle?
- How to buy used Motorcycle – Free Guide.
