[the-puck]

I had an interesting learning experience last weekend and I would like some input on what I may or may not be doing wrong. First off let me say that I ride an 1999 R6 and I am 6'4" tall, 195lbs. I know I may be a little big for the bike but I love the damn thing. I have been riding for almost 5 years now. I live in KS so twisties are hard to come by around here but I recently took a vacation into the Ozark Mountains in Missouri and decided that I would load the bike up and take it along.

I know the back roads through much of the Mark Twain national forest and I knew they would be great for a sportbike. The roads have very little traffic, many curves and elevation changes. I knew of a great road about 25 miles long between Walnut Shade and Chadwick Missouri that had just been resurfaced last fall. (Highway "H" for anyone interested in a good ride)

I take off on a beautiful afternoon (Mid 80's and clear) and never did I feel like I was riding beyond my ability. I had 1/4" chicken strips on the back tire and I knew this would give me a chance to reduce them and improve my riding skill. I rode the the trip to Chadwick pretty hard and fast but well within my ability just to make sure the road was clear and there were no obstacles to contend with on the way back. I stopped for a drink just prior to heading back via the same route.

This time I open it up a little more and I am having a great ride. Right hand curves are more comfortable than left to me ( I'm not sure why), but I am handling both very well. I'm sitting with my toes tucked up as high on the pegs as possible for a 6'4" guy since I 'm not shifting, 5th gear is handling the ride just fine. Then I lean right into a decreasing radius turn and it happens, I drag the toe of my boot and scare the hell out of myself. I thought that I would run out of tire or I would drag the peg prior to dragging a toe but that wasn't my experience. I didn't almost lose it or anything but all I could think about is what if my it had caught more of my boot and it pulled my foot under the peg. Irrational??? You tell me.

Anyway, I have looked into new rearsets but they all seem like they would exacerbate my problem. Right now I have to sit as close to the tank as possible to get my knee's to fit the contours of the tank properly. If I sit centered on the seat, my knee's are wide at the top of the tank and make the bike much harder to handle. All the rearsets I have looked at move the pegs back (good) but also move them up (bad for my situation). I can't bend my knees any more than I was when I was riding.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[cxi]

If you're sure those toes are tucked up and in as much as possible - Are you hanging off the bike much/at all? Doing so would limit the amount of lean the bike needs and thus the amount of ground clearance necessary.

I've dragged toes on the track, but it was poor foot placement on my part. Oddly it happened in the same turn every time. But hey, that's what toe sliders are for right?

 

[seppuku]

has happened to me a few times. From what I've gather, it's easier to drag toes before pegs. If the balls of your foot are on top of the pegs though this isn't an issue. It's only happened to me on left turns where my foot was under the shifter getting ready to shit up a gear.

 

[the-puck]

Great pointer CXI. I always try to lean more than the bike but as far as hanging off of the bike, no not much at all. I'll keep that in mind.

Seppuku - As far as keeping the balls of my feet on the pegs, I just can't get there. I'm close but the arches are about as far up as I can get them for more than a minute or two. It doesn't help that I have size 13 feet either.

 

[wolfe954rr]

I agree that is your foot position. I have touched my boot long before hitting peg feelers at the track. I thought my feet were well placed until we got pictures to show me different.

 

[loveMyGsxr1000]

lean off the bike more have your left ass cheak on the where the right usually sits lean your upper body off to and counter steer once you master that combo you can corner a little faster. i used to have a chicken stripe about an inch wide and i would be scraping my foot until i learned to hang off and a little bit more about my lean. i am 6'5"

 

[loveMyGsxr1000]

oh your ass doesnt have to be there thats about how i have mine and dont try anything crazy slowly build up to it and dont get to cocky once you master it because thats when you get in trouble

 

[RayOSV]

If you have your feet positioned properly on the pegs (balls of your feet), there's no way a boot can touch down before the peg feeler unless you've got your left foot under the shifter. That's why some go to GP style "press down to shift up" shifting to allow shifting up mid-turn. Your feet should also be pressed inward such that your ankles are against the guards.

If this just isn't comfortable, you're going to have to hang off enough to reduce lean angle.

 

[WISPER]

I agree, your probably not transfering your wieght. If you ride with your body perpindicular to the bike all through the corner the center of gravity is very high forcing you to lean the bike over more. Transfering your wieght down and to the inside of the corner will allow you to keep the bike at a higher angle. Higher Angle= more speed and traction in corner.

You really don't have to scoot your whole ass off the seat though. A couple of inches and drop the inside shoulder, I've heard it discribed as kissing the mirror, cause thats kinda were your head ends up being.

Have fun and keep prerunning your routes if your going to try this.

