Alternative Footpegs for 1977 GW

[rdurost]

Hey-

I've been away from the board for several years, but my soul needs more time in the saddle. Sorry, this is bound to get long.

I just had my beloved naked '77 out for only the third or fourth time this year, and I was, as always, blown away by how that beast wings up to 8000+ RPM without effort. It just sings! 80 MPH in second gear! It sounds like it could spend its whole life at 7000. It reminds me of how I lusted after a GW from the first time I read about it in the early '70s (in my mid-teens). Specifically, that Honda was so conflicted about whether it was their new superbike or a tourer.

So I have had this great beast for 8-odd years now, and I feel like addressing one of the main things that has always bugged me, i.e. the footpeg position. I know I could spend a bunch on true rearsets, but not only do I not have any money, I don't really want that much rear-set. I'm 6'1", with about a 32-34" inseam and orangutan arms, so on all the bikes I've owned, I'm always been happier with my boots on the passenger pegs on long trips, but I can no longer support my whole upper-body weight on my wrists.

The GW is so long that I couldn't manage even euro-style bars. My hands went numb after five minutes or less. I ended up with (of all things) a handlebar from a Suzuki GT-750 water buffalo, another bike I've always lusted after.

Anyway, to finally come to the point, what I'm looking for is a set of factory peg assemblies that will move the position back a couple of inches, and maybe a bit up. I have size 13+ feet too, so that much change would still allow me to use the factory shift and rear brake levers as-is.

I actually got a set of cheap pegs from a 1981 (?) CB-750F (like I used to have) off eBay, and they could be moderately easily cut and re-welded to give me what I want, but although I have the welding gear, I no longer have the experience to do the job myself in such a critical application.

What I would be interested to hear is whether anybody has achieved a moderate set-back using some kind of factory pegs, not necessarily even Honda, with reasonable modifications. I wear rigid-soled boots when I ride, so even spiky dirt-bike pegs would be fine. Folding pegs are a must. I learned that on my '75 GT-380.

Ideas?

Richard

[robin1731]

I start with front foot pegs from a sport bike. Anything with the brake pedal and master cylinder attached to the bracket. And the shift lever with linkage. Usually some flat 1/4" aluminum plate to make them work with the frame I am using. I've done this with drag bike and street bikes.

.

[rdurost]

I start with front foot pegs from a sport bike. Anything with the brake pedal and master cylinder attached to the bracket. And the shift lever with linkage. Usually some flat 1/4" aluminum plate to make them work with the frame I am using. I've done this with drag bike and street bikes.

.

An excellent general suggestion, but I live WAY out back of beyond, with no money.

What I'm looking for is a "cookbook" approach, as in "Use pegs from 'X' year, make and model, make 'Y' modifications to them to get 'Z' height and set-back."

Goldwings have been around for so long that this problem must have been solved many times.

Thanks anyway.

[low-side]

Robin's approach is probably your best bet. Take some pegs and linkage from, say, a 2006 Honda Hornet. Use some aluminum (or steel) plate to place them exactly where you want them. I really don't believe that you will get any easier or cheaper than that. I doubt it has been solved "many times" with the result that you want - most of these got floor boards, not rear-sets.

[rdurost]

I have no nearby source of plate of any kind. I have no nearby place where I could have a look at a bunch of bikes and pick the setup that would do what I want.

This is the NAKED Gold Wings Club, yes? I lot of the most prominently featured bikes on here were set up to be more in a "Super Sport" style than factory. The last thing those sort of bikes would get would be footboards. And if they were bought with footboards, they would have been replaced with pegs, and not necessarily the stock pegs. I'm trying to tap into that body of knowledge.

[robin1731]

Well, I told you how I do it. Find some cheap used pegs from another bike. Aluminum plate can be found on ebay, the same place pegs could be found. I just bought 6pcs of 1/4" plate 12" x 6" for less than $30 shipped. That will be used for many different things. Including a brake caliper bracket on a race bike. All done with hand tools.

Using that same plate double up along with some used pegs I could have rearsets for less than $150.00.

.

[rdurost]

If I had $150, I would use it to pay my water and electric bills.

[tlbranth]

If I had $150, I would use it to pay my water and electric bills.

Boy rd, I've been there when I didn't have 2 nickels to rub together. Since you can weld, I'd use what you have and maybe some steel plate from the junk yard. I'm a mediocre welder but never let it stop me from doing whatever needed doing. Have some faith in yourself and go for it.