lower foot pegs for '06

[DimitriT]

I know they are available for the older Kats and that the
newer Kats have the exhaust pipe which gets in the way.

But has anyone been able to do anything? Maybe put a
bend in the pipe to allow a lowering kit?

I guess another option would be to get a taller seat.

[The CyberPoet]

If you're talking about the driver's pegs, the same make (i.e. 600 fits the 600 for 98-03, 600 fits 600 for 04-06, 750 fits the 750 for 89-06).

If you're talking about the rear pegs, the pegs remain the same, but the bracketing systems change (which compensates for the rear support bracket of the different length muffler system in the later models).

Or am I simply not understanding the question?
If you're looking for "lower" footpegs, you're going to have to fab up a different solution -- as far as I know, there are no off-the-shelf solutions specifically for the 98+ kats...

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[DimitriT]

Thanks for the response. I was looking for lower front pegs on an '06 750
but its sounds like there's nothing selling off-the-shelf.

How about a taller seat?

[The CyberPoet]

Suzuki offered a Sergeant's brand gel-seat for the 98+ Kats for a few years -- those raised you up by about an inch. Or you could get your existing seat over-stuffed and recovered.

Q: Is it a matter of knee angle, hip angle or ankle angle that's getting you?



Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet
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[DimitriT]

Q: Is it a matter of knee angle, hip angle or ankle angle that's getting you?

Mostly knees but some hip as well.

Getting off the bike after an hour or so is somewhat excruciating.

I also ride an '82 GS550L which is much more comfortable as the
pegs are located forward a few inches and a tiny bit lower.

I just sold my most comfortable bike to date which was an '82 GS750T.
This bike had a wider seat as well as the forward and lower pegs.
I could easily go two hours on this bike, get off and walk normally.

I plan on getting a bar riser kit which should help with the hips.

[The CyberPoet]

Mostly knees but some hip as well..

I don't know how to fix the knees off the top of my head, unless you're particularly tall and can move rear-wards with a different seat. Honestly, if the ergo's at the knees isn't suitable for you (and you can't cure it by moving rearwards), you probably need to look at a more "upright" seating bike with very large-scale ergos -- such as a Suzuki VStrom, BMW GS series, something else designed as a large road-going trial bike...

The hips I know how to address if you're still on the stock seat: the Corbin saddle. The seating area for the driver is about 50% wider, virtually totally flat across the seating, and puts a lot more of your weight spread across your butt, hips, upper thighs than the OEM seat. But it doesn't raise you up at all (seated it actually lowers you closer to the CG by virtue of the design combined with a more-supportive foam over a larger area -- pretty much the same effect as risers in relationship to the handlebars; the wider seat means you still need about the same inseam to reach the ground though). With a 33 - 33-1/2" inseam it let me do 12 hour days in the saddle (first 8 hours are a breeze; the last four require more frequent breaks & more stretching).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[DimitriT]

I sat on a Wee-Strom last week. Good ergonomics but they put alot of
plastic in front of you on that bike. It's probably great as far as blocking
the wind but it does detract from visibility.

I am on the stock seat.

I'm looking into the corbin gunfighter. One thing I notice with the stock
seat is that the edges (along the tank) seem to dig in after a while.
This is likely due to the lack of thigh support.

I might also try getting some dense foam and see if I can raise it
an inch or so. Winter project.

I can't imagine doing 12 hours on the Kat. No way. I'd be in traction.
Maybe if I lose 30 lbs and work by back to look like Jack LeLanne.

Hey thanks for the help!

[The CyberPoet]

I sat on a Wee-Strom last week. Good ergonomics but they put alot of
plastic in front of you on that bike. It's probably great as far as blocking
the wind but it does detract from visibility.

It's a totally different beast to the Kat... less umph in some respects, but a better distance tourer and superb mileage at reasonable speeds due to 6th gear being a serious over-drive (in top gear, you're turning about 1k RPM for every 20 mph of speed). But it's an acquired taste, and it didn't really ring my bell as a primary ride...

