Running Board Extensions From Harley Goodies
Posted on 14. Nov, 2009 by Coach in Reviews
Anyone that has spent significant hours on their bike quickly realizes the need to “dial in” the comfort level of their bike. This is done in all manner of methods. Common methods include adding tour pegs, changing the handlebars, adding a custom seat or maybe just a backrest, and even altering the suspension height of their bikes. But have you ever considered where your feet sit in relation to your overall comfort and ride?
I am 5′10″, with an inseam of 32″. Fairly common I am lead to believe. In order to increase the comfort of my bikes on long rides (and even short ones any more), I have installed both Kuryakyn tour pegs and an H-D backrest. But I have a problem in tying these two items together.
When I stretch out my legs, my heels end up at just about the end of the running boards. Not much further. If my tour pegs are too high, it puts unwanted pressure on my lower back. Having my tour pegs at a level slightly higher than my running boards allows me to rest my heel on the running board and place my foot on the tour peg. This allows me to stretch my legs out while resting into my backrest. Almost perfect.
One little catch. My lowers. And no, I will not remove them. You see, probably from years of running in sand in boots, my knees are not what they once were. Because of my lowers, I have to “wing” my feet outward to clear them, putting pressure on my knees and hips. On a long ride, this is unacceptable.
When I try to move my feet outward to the outer edges of the running boards, I find that I am working hard just to keep my feet from slipping off the edge of the boards. Too much work for a long ride. I knew what the answer was, my quest as to find it.
Tom at Harley Goodies had the answer to my dilemma, and that answer solved more than one problem.
Harley Goodies has manufactured extensions for floor board mounting brackets that allow you to move your running boards away from your engine, giving a much better ride. Tome states it on his website quite well:
“These Floorboard Extensions are a simple and inexpensive way to solve many rider issues. Many riders experience hip, knee and ankle stress while riding because of the close placement of the stock floorboards. These footboard extenders will give you a significantly better riding position, which means a MORE COMFORTABLE RIDE. These Extensions are guaranteed to greatly increase your riding comfort or your money back.
Now… NO MORE burning your boot on the exhaust pipe, NO MORE sore legs, NO MORE fighting to keep your feet on the floorboards at highway speeds. And what can I say, a wider floorboard position makes your Harley look even FAT’R and MEAN’R.”
I received my kit the next day. The installation is easy, only taking about 10 minutes per side. Not mechanically inclined? Not to worry, the instructions are real easy and written in clear English (imagine that!).
Once on, I was surprised. Although the mounting spacers are only slightly longer than the stock ones, the changes are quite noticeable. Just looking at the running board location, you can see that the boards are now moved much further from the pipes and side case. The bike takes on a wider look, too. This is nice, especially on a fat Ultra!
The true test came once I sat on the bike. My feet were noticeably further from the pipes. My hips felt better, and the normally “too wide stock seat” was now not quite too wide.
But the best result is when I kicked my feet out to their touring position. My heels were now solidly on the running boards, while the balls of my feet rested on the tour pegs. My feet were no longer cocked in an uncomfortable “winged” position. My knees, hips, and even my ankles feel much better. This is a natural position for me.
I am sure that many of you have the same problems I have in “dialing in” our rides. I highly recommend that you take a look at the floor board extensions from Harley Goodies. If your Harley has running boards, regardless of make or year, Harley Goodies makes an extension for you (Including Softails). Check out their website at http://www.harleygoodies.com. They stand behind their product, and Tom is a great guy to work with. Tell him Coach sent you.
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