Ducati Monster Forum

So even with an additional 1 inch padding added to the stock seat, my knees still get get stiff after an hour or so.
I'm thinking of getting a set of rearsets to help.   
I need to be able to stand on the foot pegs without worrying weather they'll hold my weight of approx. 200 lbs with full gear  [just to take the weight off of my butt or stretch when needed]
I'm hoping to create less of a bend on my knees, so something that directs my feet back a little and just a tad down [?] would seem to me to be what I'd ideally want?
What might I expect to spend on something that's going to fit the above needs?

Thanks!

Hope this helps

http://www.whaccessories.com/Foot-Peg-Lowering-Kit-Ducati.htm

Thanks DM620.  It looks as if the only thing available on that site is a set of adjustable footpegs, which might be just fine.
I get it that there's an ever-shrinking pool of aftermarket goodies for my '01.
Can you tell me what the difference is between adjustable footpegs and adjustable rearsets?
"sigh"  .....  There's a picture at the bottom of the page of a 821 with what looks like one REALLY comfortable seat on it.   :o

Thanks!

The rotating type is flexible, but only within what will work with your foot controls. Rearsets, adjustable or not, should position your feet backwards. Often also higher.

I don't know your knee problems. Do you? Pain because of a small knee angle OR pain because of awkward strain? Anyway: peg forward = open knee + closed hip. peg backward = similar knee angle (with different pressure) + open hip.

stopintime,

I can't say for sure what it is that causes my knee issue on the monster. I just know they get stiff after riding for an hour or so. My old BMW K bike's seating position was fine. The Aero is great. It's a completely different riding position with floorboards. Neither bike had my knees folded up much like the duc does. At nearly 59 y.o. my knee joints ARE a little stiffer than in my 40's.  I'm just not sure I like how 'positioning my feet rearwards and often, also higher' sounds or maybe how I THINK it will feel?

Maybe I just need to get off of the bike more often and stretch my legs than I'm willing to admit   :-X

I contacted Wild Hair Accessories through the link provided by DarkMonster620 [thank you] and figured out that the adjustable footpegs can give up to 2 inches more room for me to play around with. I'm told that "and depending on how I have them positioned they should not interfere with the shifter"  Yeah, hopefully.  Maybe figure 1 inch of usable movement and still use the current controls?

I'd be willing to spend the $ if I could be reasonably sure rearsets would give me the best shot of more comfort.  They sound like they're geared more for racing than for my objective?

The adjustable footpegs are sure enough more affordable, at first blush, than some of the rearsets I've looked at. [approx. $200 with shipping] .... I've also learned that quality [or maybe comfort in my case] is remembered long after the price has been forgotten.

The seat mods: Probably not much added height once compressed by the rider, but if it helped, you might try more of the same - which is lowered foot pegs. Forget two inches - that won't work with the controls at all. Maybe half an inch. The owner's manual explains how the foot controls are adjusted, or maybe you know, either way... figure out where and what the possible clearance issues (feet/controls) will be and if it's possible to adjust enough.

It doesn't take much adjusting to feel a big improvement, but at our age we're better off exxpecting some pain and deal with it as best we can.

About 1 inch is possible. Gear lever is easy, problem is brake.
Lower + a little forward pegs makes quite a difference, FHE.

I'm running a Sargent seat and fabbed brackets to relocate the footpeg assemblies down 1" and back 1".
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=72487.0

Opened both hip angle and knee angle, a huge improvement.

Requires modding the header outlets, can mounts, brake lever, etc.

I've looked around a bit after reading what some guys have done and what you guys have said.

I think I'll try a combination of this:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/290931068879     and adding a little more to the stock seat pan and probably needing to have it recovered, maybe in a plush diamond style pattern.

The adjustable footpegs rotate 360 degrees and will adjust 25mm or 40mm   40mm seems like the brake MAY possibly still work but the shifter?...not so much,  so I'm figuring approx. 25mm [1 inch] change.  You guys seem pretty savvy with metals fabrication and modifying.    [bow_down]    That's a little [ok, a lot] above my pay grade.  I'll have to try a more plug-and-play approach and keep my fingers crossed that I hit a sweet spot without going $ crazy.

