Peg dragging/ cornering clearence Noob question

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Or, I could just suggest that the "never exceed the speed limit, never grind a peg, never wheelie, ATGATT" pussies go buy a Miata and leave the top down all the time.... But I'd never say anything quite so offensive.
Thanks for sparing us.

 
What I'm noticing is:
1) Those who are scared of it or have limited experience with it make the claim it's squidly and unsafe.

2) Those with experience with it claim they understand the risks involved.

I personally don't like it when it happens, so I don't do it very often (and I certainly don't set out to have a sparky day). However, I'd mention to those with cruiser and S/T experience only, that every sportbike on the planet has more cornering clearance than an FJR. I'd also point out that not all of us keep ultra-long distance tires on our bikes.

So, while peg-grinding may be closer to the edge of the envelope than some of you will personally go, I'm just gonna say "lighten up" as a kinder / gentler response for some of you.

Or, I could just suggest that the "never exceed the speed limit, never grind a peg, never wheelie, ATGATT" pussies go buy a Miata and leave the top down all the time.... But I'd never say anything quite so offensive.
Fine. But I still say that going fast in the twisties does not require the use of peg feelers or other hard parts. It has nothing to do with staying within the speed limit, keeping both wheels on the ground or wearing huge a codpiece - or maybe it does. I'm just sayin'.

:grin:

 
Nobody has said anything about what Gen bike they are riding, I have a Gen 2 FJR and scrape the pegs with what I think is a moderate pace. At a track day at Laguna Seca I would say my ground clearance was very limited. Recently I rode a friends Gen 1 bike with stock springs and shocks, it felt under sprung next to my bike but I could not touch a peg down.
Has anyone else noticed the same thing or was it just my imagination ?
Mine is a 2005 and ground clearance is VERY limited. I weigh 188lbs and ride mostly solo and unloaded (empty bags). My sag has been around 46mm on the rear (hard setting with a stock shock) and 35mm up front. It's not as bad as it sounds with 5.6 in of travel up front and 4.8 in out back. 1/3 sag is really around the 46mm anyways. As I stated earlier my normal touring pace I don't find the clearance an issue but spirited riding or a track environment reminds me quickly why I bought it as a touring bike and a Ducati for play time. I love the FJR and thing the Ohlins and Race tech'ed forks (sag will be around 35mm now) will make a big difference. I will be out doing Puget Sound Safety's Advanaced Street Skills at Pacific Raceways near Seattle on Sept 21st so we'll see how things go once I get dialed in.

( https://www.pugetsoundsafety.com/streetskills_schedule.asp )

 
How easy is it to drag the pegs on an FJR? Is it a problem for anyone? Can you ride to the edges of the tires without dragging?The reason I ask is that on my present bike('90FJ1200) it's TOO easy. :blink: I'll be upgrading by next season and the FJR is at the top of my

(short)list and I would like to factor this into the equation.

if you think the fj is easy, it'll feel like you're riding a cruiser on the fjr. i, too, own an fj (actually two). i thought i'd take the fjr down for the spring rally at the motorcycle playground. had fun, but whoa, can't be as aggressive in those corners as i've been used to on the fj. i have shorter dogbones made for the fj to raise up the rear a bit, and the same buddy that made those is going to make me some for the fjr to help clearance.

as has been mentioned, some of this has to do with your riding technique. if you're not getting off the bike in the curves, you need to start. but if you do shift your weight, then you'll likely need to take up getting some dogbones to raise the rear.

 
i have shorter dogbones made for the fj to raise up the rear a bit, and the same buddy that made those is going to make me some for the fjr to help clearance.
as has been mentioned, some of this has to do with your riding technique. if you're not getting off the bike in the curves, you need to start. but if you do shift your weight, then you'll likely need to take up getting some dogbones to raise the rear.
How do these dogbones work? Is your buddy in the business or just doing you a favor? I may be interested in dogbones - I'm definitely interested in more clearance.

