footpeg conversion

[Nails]

I have floorboards but don't really like them. I gather that XII could be ordered with pegs. What's it take to convert boards to pegs? Sounds like I need the pegs, mounts, and "normal" shifter and brake levers. Do the pegs mount about the same height as the boards? (I saw that thread about lowering pegs.) Is there any problem keeping the passenger floorboards?

[Gator Mike]

Nails I sent you a private message.

[krasmu]

When I test rode my bike it had boards. I absolutely did not like that heal spud they had for the breaking foot. They had another Voyager there with pegs. As part of my offer, I had them switch them over to my bike. The pegs bolt right on to same place but you end up losing the heal toe shifter as well. It was a trade off I was willing to take since I never had a heal toe set up before. Was no big deal to me. Glad I did it.

[Nails]

Looking closer, I apparently need new mounts: the brake heel thing is part of the mount. (I really just need to find a photo of the pegs.) Maybe I should get generic pegs and fab the mounts? (I'm pretty good at totally over-engineering stuff like that.)

Besides letting you put your feet closer to the engine, how did the ergos change?

I can live with cruising with my heel on the brake thing. I don't like it, but it's better than the left side -- I can't get into riding with my foot on both the heel and toe shifter. And the only alternative is to have my foot pushed wide, which I really don't like.

I've tried to give the boards a chance, but it just ain't happening for me.

Thanks.

[Nails]

Sorry about being so lazy. I found photos to answer my questions. Looks like $40 for left peg and shifter and $14 for right peg (looks like I can keep my brake pedal).

Don't really know why I was making this so complicated.

[cranky]

.... Nails, a lot of folks used to be looking for the boards.... I’d be
real surprised if you made an offer to swap, someone would jump
on that deal!!!!! JM2C

[krasmu]

... Nails, a lot of folks used to be looking for the boards.... I’d be
real surprised if you made an offer to swap, someone would jump
on that deal!!!!! JM2C

Thats a good idea Cranky.

[Nails]

I'm planning to keep the boards until I'm absolutely sure about the pegs. And then sell them. (I'm mostly paranoid about having some problem fitting the pegs.)
Looks like I just bought everything I need for <$60. I can probably recoup that.

[Neal]

Why buy the pegs that came stock on the bike? There are surely many extra sets laying around for you to get. Hell I've got two sets myself and you're welcome to have one of them.

[Nails]

NOW you tell me.
And I thought they came stock with the boards, anyway.

What to do with my feet is my biggest gripe about the XII. From the peg photos, it looks like they'll end up over an inch further inboard. That should help keep my toes pointed more forward, which should be a lot more natural with my knees. Maybe I'll be able to relax my legs more instead of constantly fighting to avoid turning into a duck.

The boards don't really give me much in the way of usable foot options. I see that lots of folks are too cramped (looks like about the same, pegs or boards), but I'm short and okay with that. For me, it's width, not height.

I'm not very satisfied with the highway pegs, either -- they put my feet right in the hot air blast from the radiator. Maybe I can figure out something a lot lower. Maybe some spring-loaded contraption that I could push out when I'm just droning on the superslab (flying squirrel ergos) but snaps out of the way when I'm on the regular pegs because I might drag something. (I'm okay, for short times, with my feet being far apart and my legs are straight. But I don't like them far apart with bent knees.)

[Nails]

For those who haven't gone to pegs from boards (updated):

- The floorboards/mounts come off with two 13mm bolts. My parts manual says that for the boards, these are supposed to be two different lengths, 25 and 35mm; but mine were all longer than 35mm. I don't think mine were stock.

- The left peg works with the floorboard hex-head bolts, but they're about 1/2" longer than they need to be.

- The right peg needs Allen heads (countersunk), which I found at Ace hardware. Get the pricey ones -- mine said "class 10.9". There's room for the front one to be too long, but the rear one interferes with the frame if it's too long. (I THINK I got 25mm, the shortest I could find, and still had to grind some off.) Looks like it's Kawa PN 92120-CB0814, which were silly expensive and way back-ordered. (The parts manual had an old PN, superseded.)

- Remove the heel-toe shifter together with the floorboard and mount -- I took it off the transmission spline shaft (10mm). I took off the gear case cover (four 8mm acorn nuts) to get in there. (I let the peg/shifter dangle to reach the front-bottom acorn nut with a socket/extension.) The heel-toe shifter won't work the pegs -- don't care because I don't like it anyway. (I thought the shifter might be stiff because it seemed like I had to stomp on the heel shifter, but it's just fine using my toe.)

- The peg/shifter/mount assembly goes back on the transmission shaft upward, which is opposite to how the heel-toe shifter attaches (downward). If you don't have the shifter where it should be (too low in front of the peg), the linkage can interfere with the engine case.

- The brake pedal will need to be adjusted way down, a couple splines on the shaft. It routes beneath the peg mount. You'll also have to adjust the little screw for a switch (brake light, cruise switch, dunno). I moved the lock nut from beneath the screwhead to the other side of the mount (bottom of the bolt), to get the screwhead low enough.

- I removed a loop-shaped guard from the bottom of the brake peddle. It's evidently to keep boots from getting stuck between the pedal and the floorboards -- don't think I need it with the pegs.

The pegs are slightly lower than the boards, and each foot is an inch or more closer to the engine. My bike isn't running now, but sitting on it I definitely like the pegs better, mostly because my feet are closer together. Right heel doesn't hit the brake heel pad, and left heel doesn't hit the heel shifter. Seems more stable putting my feet on the ground, too.

For me, maybe the best ergo mod yet. My floorboards are for sale.

[Nails]

I still don't have the footpegs on because I need those four countersunk bolts. Tried to support the local bike shop; but now on day 12 they tell me they still haven't come in. After screwing around on the computer for 15 minutes, they tell me they're backordered 2-3 weeks. Grrr.
I'll see if I can find something at Lowes or Home Depot. (Yes, I know about bolt classes.)
Mostly just venting here. I guess Amazon really in inevitable.