I am on the stock seat.

I'm looking into the corbin gunfighter. One thing I notice with the stock
seat is that the edges (along the tank) seem to dig in after a while.
This is likely due to the lack of thigh support.

Q: How long is your inseam (i.e. - if you wear jeans, they're typically marked in waist x inseam measurements) ?

Also, have you tried moving your legs further out into the wind instead of hugging the fairings/tank really tight, at least in regular traffic (i.e. - when not carving up the corners)?

One other thought: if the levers aren't set to where your feet naturally rest on the footpegs, you could be inducing a lot of extra stress in your ankles (& knees/shins as a result). Both the shifter and the rear brake are adjustable for position (bit of a PIA, but it can be done via the adjusters on their linkages).

I might also try getting some dense foam and see if I can raise it an inch or so. Winter project.

I can't imagine doing 12 hours on the Kat. No way. I'd be in traction.
Maybe if I lose 30 lbs and work by back to look like Jack LeLanne.

As anyone who has met me in the last 5 - 6 years can attest to, I'm not slim by any means (used to be) nor particularly in shape either... If you're in the right general height & inseam sizes, It's all about setting the levers & controls to your natural position, getting the seating right and stretching a bit sometimes

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[DimitriT]

Q: How long is your inseam (i.e. - if you wear jeans, they're typically marked in waist x inseam measurements) ?

Also, have you tried moving your legs further out into the wind instead of hugging the fairings/tank really tight, at least in regular traffic (i.e. - when not carving up the corners)?

Inseam is 32"

Spreading my legs helps for sure. I try to shift around every few minutes.

I think my problem is that my legs are a bit thick.

[The CyberPoet]

Inseam is 32"

Spreading my legs helps for sure. I try to shift around every few minutes.

I think my problem is that my legs are a bit thick.

Corbin.
Suggest if you have the chance to borrow another local rider's corbin and try it (e.g. - at the rally).
When you're ready for one for yourself, seek me out for a discount

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[DimitriT]

So I found an NOS gel seat for $100 on ebay.
Today I rode on it for the first time and....

wow

that extra inch in height was what I needed.

My right knee, which was in major pain after 30 minutes on
the old seat is now pain free at the end of my commute.

The new seat puts me a bit more forward as well so the bike
feels a little more stable when I'm flat on the tank. The old
seat was more scooped out in the back so you would slide
back.

Next I'm going to look into fabricating a spacer for the bars.
I want to raise the bars up 1.5" or so. From the looks of it
I would need longer bolts and maybe relocating the brake hose
splitter bracket. But it shouldn't be too hard. I need to find some
cheap thick aluminum stock or maybe a combination of 1/4" aluminum
stock and 1" plastic sandwich.

So far this year I've put over 5K miles on my GS550 and only
2K miles on the Katana. Part of it is I don't want to get my Kat
wet but now that I'm fixing the ergos I think the Kat will become
my primary ride.

[The CyberPoet]

There's a kit out there to let you bolt on tube-style handlebars onto the Kats (then you can have tubes custom bent to fit your exact needs). It's basically an adaptor plate for the triple-tree to hold standard one-piece tube-style bars.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[DimitriT]

There's a kit out there to let you bolt on tube-style handlebars onto the Kats (then you can have tubes custom bent to fit your exact needs). It's basically an adaptor plate for the triple-tree to hold standard one-piece tube-style bars.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

Yea I've seen. Some German make. I guess it opens up possibilities.

Thing is I kind of like the look of the stock bar setup. And I do believe
all that's needed is a simple spacer. A couple pieces of 1/4" aluminum or
stainless steel plate and a piece of high density polypropyline should do
the trick. I'll also have to fabricate a bracket to move the brake line T
a bit higher up. There's plenty of brake line but its all bunched up near
the wheel. I might also need to reroute some control cables.

It's starting to come together as a nice little touring bike:

["K"]

I've installed Buell XB9S footpegs on two of my other bikes, they lower the rider's pegs position about 1" from OEM:


OEM pegs:
[/QUOTE]