I have a set similar and they’re okay. Gear lever is fine, the brake was indeed hard to reach.

I have more comfort but still not ideal, plus my boot scrapes a lot.

No big deal, but worth noting.

GK  ... Thank you for sharing!  Were your knees the problem?  or were you just overall looking for more comfort?  Can you tell me just how far out you extend the footpegs?  25mm [1 inch-ish?] or more?  Did you direct the pegs downwards for max comfort? backwards?  a combination?  forwards?

So, am I correct in assuming that the rearsets are designed more for racing than what I'm looking to gain?  I'm TRYING to be careful where/what I put my limited funds towards. I'd rather not throw $100 needlessly at a relatively easy-to-install "fix" if there's something else that has noticeably better results even though it costs more.

Does that make sense?

I've never ridden a bike with rearsets and I'm not sure that the backwards and slightly higher positioning, as explained, sounds like it's more comfortable than the stock set up....but what do I know? 

Any thoughts based on experience are appreciated.  I haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet.  I just REALLY love this bike and want to make it as comfortable, safe and enjoyable to ride as I can and ride it for as long as I can.

Let's say you're going racing... install clip ons and lean forward a lot. Then you'd be happy with the rearward function to open the hips a bit. BUT this requires pegs with more grip to avoid feet slipping down and off. It also often puts a new kind of pressure on the knees.

Another story: more than a few rearset buyers, instead of asking first, discover that their expensive 'rearsets' does NOT position their feet rearward - only up. The older versions from Sato Racing surprisingly didn't offer rearward at all - only up and forward (!!!). Japanese customers usually need that instead of what the larger Euro/US customers need. I estimate that 9 out of 10 buyers don't know what they buy and are 'happy' with the bling effect.

Lowering the pegs CAN end up with them scraping the ground. Maybe dangerous, maybe not. Obviously more comfortable. 

My left knee was playing up a bit,  probably the result of many years of a stiff cable operated manual gearbox in my sedan, that I had converted from an auto.

I was limited in what adjustments I could make and you will be too, due to the relationship between the brake pedal/gear selector and your foot/boot size.

I’ll try to get a picture posted to give you an idea of how it turned out.

It’s certainly not ideal, but better than it was.

Improved comfort substantially when I rode it. We swap bikes a bit on a ride and it was good for my knees and hips. More comfy than my stock Monster pegs. The only thing is having to toe in to use the brake. I'm 54, 5'8", 200lbs and have sporting injuries from back in the day. If you can stand the toe in needed to use the brake pedal then it's a cheap fix.

This is great information.  Thanks a lot you guys.  It really helps me to target how to spend my $ and get the most for my buck.

Bar keep!  A round on me!     [shot]     [clap]

I'm not expecting a magic cure by changing just 1 thing but I'm hoping to bring some relief to both my knees and posterior with a change to both the footpegs and seat.

BTW  ....  I noticed a Sargent seat for sale.  Is there a general consensus as to how comfortable these are compared to the stock seat?   Big improvement?  Marginal?  Any thoughts?

I have had two Sargent seats (M900&Hyper100), they were both very comfy compared to oem seats. I also had each one modified to remove the piping and support my GLW passenger. The piping may not bother you however. Some also swear by Corbin seats and there is one for sale on the forum at a bargain price.
I have been lucky to have specialist craftsmen nearby who custom modify seats, tailor made to the individual's ergonomic  needs. There are many threads worth searching here about seats, bars, foot pegs and the personal nature of rider ergos. It's more important than many people realise.

If you have a large boot size I reckon you can reach the brake pedal easier with those pegs. I was annoyed having to toe in to reach it, but I have a slight foot deformity from birth which restricts my range of movement. If you need more ground clearance you can raise the bikes ride height at the front and rear to compensate as I have done. My old Monster is 20-30mm taller at each end and this reduces peg scraping. That's a whole other well travelled topic here.

Between a more plush, thicker seat and lower pegs you can gain valuable inches in room to make a substantial difference. The Sargent seat has you higher and closer to the bars giving a more comfy reach if that works for you.

The gear selector side is the full 45mm lower but slightly back, to allow for my boot getting sufficiently under the lever.

Brake side is as described by koko.

For adjustable foot pegs, I recommend to get these rather than e-Bay items.

