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Michael
I hate to write an unfavourable review of a product, and the task is made even more difficult when the designer of the product is no longer around to respond (Motorcycle Larry passed away in 2012). But, in this case, I think that there are so many problems with this product that it is in the best interest of community safety that the problems I encountered be brought to light.
I purchased this product - Motorcycle Larry Adjustable Rider Footpeg Lowering Brackets - with the hope that by lowering the rider footpegs an inch or two, I would achieve a more relaxed riding position, with less of a bend at my knees. Rider posture on the motorcycle is primarily a result of three things: Handlebar position, seat height, and peg position. I had already installed Heli-Bar Gen 3.2 handlebar risers on my 2012 ST 1300, and was happy with the more relaxed posture that the riser provided. I was hoping that by lowering the footpegs a bit, I would achieve an even more relaxed posture - less 'scrunched up', so to speak.
MCL offers two different kinds of rider footpeg lowering devices. One is not adjustable (Driver Footpeg Extensions), the other, which costs twice as much, is adjustable (Motorcycle Larry Adjustable Rider Footpeg Lowering Brackets). This review is about the adjustable product.
At first glance, the idea looks like a good one - a device that lowers the footpegs and allows the driver to adjust the extent to which they are lowered. But, once the installation process began, shortcomings, design defects, and measurement errors became apparent.
The first problem I ran into was that the upper part of one of the brackets simply would not fit the casting on the frame to which the footpeg attaches. After a considerable amount of fooling around, liberal application of grease, and tapping with a hammer, I managed to get the part in place, but it was then obvious that the part had simply been machined to the wrong size... it was about 1 mm too long. That particular part incorporated two set-screws that were intended to allow the rider to firmly snug the bracket up to the frame after installation. In my case, I had a very difficult time fitting the part to the motorcycle with both of the set-screws fully retracted, and when I finally got the big pin driven through it, there was no need at all for the set-screws... it was a friction-fit. I didn't encounter this problem with the matching part on the other side of the motorcycle, which is what causes me to believe that there is a manufacturing error with the dimension of the left side attachment bracket. I think it is at least couple of millimeters too thick.
It is noteworthy that the left upper bracket (the one with the fitment problems) is 27.5 mm thick, and the right upper bracket, which fit as it was intended to and could then be secured with the set-screws, was only 25 mm thick. I doubt very much that Honda specified different dimensions for the OEM footpeg attachment points on the ST 1300.
Left Side Upper Attachment Bracket
There was no clearance at all between the bracket and the frame, and I had to hammer the pin into place. The arrow calls out the location of the problem.
Dimensional (Thickness) Differences in Upper Attach Brackets
I suspect this is a manufacturing error.
Eventually, I was able to get the lowering brackets on both sides fitted. Before even riding the bike, design problems became apparent.
Honda designs the motorcycle so that the first thing that touches the ground when the bike is leaned over (and the suspension is compressed, as is typical when the bike is leaned over in a corner) is the acorn nut on the bottom of the rider footpeg. This is an extremely important design consideration. As long as the acorn nut on the bottom of the rider footpeg touches the ground first, the rider will receive adequate haptic warning of ground contact via the footpeg, which will then retract aft, out of the way, to enable the rider to continue riding without dragging a 'hard part' and losing control of the motorcycle.
With these adjustable footpeg extensions installed, the geometry changes considerably... during high lean angles (with suspension compressed) the acorn nut may still be the first part that touches the ground, but only a small amount of further lean will result in the lower outboard corner of the footpeg extension contacting the ground (see photo below). This part won't give or flex, and if this part touches the ground, an accident is likely.
In addition to lowering the footpegs, these brackets also move the footpegs considerably further outboard from their original positions. I don't see any benefit in this outboard movement, in fact, I think it is undesirable. The brackets could have been designed in such a way that the footpegs were lowered, but not moved outboard. They were not. The outboard movement makes it a little more awkward to operate the shift lever and the rear brake lever.
Outboard movement of footpeg from original pivot axis
The first 'test fit', with the motorcycle still on the centerstand, also revealed that the right-angle upper corner of the bracket dug into the side of the rider's foot on both sides. This problem could have been resolved by radiusing that corner so that it matched the curve in the attach point of the Honda frame, but that was not done.
