Quote Originally Posted by plantluvver
I really miss using the position on the upper bar of my drops, but I used to use ONLY those while a teenager. And I am scared to put my hands anywhere near them, cuz I will use them if they are there. I probably should just saw them off?

BTW, I want a kickstand on my bike. I don't care how "dorky" it is. However, I would like one that supports the bike stabily.
Mary
The old safety/suicide lever can be removed by unscrewing the large screw (star washer underneath it) that connects it to the side of the normal brake lever. This will leave a 1/2 inch post sticking out from the side of the lever. The post is not a functional problem, but will make it hard to use the top of the lever (but the levers have no rubber hoods anyway). When the safety levers were installed, a similar shorter post was removed from that spot. [I installed hundreds of those ### things back in the 70s - you couldn't talk people out of them.] If you remove them, you will probably need to tighten the brakes, since they kept the brake lever open by 1/4 inch all the time.

If you go with a kickstand on your bike, note that the length of the kickstand will change the lean and stability of the bike. The better alloy ones are cut to length with a hacksaw, so make sure it gets cut to fit your bike properly. Everybody wanted kickstands in the 70s too.