(http://jcpakbikes.com/aellafootpeg/preview/ae10062_02.jpg)

(http://jcpakbikes.com/aellafootpeg/preview/ae10063_01.jpg)

(http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n539/bike_rider/aella%20pegs/AellapegsPS2.jpg)

(http://jcpakbikes.com/aellafootpeg/preview/msadjfootpegpromo.jpg)

https://japan.webike.net/products/9733101.html

Instead of 40mm, AELLA pegs rotating radius is 20mm, in 12 position.

Yes, they cost more, but they are better designed, better built, higher quality, and you can get replacement parts.

To give you better, clearer idea about rider ergonomics (handle bar, seat, foot peg position) ...

The bike is 05 S4R, with

Triumph Speed Triple / Street Triple handle bar
DP touring seat comfort (NOT the one with gel pad)
AELLA rear set(NOT adjustable pegs)

The model is 5'5" (165 cm), 125 lbs. (57 kg), with 29" inseam (wears 28 x 30 pants)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jHFegeQkz5RbSnqyP_reHitv8FGglPdR0msRDk9PfXwLBZ65ZXd2_J7gV9gwXSo7gB5hOEJHPGBlC0v-Jjkb-81idudq-sCqko69LyL_dPseL1RQ1Mq2UygZvaqc-F1LMY6UvOu9rQ=w2400)

Ball of the foot on the peg, relaxed riding

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2IyRPZxhax_Pxwg6xSfZUl9HG9M6gLLE_Rdc9C5jACfQCJtFhw7-RYhKePfbZYDsqUe8lQvLAgU-k3pzlZ4WPlcqFGeyDDASxUJl9RrgZzv66h3s3Grtd-X_h-EQyyCXKZmPNpwQgA=w2400)

Ball of the foot on the peg, aggressive riding
(Notice butt moved back slightly, head lowered slightly,but not tilted forward)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DiIlLc7GvrHVNzXS9KeM8O7-8rQLs5_7qgDQNeBfEXIY76Z-MymUDYxXv2EQCaVfVAnUwMgTkuLcu0C_fFcO3LHnNASyOKLUCm812_w6r_4fTbI7-jo5EFaEKowZlbhXwBjZLQFH-w=w2400)

Now, if you move your foot peg (& controls) to rearward and higher,
it will make your knees to be bent more. You don't want to move your foot controls that direction.
Which means, typical aftermarket rear set will not work for you.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zhGnh85RJLhK1NZkBdYRNIGqouLD67D6GrL7kabt0orizpw9kPLmnoUKugPXhUVagqbTvQrBA0VgsuMmbvBmUcIlHHbjqzUmhtRsIFfzP4vWvxqubN3k00IwywoyOgRGigugJizVbg=w2400)

Then, what if you move the foot controls rearward and lower?

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tauKbr3PLX2gl5LmWeDKyYTncGvF_mQdp06WLlQUuBEI7JpD81l_haTt9sjKvDF5WCmFJZg9bGClowqIKeKQTEF5HNee6TC17TXuF2zurVYKs7l_RYJuxGhLp16mKOiLCeLQ4j5wzQ=w2400)

Yes, this will make your knees to be bent at more relaxed angle, at the expense of the reduced ground clearance.

Also, notice if you move the foot control rearward, it will make your thigh - upper torso angle greater BUT it will cause your upper body pitched forward, makes it difficult to support your upper body weight by abs and lower back muscle.
Which means, you tend to ride with supporting your body weight by your arms and wrists.
Which means you are spoiling the bike's self-steering function, you are more prone to get tank slapper, slower to react to the tire slide (more chance of low side crush) ...

Look at the photos carefully, pay particular attention to where my butt is, and where my foot is.
The foot peg is 20mm higher than stock, but not moved forward / backward.

Bologna's engineers aren't stupid.
They didn't place the foot pegs where they are without thinking.
For the cornering performance of the bike, it is best NOT to move the pegs forward or backward too much.
20 mm is the limit I would move foot controls.

My advice?
Go to the link below, play around a while.

http://cycle-ergo.com/

Then, sit on a bike, move your feet forward, backward, higher and lower.
Let us know how you feel.

