Rider And Engineer Invents Clutch Pull Solution After Injury

Operating most conventional motorcycles requires you to physically be able to do certain things. What if you love to ride, but you literally lose your grip for any reason? Suddenly, it’s a lot more difficult to do a thing you once loved—unless you’re a retired engineer named John Mickowski. If that’s the case you decide to invent your way out of the problem instead. 

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Warwick, Quebec, is a small town not far from Montreal. It’s where Mickowski has his workshop—and where he first used his engineering skills to craft the Feather Lever. It’s a completely CNC machined component that bolts right onto Harley-Davidson motorcycles with hydraulic clutches. The magic part is, it reduces the force needed to pull your clutch in by a claimed 80 percent. 

Mickowski’s invention carries a pretty hefty price tag of $795, but you get a device that’s ready to go, and can be installed with just some regular hand tools and a couple of hours of your time. 

It’s only an option for Harleys right now, so if you’re riding anything else you’re out of luck. No mention has been made of plans to create a similar system to fit other bikes, either.

Browse just about any motorcycle forum, regardless of your bike’s make or model, and you’ll find a variety of threads with riders discussing how to make your clutch lever pull experience easier. Other after-market parts manufacturers offer various clutch kits for both cable and hydraulic pull force reduction, at various price points. 

Mickowski wanted to keep riding post-injury, so he found a way to do exactly that. Since so many motorcyclists have any number of other interests and areas of expertise in their lives, it’s also incredibly heartening that he used his skill set to create something that could help other riders, as well. Here’s hoping that his example can inspire riders to not let a little thing like an injury get in the way of continuing to do what they love.

Screencap from Feather Lever promotional video on YouTube.

Sources: The Record Online, Feather Lever