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if you've made the switch to floor boards....

4K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  NorTex 
#1 ·
was there a learning curve or getting used to them or something?

the new bike i got has them. i haven't gotten much riding in (a trip around the block truthfully), but i'm really not liking them.

the shifter seems too high above the board. i feel almost like i'm doing some kind of calf exercise to upshift. i guess i'll experiment with lowering it, but i can see maybe blocking the shifter's downward motion for down shifting to get it to a comfortable spot to upshift.

on the brake side, i can either rest my foot on the pedal, but risk a little brake drag and/or having the brake light on without knowing it. if i leave it on the board i have to slide my foot up to use the brake, but that feels like it's messing with my reaction time.

maybe i'll get used to it, but right now i'm considering finding some regular pegs and levers. do i need to give it some time? thanks.
 
#4 ·
When I got my spirit it had floorboards. I wasn't sure I was going to like them, but now that I've gotten use to them, I love 'em. Adjust your shifter and brake pedal to suit your needs if they're not where you want them.
 
#6 ·
Yup boards need the shifter height set.... and for the boot thickness too, should be easy

Some go heel toe shifter so its not so sensitive on boot thickness

You do need to adjust things to fit you for sure :)
 
#7 ·
If you get floorboards, definitely get heel-toe shifters. So much more comfortable than the standard set-up. Also more accommodating of bigger boots like my size 14 steel-toes. It's also fun to screw on a piece of titanium to the bottom of them and watch the sparks fly in the twisties.
 
#8 · (Edited)
heel-toe shifters meh, forget 'em. lots of bagger guys take the factory heel shifters off their bikes because they're pretty awkward. a properly adjusted "toe" or normal shift lever should work plenty well and be comfortable to use.
 
#10 ·
If you wear different boot it can be a pain with a std shifter...... I still have std and will probably stay that way but upshifting with my work boots is a PITA, sweet with the bike boots, I can live with it and as I ride dirt bike as well I dont think I would get used to heel shifting :p
 
#9 ·
my heel shifter is all i use for up-shifting since installed in the beginning of the year.

i designed the heel shifter for my bike and had scootmods make it for me.

Didn't like the way the brake pedal restricted my foot from being fully on the floorboard
so i reformed and re-chromed it.

Floorboards are great but the foot cannot pivot to shift quite the same as it did with Pegs at least with me i had to lift my leg to shift which i didnt like, hence the heel shifter.
 
#11 ·
i just can't see myself liking a heel shifter. prejudice I guess, but I'm not interested in even trying it. I guess i'll be trying to adjust the levers when I get the chance, but probably also looking at the other model with regular pegs, to see how hard/expensive it will be to switch.
 
#17 ·
Added Cobra floorboards to my '05 Spirit. Yes, it took some time to adjust - about 20 minutes.

I kept my fwd controls, so really my floorboards only act as secondary foot position. And they are fantastic. It made the bike incredibly more comfortable, for what it is. They did not work magic, and I eventually went to a larger bike designed for long distance.
 
#18 ·
well i got another shot at it today. i think i can adjust.

bettween buying it just before a cold snap, and catching a cold myself, i've still barely ridden it. i walked out just brfore going to work and found we were getting a tempeture reprieve (if i didn't still have this cold lingering i might have tried a ride to work). so i got a couple mile attempt in and tried some different foot positions. if i have just my heel (more or less) on the board i can swing my foot pretty decent. bringing the lever down a bit ought to take care of the rest. my foot worked a little more automaticly on the brake side so hopefully i can eventually adapt.

so one mod i may not have to do.
 
#19 ·
I initially had the some problems with the Cobra floorboards and the position of the brake and toe shifter. That is until I went to my local bike shop and asked them to adjust everything the way I liked it. Cost was $50. Now, the floorboards are super comfortable and I have better control of my cycle as a result.
 
#20 ·
I must be getting old. I am at a point in my life where if I'm comfortable with what I have, I try not to mess with it too much. I've never rode a bike that had anything other than pegs. I love the stock position of my pegs on my 05 Spirit 1100; I don't need forward controls for sure at only 5 foot eight, and on the highway, my heels sit on the pegs and my toes are on the crash bars, or as I call them, a poor man's highway pegs. I wear good boots and never feel fatigue from the pegs and I often ride 500 plus kms per day. I put about 15500 kms on my Honda this past season and about 3500 miles on my Suzuki S40...the Honda is Canadian, while the S40 is American, and I love my pegs. I guess I could always get used to boards, but why pay the big money when I'm already happy? Just the mounting hardware is ridiculously priced up here in Canada. I'm not knocking those who love boards...just offering personal observations here.
 
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