This sharp corner should have been rounded off during the design process.
I rode around with these footpeg extensions fitted for a few hundred miles. It didn't take me long to realize that if I 'adjusted' them, the entire footpeg would then be tilted forward or tilted aft. In other words, the only way to get a flat footpeg - with the acorn nut on the bottom positioned correctly for safe operation - was to adjust the device so that the footpegs were in the mid-range of the span of adjustment. Any further adjustment to make the footpeg higher or lower not only displaced the footpeg forward or aft along the motorcycle, it also tilted the footpeg so that it no longer presented the flat rubber surface to use as a footrest.
After two days riding, I took them off and reverted to the OEM footpeg fitment.
All in all, I think that this product has not been fully thought through. It strikes me as a 'first attempt' to do something, one of those ideas that sounds good when you think about it, but in reality needs a heck of a lot more refinement before putting it into production. It's possible that Larry was injured or passed away before he could fully refine this product - if that is the case, it is unfortunate. But, be that as it may, I cannot recommend this product to anyone. In fact, I think it creates a safety hazard, not only because of the risk of the fixed parts digging into the road during high lean angles, but because of the outboard offset of the rider's feet from the foot controls.
There have been other discussions of this product here in our forum. Some riders like the product, other riders have raised the same concerns I have. Here is a partial list of other discussion threads about these footpeg extensions. I recommend you read them all before making a decision about this product.
Michael
Prior Discussions about MCL Footpeg Extensions
Installed MCL Lowered Pegs, Need to adjust Brake Pedal
MCL drivers foot peg extenders
Installation Issue with MCL Driver foot peg extensions.
MCL drivers foot peg extenders
Motorcycle Larry foot peg extenders
[Article] ST1300 - MCL Peg Lowering Kit
MCL lowered foot pegs
Whats the difference-MCL Adj Foot Peg brakets vs lowing foot peg brackets?
PS: I eventually achieved the same effect (as lowering the footpegs) by way of a custom seat. I had the seat constructed so that it fit the bike in the highest of the three adjustable positions, and specified that the seat raise my bum a bit higher than the OEM seat. That reduced the bend angle in my knees, which had the same effect as lowering the footpegs would have.
I purchased this product - Motorcycle Larry Adjustable Rider Footpeg Lowering Brackets - with the hope that by lowering the rider footpegs an inch or two, I would achieve a more relaxed riding position, with less of a bend at my knees. Rider posture on the motorcycle is primarily a result of three things: Handlebar position, seat height, and peg position. I had already installed Heli-Bar Gen 3.2 handlebar risers on my 2012 ST 1300, and was happy with the more relaxed posture that the riser provided. I was hoping that by lowering the footpegs a bit, I would achieve an even more relaxed posture - less 'scrunched up', so to speak.
MCL offers two different kinds of rider footpeg lowering devices. One is not adjustable (Driver Footpeg Extensions), the other, which costs twice as much, is adjustable (Motorcycle Larry Adjustable Rider Footpeg Lowering Brackets). This review is about the adjustable product.
At first glance, the idea looks like a good one - a device that lowers the footpegs and allows the driver to adjust the extent to which they are lowered. But, once the installation process began, shortcomings, design defects, and measurement errors became apparent.
The first problem I ran into was that the upper part of one of the brackets simply would not fit the casting on the frame to which the footpeg attaches. After a considerable amount of fooling around, liberal application of grease, and tapping with a hammer, I managed to get the part in place, but it was then obvious that the part had simply been machined to the wrong size... it was about 1 mm too long. That particular part incorporated two set-screws that were intended to allow the rider to firmly snug the bracket up to the frame after installation. In my case, I had a very difficult time fitting the part to the motorcycle with both of the set-screws fully retracted, and when I finally got the big pin driven through it, there was no need at all for the set-screws... it was a friction-fit. I didn't encounter this problem with the matching part on the other side of the motorcycle, which is what causes me to believe that there is a manufacturing error with the dimension of the left side attachment bracket. I think it is at least couple of millimeters too thick.