Thanks,

 
i have shorter dogbones made for the fj to raise up the rear a bit, and the same buddy that made those is going to make me some for the fjr to help clearance.
as has been mentioned, some of this has to do with your riding technique. if you're not getting off the bike in the curves, you need to start. but if you do shift your weight, then you'll likely need to take up getting some dogbones to raise the rear.
How do these dogbones work? Is your buddy in the business or just doing you a favor? I may be interested in dogbones - I'm definitely interested in more clearance.

Thanks,

Dogbones here.

 
How easy is it to drag the pegs on an FJR? Is it a problem for anyone? Can you ride to the edges of the tires without dragging?The reason I ask is that on my present bike('90FJ1200) it's TOO easy. :blink: I'll be upgrading by next season and the FJR is at the top of my

(short)list and I would like to factor this into the equation.

if you think the fj is easy, it'll feel like you're riding a cruiser on the fjr. i, too, own an fj (actually two). i thought i'd take the fjr down for the spring rally at the motorcycle playground. had fun, but whoa, can't be as aggressive in those corners as i've been used to on the fj. i have shorter dogbones made for the fj to raise up the rear a bit, and the same buddy that made those is going to make me some for the fjr to help clearance.

as has been mentioned, some of this has to do with your riding technique. if you're not getting off the bike in the curves, you need to start. but if you do shift your weight, then you'll likely need to take up getting some dogbones to raise the rear.

Hiya Dean,

I recognize you from the FJ Yahoo group. :) I was wondering about different dogbones, I made some for my FJ (not long, or was it short, enough) when I did the rear wheel swap. How much of a rise where you trying for?

Also what do you plan to do with the front ?

 
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i have shorter dogbones made for the fj to raise up the rear a bit, and the same buddy that made those is going to make me some for the fjr to help clearance.
as has been mentioned, some of this has to do with your riding technique. if you're not getting off the bike in the curves, you need to start. but if you do shift your weight, then you'll likely need to take up getting some dogbones to raise the rear.
How do these dogbones work? Is your buddy in the business or just doing you a favor? I may be interested in dogbones - I'm definitely interested in more clearance.

Thanks,
he's a machinist and a motorcyclist and a friend of mine. great combo! he makes lots of modded bits for his bikes, was even featured in motorcyclist magazine a month or two ago when he and another guy stripped down an st1100 and built it radically different.

the dogbones he made for my fj are just two pieces of metal, rectangular in shape, with holes on either end. the hard part was his measuring and determining what length they should be. i'm 5'9", the fj is a taller bike to begin with, and although it's a big improvement on cornering, i'm on tippytoes now, and carry a two-inch block of wood to put under the sidestand if i'm parked on an incline that leans the bike over on the s/s side. i can only imagine that the dogbones he makes up for the fjr will be similiar pieces of metal stock that he measures. nothing fancy, as i spend too much time riding my fj and fjr to waste time cleaning it, so i don't care what the dogbones look like, just so they do the job.

 
How easy is it to drag the pegs on an FJR? Is it a problem for anyone? Can you ride to the edges of the tires without dragging?The reason I ask is that on my present bike('90FJ1200) it's TOO easy. :blink: I'll be upgrading by next season and the FJR is at the top of my

(short)list and I would like to factor this into the equation.

if you think the fj is easy, it'll feel like you're riding a cruiser on the fjr. i, too, own an fj (actually two). i thought i'd take the fjr down for the spring rally at the motorcycle playground. had fun, but whoa, can't be as aggressive in those corners as i've been used to on the fj. i have shorter dogbones made for the fj to raise up the rear a bit, and the same buddy that made those is going to make me some for the fjr to help clearance.

as has been mentioned, some of this has to do with your riding technique. if you're not getting off the bike in the curves, you need to start. but if you do shift your weight, then you'll likely need to take up getting some dogbones to raise the rear.

Hiya Dean,

I recognize you from the FJ Yahoo group. :) I was wondering about different dogbones, I made some for my FJ (not long, or was it short, enough) when I did the rear wheel swap. How much of a rise where you trying for?

