I have completed my first upgrades to the bike (other than the ones the dealer installed.) I’m a big guy so the default setup is a bit tight for me. Over long distances I start to feel it in my back and knees. I ordered a peg lowering kit and handlebar risers from MotorcycleLarry.com. Two thumbs up for Larry. The products arrived very quickly and the instructions were decent.
The riser blocks were first for me. It was fairly nervewracking to pull the handlebars off my bike. I’m a keyboard jockey, not a mechanic. My Lego skills kicked in and I was able to follow the instructions and get everything assembled. The risers are the maximum change you can make without replacing the clutch, brake, and throttle lines.
Last night I started and completed the peg lowers. This one has a bit of a negative impact as it means I’ll drag my pegs with less of a lean angle, but I’m not a super aggressive rider so I’m willing to trade that for a lot more comfort. I was able to adjust the clutch pedal low enough to work with the lowered peg on the left side. The right side brake pedal is a bit more complicated. There was a brake pedal recall, and the new piece makes it pretty hard to get to the adjustment nuts for the pedal height. The directions didn’t cover that change. I decided to leave the pedal where it is. I don’t use the rear brake much (most braking on a motorcycle should be done with the front brakes), and when I do use it, I’m used to lifting my foot off the peg to hit the brake due to the size and angle of my feet. Also, I was a bit nervous about taking that much of the bike apart to make the adjustment. I can always do that later if I can’t get used to this.
I took a test ride and it’s incredible how much of a difference those couple inches make. It doesn’t look like much, but this is really going to extend my comfortable riding range.
The next item on the list is a communication system for Tyla and me that will allow us to listen to music and chat. It’s a bit pricey though so I’m still trying to work it into the budget.
