Lowered footpegs - help required please

KiwiBird

Last night, I fitted a set of Dave’s excellent footpeg lowering brackets – easy to fit and real quality workmanship. Unfortunately, I won’t have the opportunity to try them out on the road until this coming weekend, but they feel fantastic just sitting on it.

Before I fitted them, I stuck the ‘bird on the centre stand and put a spirit level across the pegs to measure how far below peg level the gear shift and brake pedal boot contact points were so that I could set up the same drop with the new brackets in place. They were both approximately 55mm (about 2.2”).

It was easy to adjust the gear shift simply by moving it round on the splines. However, even with adjusting the brake to its maximum, I can only get it to 40mm (about 1.6 inches). It feels like it might just about be tolerable, but I’ll have to road test it.

Some of the posts on other threads/other websites seem to imply that no brake adjustment was needed and others clearly did some machining or grinding. Now I don’t want to jump in and wreck anything so could some kind person please post a close-up photo of their mods, with a reasonably detailed description of what they actually did? I found it hard to follow what occurred on the posts I’ve read so far.

Many thanks in advance.

Geoff

Toynut

Geoff,

Here is a PM that I sent another forum member. Even though it requires you using a Dremel cut off wheel on the master cylinder stud, you will still have sufficient threaded rod to return the unit to it's stock configuration, should you ever want to.


The brake lever is limited in it's adjustability without making a minor modification.
If you look at the brake lever mechanism closely you will see there is a small adjuster nut above a yoke on a threaded rod that contacts the rear master cylinder. What you have to do is remove the cross pin (small cotter pin on the backside) and unscrew the yoke off of the master cylinder actuation rod. The threaded stud with a squared off section on the bottom of it that makes contact with the brake lever.
Take a dremel and cut off all of the 1/4 inch or so of the squared off section of the threaded rod so that it is flush. If I recall there was an extra locknut on the rod above the yoke. You do not reinstall it as the brake lever pushes on the stud. That extra 1/4 ior so inch of the stud and the removal of the locknut will allow the brake lever to shift down the inch or so that you will need to get the proper orientation of the brake lever relative to the new position of the foot peg.
Don't forget to lower the brake light switch (thread it down lower) and test it's actuation point. Otherwise your brake lights will remain constantly on.

__________________
Al
________________________________________
Momma always said "the best things in life are free"! OK,sure.............
Then again, Momma never rode a motorcycle, either!

KiwiBird

Al,

Thanks very much indeed for the explanation. Did you remove the actuation rod from the hydraulic cylinder to do the work or leave everything in situ?

Cheers

Geoff

Toynut

I did not try to remove it. I am not sure if it was solidly connected to the M/C piston (can't recall) and did not want to ruin any seals.

Make sure you are able to loosen and remove both the yoke and the lock nut before you cut the threads. I suggest you unthreaded the lock nut down the stud till it's even with the area that you will be cutting, it will act as a blade stop and a thread chaser when you remove it after the cutting off the lower portion of the stud with a fine cutoff wheel. Otherwise, you can also use a pair of curved jaw pliers or curved jaw Vise Grips (jaws taped to protect the threads) to gently hang on to the threaded portion as you cut the squared of portion of the threaded stud with the locknut removed. Do not use a hacksaw or put lateral pressure on the rod as it may ruin the integrity of the cylinder seals. Either way you choose, you have to protect the threaded rod to be able to screw the yoke back on.
Easy does it!

__________________
Al
________________________________________
Momma always said "the best things in life are free"! OK,sure.............
Then again, Momma never rode a motorcycle, either!

KiwiBird

Really smart thinking! Very much appreciate your help with this.

Cheers,

Geoff

red-oh-one

I removed the yoke from the brake pedal, and loosened the master cylinder from the frame. (It gives you a little wiggle room). Then unscrew the yoke from the rod and cut off about 3/8". I used a Dremel tool. Then screw the yoke all the way to the master cylinder. (that's why you cut the rod). Adjust the brake switch ring all the way against the switch body for max down angle of the brake pedal. The hardest part is getting the little cotter pin out of the clevis pin. Put it all back and you'll be happy. If you want to go back, you still have enough threads to do so.

KiwiBird

Many thanks for all the help guys! Did it last night and it was a piece of cake. I left the free nut on the thread and gripped it with vice grips whilst I used a mini-hacksaw to cut through the thread as I hadn't got a Dremel. The vice grips stopped the rod from moving. Took about 10 minutes to cut through in the confined space but it was a neat job. Filed the thread end smooth and used the nut as a thread chaser when I spun it off. I then released the 2 allen screws holding the cylinder to the mounting plate as it is easier to run the yoke back up the thread with the cylinder slightly angled over. A small adjustment of the brake light switch and the job was done.

Now looking forward to less pressure on the knees on a long haul - thanks so much everyone!

Geoff

red-oh-one

There you go! Now you'll be explaining it to the next guy. I didn't have a Dremel either, and thought it was a good excuse to buy one.