Broken 105 shifter

Question

Yesterday I went for a ride and unfortunately, as it was kind of wet, my wheel slipped while braking into one corner and I crashed. Speed of the crash was around 20 kmph (12 mph) (nothing crazy, most of the braking was done already) so I slid maybe 2 meters on the asphalt. When I stood my bike up I noticed the right shifter is broken. Luckily (as it was exactly in the midpoint of my ride) it was broken quite clean and under the rubber sleeve so when I put it back together shifting worked perfectly and braking was ok.
So my questions are. Could this be a quality control issue, as the crash really wasn't heavy in any way, bike slipped, I fell stood up and went again?
Does anyone have any experience with broken shifters? And if not, as the shifting mechanism isn't damaged, only the plastic housing, does anyone have tips - what glue and so, on how to repair it?
Thanks a lot.

David D · Accepted Answer

Sadly, all I have is bad news.

It's not a quality control issue. It may not have felt like much of a crash but that lever was hit hard.
There is no way to fix it. The plastic shell is part of the structure of the lever, not just a cover. It also provides a human / machine interface with a particular shape and feel. If you glue it back together it won't be strong enough to handle normal use. If you glue it and try to add structural support it will be uncomfortable to use.

EDIT:
Here is an exploded diagram and a parts list
It's for an ST-1055 but it's similar
Part 16 is called "R.H. Lever Bracket" or "L.H. Lever Bracket"
Searching for the part number in the diagram revealed nothing.
Searching for part number "Y8ZG98050" returned some results that might be helpful

Criggie · Answer

That's your brake lever - a critical part of the braking system.   If you glued the parts together, there's every chance they may separate under heavy braking.
Do not bodge it - a complete replacement is the only decent solution.
You may want to keep the shattered parts as spares - items like plastic covers may prove useful someday.
As to why it broke like that - I suspect your slide was the cause.  If the bike slid with the handlebars backward, the lever may have caught a stone or similar and been wrenched "forward" because the usual effect is for the brake to rotate around the bars.
For finding a replacement, you should check out local auction sites, and search out if there are any specialist bike wreckers in your city/country.
Your tolerance for variations will affect your perception of the bike.  I rode for a while with one black and one silver brifter, and while they worked perfectly, it was visually jarring.   You might be best-off to buy a pair of brifters (new or used), and sell your old one and the parts.
Mind the slippery slope of upgrades though - you might choose to move to 12 speed but that means a new derailleur, chain and cassette, which may mean a new wheel, etc etc etc.

Broken 105 shifter

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