Scraping Pegs... Dangerous!?

[ahskeetz]

Hi everyone. Today I went for a ride up in the mountains and going around the one of the turns at about 60ish mph, i scraped my left peg for the first time. Actually, Im not exactly sure if it was my peg or if it was my foot, but my reaction was to pick my foot up and I upshifted and continued. it was definitely a shocking experience because i didn't think that i'd be able to do that.

Anyway, my question is: how dangerous is it to scrape pegs? should slow down and pick my foot up? or is it okay to keep going?
haha maybe a stupid question, but just thought i'd ask.

i actually feel kinda proud though too

[kkim]

when deep into a turn, I try to position my foot so I'm riding on the ball of the foot to avoid having the foot touch down. You can check to see the scraper on the bottom of you peg to see if it was the peg or your foot that touched.

In any event, touching parts on the ground is never a good idea. They put them there to let you know to back off. If you continue and place more of the weight onto the peg, it will upset the balance and possibly lead to a crash.

There are different methods of cornering that allow you to go through the turn with the bike in a more upright position to avoid dragging parts.

The pegs on the 250R are quite easy to drag given that they are in a "standard" bike position as opposed to the super sports which have them back and up a bit for this very reason.

[CC Cowboy]

Scaping the footpeg is OK. Shiiiiting your pants when you do is not. Don't freak out if you drag a peg. They have feelers so you know you are doing it. Don't drag your boots (they cost to much). Don't get overly excited about dragging anything or you might get over confident and crash. Never slow down, unless you see flashing lights in front of you (or a topless girl in need of a ride). Never post on here that you are getting so fast in the mountains that things are dragging off your bike (your next post will be you crashed your bike). Always smile when you have your helmet on, no one can see your smile then, and you just had a wild time riding the coal country at speed.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Never post on here that you are getting so fast in the mountains that things are dragging off your bike (your next post will be you crashed your bike).

I'm glad you posted that. I've been fighting the urge to post that all day long.

[Purspeed]

Remove the little knobs at the outer edge of the pegs, first of all. Those are hazardous.

Scraping a peg is no big deal. It should ideally be done when you are practicing slow speed manuevers so that you get use to the sound and lean angle.

Why? Because this way, you won't chop the throttle. Chopping the throttle will shift weight to the rear and cause the peg to grind deep into the ground. This will cause an accident.

If you scrape a peg, hold the throttle steady or increase throttle and reduce your lean angle. Remember, when it doubt, gas it.

[Broom]

good advice guys. getting spooked and getting off the throttle will tuck the front in a heartbeat. staying on the gas slightly, and looking where you want to go will get you out of a lot of situations that you don't think you can do.

scraping your pegs isn't such a bad thing as long as your reaction to it is good and you don't start putting a lot of weight down to the ground (read: getting over confident). the next thing to touch the ground (usually the kickstand mount) will put you on your ass before you even realize something touched.

[TrueFaith]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Scaping the footpeg is OK. Shiiiiting your pants when you do is not. Don't freak out if you drag a peg. They have feelers so you know you are doing it. Don't drag your boots (they cost to much). Don't get overly excited about dragging anything or you might get over confident and crash. Never slow down, unless you see flashing lights in front of you (or a topless girl in need of a ride). Never post on here that you are getting so fast in the mountains that things are dragging off your bike (your next post will be you crashed your bike). Always smile when you have your helmet on, no one can see your smile then, and you just had a wild time riding the coal country at speed.

I'm surprised by what you left out of that post, Tom. No mention of shifting your weight on the bike to keep it more upright in a deep turn? Wasn't that the first thing you told me I should have done when I found myself riding into that sea of gravel in a turn last year before lowsiding? For someone who uses their weight to adjust to curves on the bike like you do, I would have thought shifting your weight in a steep turn would be #1 on your advice list. Or don't you want other riders to know the secret of your riding finesse?

[CC Cowboy]

Wayne, hanging off the bike is safer learned with someone accompanying you that has experience. I'd hate to have someone hanging off and crashing do to lack of experience. Riding a little slower until you have experience is more important than shifting your body weight and trying to go fast. Have fun first. Then when you have experience you can start improving your cornering. Too many people want to look like Rossi or Stoner and miss the fun of just riding.

