Boot dragging on asphalt when cornering

[radman]

I had the same issue-early on I simply removed my feet. Turned out there were better alternatives which were suggested by the knowledgeable ones here. Had I sought their counsel early on, and heeded the sage advice offered, getting to the bike consequently would have been much simplified. As well as shifting and/or trail braking.

 

[bandit]

My brother in law had this same problem I watched him ride adn realized he wasnt getting back on the balls of his feet after shifting. Once hse started moving his feet around accordingly, he started dragging the peg, not his boots.

 

[palerider]

I match your specs exactly, except I'm a lot better looking and more buffed, and oh yeah, smarter an' stuff. But I digress....
After taking the Reg Pridmore CLASS advanced-skills course at Infineon, at his recommendation, and because my buddy JWhite518 also recommended it, I've been riding for a couple years now with my toes on the pegs all the time (I guess some people stupidly call that the "balls of your feet," but my feet don't have balls, and it sounds stupid and is counterintuitive, so I never use that expression. I also never wear white tennis shoes with blue jeans, because it makes a person look like a c lown, and of course it's how you can always tell an American tourist in Europe, but that may also be a digression.... But I do wanna add I also never wear white tennis shoes while riding a motorcycle, but not everyone who rides feels the same way).

When you need to shift or brake you move your foot into position to do that, then get your toes back up there. This lets you move your body around much more effectively. You're more nimble, not flat-footed like a Harley guy. :glare: Also, you're set to go into curves. Like anything, you get used to it and begin to rely on it. Now that I'm taking my 6-1 son to work every day, and he forces me forward, and we have limited shared peg room, I have to ride flat-footed and hate it. I feel vulnerable.

Anyway, give it a try, and remember, it's your toes not your balls, and never wear white tennis shoes with blue jeans. Your wife will thank you, and you will not get laughed at by Europeans.

Jb

Europeans are gay.

 

[jackplanet514]

"Pegs are for feet

The footpeg is exactly that, a peg for your foot. It is not supposed to be something to scrape across the ground all the time. While it's usually the first thing on a bike that will touch the ground when you reach the limits of lean angle, it's not supposed to be dragged along the road as a matter of course.

Yes, it looks and feels cool to drag pegs. Yes, Joe Racer uses it as a measure of how well he's cornering. But aside from coolness and street cred, scraping pegs doesn't really serve much purpose.

The reason pegs have feelers is to make sure they're the first thing to touch down. The reason most footpegs are on springs is so they don't lever the bike off the ground when they touch. That doesn't mean they're supposed to be used that way.

Treat scraping the peg as you would a warning light on the dash: it tells you that you leaned too far this time. Ideally you want to have the bike skim along with clear space of half an inch or so between the peg and the road. Any closer than that and you run the risk of a bump -- or imprecise throttle -- bouncing the bike off the road. The peg scraping says, "you got away with it this time." Next time, use less lean angle: take a later apex, so the bike's unwound more to vertical at that point in the road, or slow down so you don't scrape when you flick the bike into the corner."

-- https://www.foreven.com/trackdod/NoviceGuide/

 

[Toecutter]

Treat scraping the peg as you would a warning light on the dash: it tells you that you leaned too far this time.

During the 36 ride, I did touch one down, as a result of momentary loss of focus. It was a screw-up on my part and a wakeup call to get my head fully back into my fundamentals....

 

[zenwhipper]

You might try raising the seat to the high position (if you don't already ride that way - 6'2" is pretty tall). This would have the affect of pulling in your knees toward the bike and causing less foot splay to the outside. Just a thought.

Scott

 

[Big Sky]

Quote" "I also never wear white tennis shoes with blue jeans, because it makes a person look like a clown, and of course it's how you can always tell an American tourist in Europe, but that may also be a digression.... But I do wanna add I also never wear white tennis shoes while riding a motorcycle, but not everyone who rides feels the same way)."

Uh oh, so I suppose my white patent leather shoes and white belt with plaid slacks is a fashion faux pas too?

What about red cowboy boots with the jeans tucked in?

Damn, I never get it right.

 

[Philip V]

Only solution I can think of is to lop off about 4 inches of each foot.... but somehow that just doesn't sound practicle :dribble: :dribble: :dribble:

 

[Foxhuntr]

The FJR's pegs touch down earlier for me than the FZ1 or the ST1100 I had earlier. I have my suspension adjusted per the Ashe recommendations and I like the way the bike handles. I quickly learned to get my toes on the peg in corners to avoid wearing out the edges of my boots. Now I can judge fairly well and get my feet up early enough in the corner, and I can usually tell when a peg is about to scrape so I can back off a little or at least not be surprised by it. By the way I'm skinny and have small feet!

I'm sure after a few thousand miles you'll adjust to it.

 

[mcatrophy]

...Like they told us in track class, make the gear choice, stick with it, if it was the wrong one, learn from it the next time you approach the turn.

...

Rules are made for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise.

If you want to change gear or brake in a corner, and it's safe, why not? Add it to your skill set for when it's appropriate.

This from a heterosexual and a European (I'm British really, didn't want to be a "European") who likes to be able to recognise our friends from across the pond.

 

[Geezer]

As a couple of others have said, get into the habit of moving your feet back on the pegs and in close to the frame so that your toes are not hanging lower than the foot peg. Over time I have gotten comfortable in this position so that it is my normal riding position and I move my foot forward to shift and then back again. I suppose I do the same for the rare ocasion that I use the rear brake, but I'm not sure because it's not a conscious

movement.

Edit: Went for a ride and noted that I do have to move my right foot forward to use the rear brake.

 

[Auburn]

may be over simple, but how about picking up your feet and putting the ball of your foot on the foot peg

 

[palerider]

...Like they told us in track class, make the gear choice, stick with it, if it was the wrong one, learn from it the next time you approach the turn.

...

Rules are made for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise.

If you want to change gear or brake in a corner, and it's safe, why not? Add it to your skill set for when it's appropriate.

This from a heterosexual and a European (I'm British really, didn't want to be a "European") who likes to be able to recognise our friends from across the pond.

Brits are even gayer than Europeans.

 

[James Burleigh]

Europeans are gay.

Brilliant.

 

[James Burleigh]

Rules are made for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise.

I think it's "Glib phrases are made for the use of lazy thinkers and to be ignored by the wise."

 

[Malve]

I have size 8 1/2 feet which I recommend highly for cornering clearance but they did come with a small Johnson.

 

[Toecutter]

I have size 8 1/2 feet which I recommend highly for cornering clearance but they did come with a small Johnson.

This would compensate nicely. I think. They're pretty much standard issue at the fire department....

Mine looks like this:

 

[FarWestFastEddie]

So after following the discussion, I went out, strapped on my Ken Maley, and found that the

toe touching the asphalt at night leaves a beautiful shower of sparks in my wake, and since

the Maley is only made for the left foot, I am unable to give tested results on any corners

going right, and following the white shoe principal, I painted the Maley white, and it just shines!

FWFE

 

[Tyler]

So y'all are saying that size matters?

 

[Toecutter]

Apparently not....