 

[J0HNK]

NOTE: buy / trade for a B***** bike.. if you've been riding for as long as you have get something more ergo for you.... R1 !!!

+1 Feet are in the wrong position.... the only time you'll trap your toe and then your foot under the FRONT of the footpeg is when you are in a decreasing radius turn from an upper-elevation and your foot is too far forward on the peg.

Have someone follow you and tell them to watch and then critique you....

Otherwise: BUY A B***** BIKE

 

[385]

I always have to remind myself to get my feet in good position on the pegs when I start riding fast. Sometimes, I just don't realize how fast I am going or how much of a lean I have going on until I can feel my boots scraping along the asphalt. At first, it would suprise the hell out of me but now it's so common when I ride that I don't even give it a second thought. Once and a while, even when I do make sure my feet are in good position, it still happens. I guess that's just what happens when you have clown feet (size 14).

 

[freeky929]

I have spent countless hours focusing on my foot position. I have found that if my position on the bike is correct during normal riding, then I ride better when I step it up. Practice good posture and riding position all the time, and it will feel more natural. I ride with a guy that hangs his toes out all the time, and I watched him almost lose it once around a tight curve.

 

[TRaGiK]

NOTE: buy / trade for a B***** bike.. if you've been riding for as long as you have get something more ergo for you.... R1 !!!

Aren't "b*****" bikes, for the most part, only b***** in displacement? Also, aren't b***** (liter) bikes of today, actually smaller than ones of 2 or 3 years back?

 

[J0HNK]

Aren't "b*****" bikes, for the most part, only b***** in displacement? Also, aren't b***** (liter) bikes of today, actually smaller than ones of 2 or 3 years back?

USUALLY..... but, there are a number of "b*****" bikes that are dimensionally b***** overall, not just in engine size.

And, yes, a litre bike from a few years back would be even better... ~ 2000 - 2001 R1 or GSXR1000.

 

[Mr. Lesbian]

'99 R6, those bikes have a long ass peg feeler too... probably a good 2". Have a look. Anyways, since you're a taller guy, it's probably foot/body positioning. First time I dragged my toes, I also dragged the pegs at the same time. Scary as shit, felt like I was gonna lose it. But then after that, you get used to it and it's even better then getting the knee down, IMO.

 

[TTsixxer]

NOTE: buy / trade for a B***** bike.. if you've been riding for as long as you have get something more ergo for you.... R1 !!!

+1 Feet are in the wrong position.... the only time you'll trap your toe and then your foot under the FRONT of the footpeg is when you are in a decreasing radius turn from an upper-elevation and your foot is too far forward on the peg.

Have someone follow you and tell them to watch and then critique you....

Otherwise: BUY A B***** BIKE

:rolleyes So an R1 will magically improve his riding skills right? An R6 and R1 are physically almost the same size.

 

[TTsixxer]

'99 R6, those bikes have a long ass peg feeler too... probably a good 2". Have a look. Anyways, since you're a taller guy, it's probably foot/body positioning. First time I dragged my toes, I also dragged the pegs at the same time. Scary as shit, felt like I was gonna lose it. But then after that, you get used to it and it's even better then getting the knee down, IMO.

I disagree, you have to keep hard parts of the bike off the road! Pegs can dig into the asphalt and make your rear tire lift off the ground, I know because it happened to me. Hang off, if you don't have leather pants with pucks, get some riding boots with toe sliders. And keep the R6, you'll be thankful in the long run when the squids in their R1's can't keep up with you. :neener

 

[nig]

I disagree, you have to keep hard parts of the bike off the road! Pegs can dig into the asphalt and make your rear tire lift off the ground, I know because it happened to me.

I tried making this argument in the FZ6 forum, but one of our local MSF instructors came in and said it was okay. Who do you think they listened to :lol

 

[Jackal79]

Do you have actual sportbike boots with toe sliders? You don't even think twice when you drag your toe in those because they don't catch they just slide. I did it in my tennis shoes one time and it shocked the piss out of me because it caught so hard. Paid attention to not do it again with those shoes on because I didn't want to break my foot off.

As far as avoiding it - keep the balls of your feet on the pegs. I don't think it can be eliminated totally it is normal if you are going to haul ass through corners. Thats why boots have toe sliders.

Edit: Buy an R1?! That has pretty much the exact same ergos as an R6! Besides, a bike with tighter ergos is going to keep your toes from dragging more.

 

[INeverFinishAnythi]

I've dragged toes on my 92' seca II as well. It didn't feel like I was leaning that much more than I usually do, just poor foot placement. My right sneaker is torn all to hell from it, guess it's time for boots.