I'll play around with my foot position and see what feels better.  Right now, I'm having too much fun playing with the ergonomics simulator!

S21FOLGORE: I noticed the Aella pegs have a smaller adjustability range compared to the SSR-ebay ones.  Better quality aside, that might be an issue if I could still reach the controls with a larger adjustment which MIGHT be what I'd need to get a better comfort level?    Maybe I could strap blocks of wood to the controls for better reach.  It's what my grandpa did on my trike when I was a wee lad.   ;)     I dunno, just throwing stuff out here.

I just really appreciate the personal experience, information and general help you guys put out on the board, for guys like myself.  I looked back at the 2 years I've been asking questions and how the information you people gave me helped me to find a great bike for ME.

koko64:  I had a Corbin Gunfighter on my K bike. It was just as uncomfortable as the stock seat. After a few seasons, I sent it back to Corbin, telling them of my issue and asking for new, thicker padding. It was just the same when I got it back.  With the initial seat cost plus backrest [which WAS a nice addition for the passenger] and the repadding, it was an overall unimpressive aftermarket experience.  Just 1 person's story.

Your concern is very understandable.
Let me explain a little bit, abut that part. (And forgive me if I sound like I’m preaching.)

This style of adjustable foot pegs came in at around 2009, IIRC, AELLA adjustable peg was the first one.
(AELLA, is the brand name of the motorcycle parts produced by Kasuno Motorcycle in Kyoto, Japan.
Their web site
http://www.aella.jp/category.html)

Why did these pegs come with so little range of adjustment?
Because they test all the stuff they make& sell, on the track, on the street, quite extensively.
They are motorcycle enthusiast, just like you, or myself.
So, if they decided 20mm radius instead of 40mm, there’s a good reason.

More adjustment range means more possibility of having problem with shift pedal and brake pedal.
Most of the time, moving the foot peg / handle bar 10 mm (even 5 mm) makes noticeable difference, and quite often, that small change is all you need.

When it comes to motorcycle foot control aftermarket parts, “wider range of adjustment” is just a sales gimmick.
Because 1/3 to 1/2 of that “wide adjustment range” is unusable. (Gillis tooling rear-set, for example, claim to have wider range of adjustment than the others, but roughly 50 - 60% of that range is totally unusable. If you move the foot peg position to the extream end, shifter / brake pedal will be in a place where you can’t operate, your boots will hit the exhaust, swingarm, etc, etc)

E-bay knock off parts seller, unlike guys at Kasuno motorcycle, does not care if you (purchaser) run into problems or not.
(Hard (or impossible) to reach / operate properly brake/ shift pedal, pegs / pedals interfering other parts, for example.)
They don’t know (because they didn’t spend any time / money on R&D) and THEY DON’T CARE.
They just want your money.

Take a close look of the picture of both products.
As you increase the distance between the mounting bolt and the foot peg bar, you increase the possibility of the flex.
The closer they are, more solid they are. (The best is the non-folding, fixed type foot peg bar. But, no such option for your bike right at this moment.)

If you buy that eBay item, and postion the foot peg where your knee would be most relaxed, it would be (roughly) 34mm back, 34 mm down.

(40 x sin45 ≒34)

Do you think you need to move the pegs that much?

I forgot one more, very important thing.

Do you stretch, at very least, every time before you get on a motorcycle?
(Ideally, you should do it every morning, which I do.)

How (physically) fit are you?

Seriously, this is one of the most overlooked stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlqGNB-o-BQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-RKNUTwAuk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDvOYUrF368

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4fEJczaULM

Dude, you ain't preaching. It's all solid information and I thank you. I'll be stretching before rides from now on too. I'd do it before I went skiing or working out. It just never occurred to me to it before riding. Kinda makes sense now that you bring it up. It  I stretch my feet and elbow tendons daily. Knees, etc. are now in the rotation!

Anything to make the ride more enjoyable.   You guys are great.

Okay, I got the footpegs lowered by just over 1.25 inches and picked up a used Corbin seat [Thank you pitbull] that, together, are SO much better than OEM. My knees are now fine and my butt, while not perfect, is now manageable for longer rides. The only adjustment needed was on the shifter.

Thanks for the suggestions!   [bow_down]

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