Peg lowering kit installed on 04 RT, w/ RT-P side stand!

[Couchrocket]

Hi all...

 

This probably won't apply to many of you, but thought I'd toss it in the gene pool for future reference for some.

 

I just installed Suburban Machinery's driver peg lowering kit on my 04 RT. When I bought the bike new, I had an RT-P side stand put on it, because w/ my big clod-hopper feet I could barely get the side stand down w/ that funky "wire" thing that protruded between the shifter and the peg. I also liked the "locking" aspect of the RT-P side stand.

 

For those of you with RT-P side stands you know that the "lowering lever" is behind the driver foot peg.

 

So, who gives a rip? Well, if you get peg lowering devices and install them in combination with an RT-P side stand... guess what?

 

The rubber ducky on the "lowering lever" of the side stand now hits the bottom of your boot, "significantly." Enough, in fact, that when I did the "test hop" after installing them, I darn near crashed the bike because the bottom of my boot hung up on it. (Proving that I should have "test sat" the thing before riding because it wasn't "obvious" from just looking at it.) And even once I figured out "what it was I was feeling" down there that was spongy and weird feeling... it was dangerous and interfered with shifting and riding in general.

 

So, "s&^%t, I says to myself. I finish a test ride and determine also that my brake lever is too high for comfort, but that the stock shift arm is actually "nicer" since I don't have to dig my toe "down under" the shifter as much...

 

OK, I get home and have Mrs. Couch come out into the garage and do a measurement of how much I'm deflecting the RT-P lowering lever when I'm sitting on the bike in the various ways that I put my feet on the pegs. She makes some measurements for me. (Sweet person that she is)

 

I now remove the rubber ducky off the end of the lever, and shudder nervously as I take a hack saw to my side stand lever.

 

Long story short, two cuts later I've removed about 3/4" of the lever. I dress it up with a file, put the rubber duck back on and do a final "test sit" on the bike. Perfect.

 

I re-glued the rubber duck on the end and let it sit overnight to cure.

 

This morning I adjusted my brake lever to lower the "pedal" as much as the adjustment allowed.

 

Time for a test hop.

 

Perfect!

 

So, what's in this shaggy dog story for you RT-P types who might be thinking about peg lowering? The lowering lever will be a problem. You'll have to shorten it, "just enough" not to be in your way (contact the bottom of your boot heel) AND YET, NOT SHORTEN IT SO MUCH THAT YOU CAN'T "TOE IT" TO GET THE SIDE STAND DOWN. That was the tricky part. That's why I did two "small cuts," and some serious file dressing, to get it "just enough"....

 

Oh, and the lowered pegs make a HUGE difference in comfort.