Advantages to rear sets

[freeclimbmtb]

Being new to the world of Ducati (or any bike <30 years old for that matter) Ive seen a fair amount of talk regarding aftermarket rear sets.  Asside from the obvious bling factor and potential weight savings, do they really offer any performance increase? More adjustability for rear brake/shift lever position, and possibly chanigng rider position maybe?  I apoligize if this has some obvious answers that every one else knows, but as my last bike was built in 1975, just LOOKING at my new 696 is a world of difference, making it tough to really grasp every improvement it has to offer.

[Heath]

I bought new rear sets for several reasons. 
They look better.
They feel better. Both under my feet and while shifting.
I adjusted them higher and further back from stock so that they would not scraped the ground like the stock ones did.

[scott_araujo]

The name implies their function: they are usually set farther back than stock foot pegs.  As already mentioned they are also usually higher to give better ground clearance.  When combined with clip ons or other lower than standard handlebars they allow the rider to lean forward more and assume a more aggressive riding posture.  This is both more aerodynamic and puts more weight over the front wheel for better feedback to the rider and handling.  This posture can be more comfortable at high speeds but less so at low speeds where the wind doesn't help hold you up.

Most rear sets are adjustable to some degree, allowing the rider to tailor the position to what he/she likes.  Also, they sometimes do away with the passenger pegs for a cleaner, more minimal look.

Scott

[♣ McKraut ♣]

and the grip factor is nice on aftermarkets, too... i hate putting my foot down at an intersection only to put it back on the stock peg and find it all slippery with a mix of antifreeze and motor oil... i've thought about buying replacement pegs at least for that exact reason.

[Slide Panda]

I've got a set of rearsets on my work bench, waiting to be mounted. If I hadn't gotten a good price on them, then I was probably going with some aftermarket pegs. Like McKraut I'm less than pleased with the stickiness of the stock pegs on my 900 - and I've got the rubbery sort. The ones on the S*R monsters are even worse, my foot was constantly slipping on those type of peg.

Now my pegs will be big ole thigns with a sharp knurled finish for grip. Should be good stuff

[corey]

i can say that i love my rearsets, but you will have to get used to them.
they completely eliminated an odd hip pain that i was getting from riding, and put me in a much more comfortable position all around for "spirited" riding.

[freeclimbmtb]

A little off topic, but having to do with foot position and "spirited" riding and all that.  I saw a post last night that finally really drove home the whole concept of hanging off the bike in corners...I had always thought it was to pull the bike farther over, but then I realized its to move the center of gravity over allowing the bike to actually sit more upright in the corners (at least thats the impression I got, correct me if Im AFU.)  This makes so much more sense to me now as Ive been doing it on my mountain bike for years.  Seeing the racers drag knees always scared the crap outta me but now that I realize thats to keep the pegs off the pavement Im excited to get into it!

[scott_araujo]

Precisely.  And having the foot pegs higher than stock makes it easier to keep your outside foot planted while hanging to the inside.

Scott