It is noteworthy that the left upper bracket (the one with the fitment problems) is 27.5 mm thick, and the right upper bracket, which fit as it was intended to and could then be secured with the set-screws, was only 25 mm thick. I doubt very much that Honda specified different dimensions for the OEM footpeg attachment points on the ST 1300.
Left Side Upper Attachment Bracket
There was no clearance at all between the bracket and the frame, and I had to hammer the pin into place. The arrow calls out the location of the problem.
Dimensional (Thickness) Differences in Upper Attach Brackets
I suspect this is a manufacturing error.
Eventually, I was able to get the lowering brackets on both sides fitted. Before even riding the bike, design problems became apparent.
Honda designs the motorcycle so that the first thing that touches the ground when the bike is leaned over (and the suspension is compressed, as is typical when the bike is leaned over in a corner) is the acorn nut on the bottom of the rider footpeg. This is an extremely important design consideration. As long as the acorn nut on the bottom of the rider footpeg touches the ground first, the rider will receive adequate haptic warning of ground contact via the footpeg, which will then retract aft, out of the way, to enable the rider to continue riding without dragging a 'hard part' and losing control of the motorcycle.
With these adjustable footpeg extensions installed, the geometry changes considerably... during high lean angles (with suspension compressed) the acorn nut may still be the first part that touches the ground, but only a small amount of further lean will result in the lower outboard corner of the footpeg extension contacting the ground (see photo below). This part won't give or flex, and if this part touches the ground, an accident is likely.
In addition to lowering the footpegs, these brackets also move the footpegs considerably further outboard from their original positions. I don't see any benefit in this outboard movement, in fact, I think it is undesirable. The brackets could have been designed in such a way that the footpegs were lowered, but not moved outboard. They were not. The outboard movement makes it a little more awkward to operate the shift lever and the rear brake lever.
Outboard movement of footpeg from original pivot axis
The first 'test fit', with the motorcycle still on the centerstand, also revealed that the right-angle upper corner of the bracket dug into the side of the rider's foot on both sides. This problem could have been resolved by radiusing that corner so that it matched the curve in the attach point of the Honda frame, but that was not done.
This sharp corner should have been rounded off during the design process.
I rode around with these footpeg extensions fitted for a few hundred miles. It didn't take me long to realize that if I 'adjusted' them, the entire footpeg would then be tilted forward or tilted aft. In other words, the only way to get a flat footpeg - with the acorn nut on the bottom positioned correctly for safe operation - was to adjust the device so that the footpegs were in the mid-range of the span of adjustment. Any further adjustment to make the footpeg higher or lower not only displaced the footpeg forward or aft along the motorcycle, it also tilted the footpeg so that it no longer presented the flat rubber surface to use as a footrest.
After two days riding, I took them off and reverted to the OEM footpeg fitment.
All in all, I think that this product has not been fully thought through. It strikes me as a 'first attempt' to do something, one of those ideas that sounds good when you think about it, but in reality needs a heck of a lot more refinement before putting it into production. It's possible that Larry was injured or passed away before he could fully refine this product - if that is the case, it is unfortunate. But, be that as it may, I cannot recommend this product to anyone. In fact, I think it creates a safety hazard, not only because of the risk of the fixed parts digging into the road during high lean angles, but because of the outboard offset of the rider's feet from the foot controls.
There have been other discussions of this product here in our forum. Some riders like the product, other riders have raised the same concerns I have. Here is a partial list of other discussion threads about these footpeg extensions. I recommend you read them all before making a decision about this product.
Michael
Prior Discussions about MCL Footpeg Extensions
Installed MCL Lowered Pegs, Need to adjust Brake Pedal
MCL drivers foot peg extenders
Installation Issue with MCL Driver foot peg extensions.
MCL drivers foot peg extenders
Motorcycle Larry foot peg extenders
[Article] ST1300 - MCL Peg Lowering Kit
MCL lowered foot pegs
Whats the difference-MCL Adj Foot Peg brakets vs lowing foot peg brackets?
PS: I eventually achieved the same effect (as lowering the footpegs) by way of a custom seat. I had the seat constructed so that it fit the bike in the highest of the three adjustable positions, and specified that the seat raise my bum a bit higher than the OEM seat. That reduced the bend angle in my knees, which had the same effect as lowering the footpegs would have.