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High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 12:56 pm
by paulro
I am struggling to find a comfortable riding position on my new bike. I am not that flexible and my knees are getting very sore after a short time riding.
My inside leg is 32.5 inches so on the standard low seat I can easily place the whole of my foot on the floor so I am considering a high seat or/and lower the pegs.
I would appreciate your views, I can't be the only rider here with a lack of flexibility and reasonably long legs.
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:04 pm
by Sunbeemer
No, you aren't. There have been many posts about this issue and I had the same problem. I decided (after scraping the toe of my boots during turns) that I didn't want to limit the lean angle of the bike by lowering the footpegs, so I got BMW's high seat, which solved the sore knee problem. I must add though that BMW seats are not as comfortable as I think they ought to be (I call them "Teutonic Planks"), but they seem to improve with use; after 2 years I consider it comfortable enough to ride the 2-3 hours between gas stops. I find the high seat is a bit wide for me, which sometimes causes cramps/pain in my hips from straddling it's width, but this is alleviated by moving around and changing my seating position from time to time.
Some riders have replaced their seats with Sargeant's, Corbins, or Mayer's saddles, but you might want to try out the (less expensive) BMW high seat first. It is flatter than the stock seat and doesn't throw you into the tank as much

Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:17 pm
by rdsmith3
I have a high seat plus a sheepskin butt pad. It's still a wee bit cramped, but I am used to it by now.
I would not mess with lowering the pegs, but that is just me.
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:19 pm
by chibbert
High seat is the way to go
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:24 pm
by f4tweet
High seat and lowered pegs. I'm 6'2" with 34" inseam. I am comfortable now.
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:53 pm
by macx
I'm definitely not a "sporty" rider, so lowering the pegs wasn't a problem.
After looking at the aftermarket offerings and seeing they didn't move the
pegs a whole lot, especially forward which I figured would also relax my riding
position - my old knees aren't comfortable with my legs in any semblance of a
folded-up position, here's what I ended up doing. Not for everybody, but it sure has
worked wonders for me. 31" inseam.
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=1303 ... fa7678f6bb
A new seat is in the works too
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:58 pm
by snelson200
tt
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:34 am
by gregor
I'm not sure what is meant; surely the 'standard low seat' (optional)'' and the standard (default) are two different items?
I'm 6'2" with a 32" inside leg and with the standard seat and suspension on medium pre-load, I can place both feet flat on the floor. My knees grip the tank comfortably where they should in the indents. I still touch my toes down occasionally on mini roundabouts.Ridden 7/8 hour days and my knees have been fine.
Just a painful rear until I get used to riding again and a sore clutch hand after a while.
I find it enough of a stretch getting my leg over the standard seat and I get cramp occasionally with the effort.
Personally, the standard seat/footrest combination is the best compromise.
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:09 am
by spoon
I have a 31 inch inseam and when I first rode my Rockster it had the low seat on it. That was almost a deal breaker and a butt breaker. The standard seat fixed that, leg wise. The butt part is still an issue for all day touring. Too much crown in the seat. I flat foot just fine. Highway pegs or just draping your leg over the top of the cylinder gives relief on the highway.
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:23 am
by AirForceDirt
I'll be the freakishly long-legged one here to chime in. I have a 36" inseam, and for the longest time used the stock seat and stock footpegs and never had any issues with my knees. I switched to the sargent seat in a quest for a more comfortable seat, and ended up with a bit more leg room as a result. Sure, I'm 21 and don't have the knee problems that I'm sure I will when I'm older, but I still get cramped after a bit. I've actually been looking for a way to raise the footpegs, or at least pull them back a little bit. Found a solution, but its gonna cost quite a bit in postage to have the vario racing pegs shipped from Germany. Not to mention having to pay European prices for the things. Thus is life.
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 8:54 pm
by Holtster
I have the same issue due to a bad left knee. I installed the higher seat a few years back and that has worked to some degree. Still looking for more relief and wondered who has installed the suburban machinery lowered peg set and/or the retractable highway pegs. Looking for reactions to both of these options.
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 10:28 pm
by f4tweet
I installed them. They have made a huge difference.
Re: High seat or lower the pegs?
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 4:12 pm
by chibbert
spammers can suck my ****