Lowering/Repositioning pegs on R1150r

Bought this bike sight unseen...I know I know...found out that riding position is close to impossibe for me. I have bad knees, one due for a replacement. The stock pegs force me into a knee bend that is very uncomfortable. I have looked at the specs for every after market peg lowering replacement and none of them add more than 1.5 inch or so of leg length and a bit forward location. I wonder if anyone had made a custom setup that would put my feet forward closer to the cylinders and lowering. If I can't do something I may have to sell the bike.

Welcome to the forum! Not sure what year your bike is, but check this website:

https://www.suburban-machinery.com/R1200RT.htm

Maybe there's something there that might help. Also, look at the ads in the Owners News. Seems to me there's always ads for things like this.

Good luck!

The footpegs and mounting plates from a R1150 GS are a straight bolt on. Find a GS to sit on, and then if that works find a wreck to get parts off. At the dealership all the parts are pricey.

omoore3 said:

Bought this bike sight unseen...I know I know...found out that riding position is close to impossibe for me. I have bad knees, one due for a replacement. The stock pegs force me into a knee bend that is very uncomfortable. I have looked at the specs for every after market peg lowering replacement and none of them add more than 1.5 inch or so of leg length and a bit forward location. I wonder if anyone had made a custom setup that would put my feet forward closer to the cylinders and lowering. If I can't do something I may have to sell the bike.

Click to expand...

That is about the norm...Check out the ones from Wunderlich, still listed on their web-site. But also keep in mind that most 'lowering kits' also move the pegs outward. It all adds up to limiting ground clearance on turns. Particularly in /on decreasing radius turns & even more so if the road is steeply crowned. I found this out on about the third curve I encountered, after the install. At this point, I have G/S peg mounts & stock pegs. A slight down & forward position, that at least keeps them tucked in. I also installed handlebar risers [approx 1.5 inch up & back], takes a-bit out of the forward lean, straightening the hips [somewhat] But in truth...not much relief for seating position [knees & hips] Matter of fact, I am considering selling my "R" just for that reason. Discomfort / pain, tends to ruin the ride......

If you discover the "holy-grail" please let us know.

Would it be possible to also raise the seat to get more distance? My 1150RT has been shimmed higher for the same reason. I didnt want to deal with moving the shifter or brake pedal.

PAS said:

Would it be possible to also raise the seat to get more distance? My 1150RT has been shimmed higher for the same reason. I didnt want to deal with moving the shifter or brake pedal.

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I have both the "high" & "low" seat for my "R". I do not notice much difference in low body comfort. But the High seat is a bit narrower near the tank. I switched over to a Sargent , & I like it the best.

One other thing I forgot to mention to the OP is the fact that all of the "kits" I've tried/used...made deploying the centerstand difficult. By that I mean, getting your toe into the tang that lowers the stand initially...

LOL ! Keep in mind that we are not really battling the bike. We are battling old age actually.......and it is likely a losing battle...

This is the Holy Grail question for Roadster owners. I still hunt at times. Keep in mind you are dealing with three points when you change peg height 1) knee bend and how much weight you are carrying on your feet and legs, 2) wrists - lowering will shift weight from the wrists and arms, 3) You butt. It carries the most weight but is the last place to start when I change things.

Suburban Machine had a set out at one time; however, I am not certain they still make them. These were not thee perfect solution but one I often go back to. IIRC they yield a 1 inch drop with no real concern for footpeg issues.

GS - I have a set of complete GS controls. I believe this is close to a 2 inch drop. I found them on Ebay. Check there, motorcycle salvage sources such as Beemer Boneyard and web parts sites. If I recall it took me about six months to land a pair at a price I was willing to pay at the time. I like this option for urban commuting and some road riding. I found I had to pay attention to chassis setup. Ride height issues left the sport riding pleasure lacking.

Wunderlich. I too believe they still have their option but I have no experience.

DIY *Check cafe racer sites for rear set components. You will find various components allowing you to move your pegs around. I suspect this option could get expensive now. The family cafe projects have given us a box of parts to play with.

Seat height is the last thing I would play with. You will find marginal gain in leg comfort and may not be happy with the bars.

Good luck. It will probably be frustrating and one of the most fun Grail quests you can take your Roadster on.

I have only used their racing pegs and replacement mounts to get rid of the rubber pegs on my R1100RS, but MFW offers their vario system with fixed length 23 & 30mm drop and an adjustable arm ranging 25-50mm. The arms can be indexed to the mounts to move the peg front to back as well. The adjustable arm would get you well past the 1" point and allow you to go back 1/2 way if you need to regain cornering clearance. They will pivot at the original location so the arm and peg will pivot together if you make contact which might feel a bit funky. Twisted Throttle is your US source and they special ordered in my mounts since they weren't stocked in the states. Yours look to be available

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/mfw-vario-footpeg-mount-rider-bmw-r1150r-r1150rs-r1100s

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/mfw-vario-extension-arms-25-50mm-silver

20774 said:

Welcome to the forum! Not sure what year your bike is, but check this website:

https://www.suburban-machinery.com/R1200RT.htm

Maybe there's something there that might help. Also, look at the ads in the Owners News. Seems to me there's always ads for things like this.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Put the Suburban lowering brackets for an 1150R on my '04 1150R and they work fine. The only gripe I have is that they interfere with the tab for lowering the center stand - you have to raise the left footrest to get a toe on the center stand. It takes some getting used to.

On my R1100R ( I know a different bike ) but same issue with knee angle. I ended up lowering the pegs, raising the bars and putting a Corbin Seat on the bike. The combination of all three moved my daily mileage from 150 painful miles to 600 pain free mile days. So if you really like the bike and want to keep it then you are looking at similar alterations. Each change is subtle and do one at a time starting with the pegs, then the bars and lastly the seat. Cheaper that way.

I've owned many bikes in my 50+ years of riding and just about all of them need an adjustment in one of the three above areas to fit me and make the bike comfortable for reasonably long distances. My current R1100S is a case in point. Have lowered the pegs, raised the bars and am currently customizing a stock seat. My Vstrom needed pegs lowered and aftermarket seat to help with the knee angle.

I don't have the link anymore but if you do a search on bike ergonomics there is a site where you input the bike and then you can play with raising and lowering bars, seats and pegs and it shows you the change in your body angle. It at least would give you an idea of what to expect.

I found the link I was talking about in my last post. Give it a try. http://cycle-ergo.com/

MV parts

I used the MV kit on my 2002 R1150RT have been happy with it for 80k+. See http://www.mv-motorrad.de/en/BMW/R850R-R1150R/