Also what do you plan to do with the front ?
hi there, glad to see you're on the yahoo site, great bunch of people over there. jon hippie cain made mine. he's the master when it comes to working on bikes, so as far as what i was trying for, i just left it up to him to determine how much of a change it should be, and will leave it up to him when he does the fjr d/b's as well. with the fj front? race tech cartridge emulators, race tech straight rate springs, and the r1 brake mods. the fjr? i had jeff hoffman, who used to work at traxxion suspension, adjust my fjr at the spring fj rally. another machinist near me is fashioning some adjustable handlebars for the gen II fjr as we speak, to lower my handlebars. i was hoping to have them in time for the fall rally next week, but i haven't heard from him; that's okay, altho i'm taking both bikes, i plan on riding the fj only, as it handles better. i don't have any other plans on modding the fjr front suspension, as don't really know what else i can do, and if it's over $500, i'm not likely going to do it, i'm a cheap bastard. ( :

hth...

 
i have shorter dogbones made for the fj to raise up the rear a bit, and the same buddy that made those is going to make me some for the fjr to help clearance.
as has been mentioned, some of this has to do with your riding technique. if you're not getting off the bike in the curves, you need to start. but if you do shift your weight, then you'll likely need to take up getting some dogbones to raise the rear.
How do these dogbones work? Is your buddy in the business or just doing you a favor? I may be interested in dogbones - I'm definitely interested in more clearance.

Thanks,

Dogbones here.

I got the longer dogbones from this site several months ago - helped a lot, but still scraping pegs. I'm pretty heavy, 240# plus gear and bags. My next step will be aftermarket suspension since I'm getting close to killing my 3rd OEM shock.

 
Fine. But I still say that going fast in the twisties does not require the use of peg feelers or other hard parts. It has nothing to do with staying within the speed limit, keeping both wheels on the ground or wearing huge a codpiece - or maybe it does. I'm just sayin'. :grin:
I think there's a something that is not being mentioned. In my mind it's not [just] about going fast through turns, though that's what's usually happening when you start to hear that grinding sound. No one's mentioned that leaning a bike way over is just plain fun. And that fun thing explains about 99.8% of the reason I like to ride motorcycles.

Did I mention that it was fun fun fun....?

 
I've dragged the pegs a bit but don't do it on purpose, but I do agree that people should experience it in a non butt pucker envirnment so that it doesn't freak them out if it happens while you're trying to keep it reigned in on an unexpected decreasing radius or tighten up a line to avoid some road hazard. I don't know about the fun thing. Apparently some folks don't really thing this should be fun. I know some roads in NC where you absolutely can not maintain the speed limit without dragging pegs. Not every road has had its limits lowered to lowest common denominator levels. Not saying you have to maintain the speed limit, just that exceeding the speed limit and draggng pegs are not necessarily linked all the time.

And if your foot is touching before the peg, you are not putting your foot in the right position, non-folding aftermarket pegs excepted. In that case, using the toe slider on the front outside of you boot as a limiter seems reasonable to me. Its better than using the exhaust can.

 
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I've dragged the pegs a bit but don't do it on purpose, but I do agree that people should experience it in a non butt pucker envirnment so that it doesn't freak them out if it happens while you're trying to keep it reigned in on an unexpected decreasing radius or tighten up a line to avoid some road hazard. I don't know about the fun thing. Apparently some folks don't really thing this should be fun. I know some roads in NC where you absolutely can not maintain the speed limit without dragging pegs. Not every road has had its limits lowered to lowest common denominator levels. Not saying you have to maintain the speed limit, just that exceeding the speed limit and draggng pegs are not necessarily linked all the time.
And if your foot is touching before the peg, you are not putting your foot in the right position, non-folding aftermarket pegs excepted. In that case, using the toe slider on the front outside of you boot as a limiter seems reasonable to me. Its better than using the exhaust can.
understood, but the aerostich combat touring boots have a pretty wide foot, and quite often i've scraped the outside of my foot before the peg feeler has scraped. so much so that i bought some of the metal toe clips for mx riders, straightened them out, and glued them to the outside front corner of my boots to save them.

 
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