Have you been riding lately? Remember hanging off and falling off is two different things.

[Bill N]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Scaping the footpeg is OK. Shiiiiting your pants when you do is not. Don't freak out if you drag a peg. They have feelers so you know you are doing it. Don't drag your boots (they cost to much). Don't get overly excited about dragging anything or you might get over confident and crash. Never slow down, unless you see flashing lights in front of you (or a topless girl in need of a ride). Never post on here that you are getting so fast in the mountains that things are dragging off your bike (your next post will be you crashed your bike). Always smile when you have your helmet on, no one can see your smile then, and you just had a wild time riding the coal country at speed.

Wow!!! I like that post...Good advice.
Bill

[Bill N]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Wayne, hanging off the bike is safer learned with someone accompanying you that has experience. I'd hate to have someone hanging off and crashing do to lack of experience. Riding a little slower until you have experience is more important than shifting your body weight and trying to go fast. Have fun first. Then when you have experience you can start improving your cornering. Too many people want to look like Rossi or Stoner and miss the fun of just riding.

Have you been riding lately? Remember hanging off and falling off is two different things.

Man, There he goes again CC Cowboy offers what I think is sage advice. Keep it up Cowboy man.
Bill

[TrueFaith]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Wayne, hanging off the bike is safer learned with someone accompanying you that has experience. I'd hate to have someone hanging off and crashing do to lack of experience. Riding a little slower until you have experience is more important than shifting your body weight and trying to go fast. Have fun first. Then when you have experience you can start improving your cornering. Too many people want to look like Rossi or Stoner and miss the fun of just riding.

Have you been riding lately? Remember hanging off and falling off is two different things.

Yes, I find I much prefer the former. I'm satisfied with trying to go slow and sort of hanging off the bike at my advanced age. Don't want things to get too exciting this early in the season. I don't want to look like Rossi, but it would be nice to not look like Jethro Bodine on a tricycle.
Spring just won't get going up here. The bike is ready to go, but rain, wind & low temps are messing with everyone's plans to ride. I just heard from ScootyScot and he and his son have new CBRs and want to get a ride together. So if it ever warms up around here there might finally be the possibility of having some of that "fun" you were talking about.

[CC Cowboy]

I just bought a GSXR 1000. If I bring it up this summer we have to get together for a ride. I know some good roads (since we never got to finish our last ride). I can always ride my buddies Honda also.

[HKr1]

No biggy hitting the folding pegs. When you start hitting hard parts you gotta be carefull: IE shifter & brake lever, sometimes even exhaust. < Thats what will get your rearend up in the air.....

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I just bought a GSXR 1000.

You did...... Oh crap < still rooom for you next month at the track Come break that baby in

[CC Cowboy]

Kerry, I'm still working on some strenght training. I'm not 100% yet. One son is down in Key West for a few months and the other is grounded until the end of school in June. We will all be around for the summer but it might be too hot then. I might do take the boys up to Loudon for a Penquin School. I know Jerry Wood and he runs a great school.

I've been buying a few bikes since I got sick and I'm looking for a deal on a 916. Believe it or not I enjoy riding my old Interceptor as one of my favorite bikes (very comfy and still gets up and goes).

[TrueFaith]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I just bought a GSXR 1000. If I bring it up this summer we have to get together for a ride. I know some good roads (since we never got to finish our last ride). I can always ride my buddies Honda also.

That's fine as long as you don't mind waiting for me to catch up on every corner. You probably do that a lot now on that GSZR1000 anyway. I'm planning on having a nice relaxing, sedate and SAFE riding season this year after having my first accident ever last June. Not that I rode like a banshee before the accident, but this year I'll be a lot more wary of road conditions that pop up unexpectedly because of the weird weather we've been getting, so I'll no doubt be even slower and a real PITA to ride with.

Yet another day of rain, wind and temps in the 40s today. I'm starting to think I de-winterized my bike a month too early.