Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 646
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Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
Greetings to all HD Riders. I hope to join the club in a couple months when I purchase a Sportster. I have a question and I'm sure there will be more to come. I try to do my research first to find an answer on the internet, but on this one, I'm stumped.
What is the benefit/purpose of forward foot controls?
Is it just for appearance?
Thanks so much for the help.
What is the benefit/purpose of forward foot controls?
Is it just for appearance?
Thanks so much for the help.
Tourer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 427
Likes: 1
From: Down North
RE: Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
You actually have better control of the bike with the mid controls.
Forward controls are so that the rain and the cold can go up your pants legs.
Forwards for me anyway give a little more comfort on an extended rides but for that up the pants leg stuff. Chaps help.
Forward controls are so that the rain and the cold can go up your pants legs.
Forwards for me anyway give a little more comfort on an extended rides but for that up the pants leg stuff. Chaps help.
ORIGINAL: davemweber
Greetings to all HD Riders. I hope to join the club in a couple months when I purchase a Sportster. I have a question and I'm sure there will be more to come. I try to do my research first to find an answer on the internet, but on this one, I'm stumped.
What is the benefit/purpose of forward foot controls?
Is it just for appearance?
Thanks so much for the help.
Greetings to all HD Riders. I hope to join the club in a couple months when I purchase a Sportster. I have a question and I'm sure there will be more to come. I try to do my research first to find an answer on the internet, but on this one, I'm stumped.
What is the benefit/purpose of forward foot controls?
Is it just for appearance?
Thanks so much for the help.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,754
Likes: 2
From: Fort Worth, TX
RE: Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
I'm pretty much where you are now, the "research" phase. I'm not on a Harley, but I'm riding. A few weeks ago, I rented a 1200 Low and have about decided to get one; I just need to get the finances in order a bit more. I'm getting anxious, though. Forward controls look good, but it's more comfortable for cruising, also. The legs are stretched out facilitating blood circulation.
I have extremely short legs, so I like mid-mounted controls for mixing the gears around town.I put 330 miles on my rental in the 7 hrs. I had it, and I started wishing I had another place to put my feet before the first 50. I was really wishing for some highway pegs to stretch my legs a little. To give you some idea how short my legs are, the forward controls on the 1200 Custom is about an inch orso too far forward for me to shift and brake comfortably, though I can do it. And those are with forward controls that Harley has moved BACK an inch over previous years.
I say all that because if my little legs want to stretch from the mid controls, how much more would LONGER legs want to stretch out? Those guys can get very cramped on the mid controls, and forward controls can be an absolute necessity for some folks. I'm still a rookie, though, so better answers are certain to come. Just listen to them. Great bunch, and most know what they are talking about. Unlike me
.
And Welcome to the forum from the middle of DFW, Texas
Teek
I have extremely short legs, so I like mid-mounted controls for mixing the gears around town.I put 330 miles on my rental in the 7 hrs. I had it, and I started wishing I had another place to put my feet before the first 50. I was really wishing for some highway pegs to stretch my legs a little. To give you some idea how short my legs are, the forward controls on the 1200 Custom is about an inch orso too far forward for me to shift and brake comfortably, though I can do it. And those are with forward controls that Harley has moved BACK an inch over previous years.
I say all that because if my little legs want to stretch from the mid controls, how much more would LONGER legs want to stretch out? Those guys can get very cramped on the mid controls, and forward controls can be an absolute necessity for some folks. I'm still a rookie, though, so better answers are certain to come. Just listen to them. Great bunch, and most know what they are talking about. Unlike me
.And Welcome to the forum from the middle of DFW, Texas
Teek
RE: Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
i'm not excactly "tall", however, i got sick of the top of my legs throbbing after 200-400 miles of riding.... so went to forwards. feels like a dang laz-y-boy vs. mids.
i suggest ya swing by a stealer and sit on a couple scootsand get a feel for'em. forwards feel funny at first if your not use to them, but hokey-wow are they nice when ya do.
best of luck with your decision & welcome.
i suggest ya swing by a stealer and sit on a couple scootsand get a feel for'em. forwards feel funny at first if your not use to them, but hokey-wow are they nice when ya do.
best of luck with your decision & welcome.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 873
Likes: 2
From:
RE: Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
ORIGINAL: davemweber
What is the benefit/purpose of forward foot controls?
What is the benefit/purpose of forward foot controls?
To let you sit back and stretch your legs out in cruising comfort and style; what else.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 248
Likes: 2
From: Shenandoah Valley, VA
RE: Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
I myself prefer the mid-controls but I consider myself to have short legs (30' inseam). Like someone else mentioned, I was looking for somewhere else to put my feet after about 50 miles so I went with the engine guard and attached pegs to that. I am not certain that the mid-controls give me any better control of the motorcycle over forward controls. Irode a deucefor a day andwith only the forward controls I noticed that my legs became just as fatigued, especially in the citywith the constant shifting and breaking, but I didn't feel that I had any less control of thebike.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,411
Likes: 22
From: Connecticut
RE: Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
I have a 30" inseam and find forward controls more comfortable than the mid-controls.
The mids would camp my legs and give my hips a pain after a long ride.
Wasn't too keen about using the highway pegs because of the distance from the peg to the brake pedal.
Switched to forwards and no regrets.
Sammi
The mids would camp my legs and give my hips a pain after a long ride.
Wasn't too keen about using the highway pegs because of the distance from the peg to the brake pedal.
Switched to forwards and no regrets.
Sammi
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 50
From: A barrier island in NJ
RE: Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
Personally, I prefer the mid-controls on my XL1200R. I prefer them for the type of riding I do which consists largely of looking for the "twistiest" roads I can find. I came up on mid-controls with the Triumphs, BSAs, Nortons,Royal Enfields, and even a Pantherbeginning in the late 1950's - early 1960's.
That being said, fatigue will always set in at some point and there is always some place else you'd like your feet to be from time-to-time. For this reason I put on Iron City's Highway Pegs. They let me stretch on long rides when I feel the need but the mid-controls give me a better sense of control and security. At times, I will also put my feet on the passenger pegs just to get a different position while riding a long stretch of slab. So, that gives me 3 places to put my feet while riding and I have found that to be more than satisfactory...
That being said, fatigue will always set in at some point and there is always some place else you'd like your feet to be from time-to-time. For this reason I put on Iron City's Highway Pegs. They let me stretch on long rides when I feel the need but the mid-controls give me a better sense of control and security. At times, I will also put my feet on the passenger pegs just to get a different position while riding a long stretch of slab. So, that gives me 3 places to put my feet while riding and I have found that to be more than satisfactory...
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 848
Likes: 2
From: Mid TN
RE: Benefit/Purpose of Forward Foot Controls
Comfort, best I can tell, but I had mids and I didn't lose any control going with forwards. The gains were way better for me. Honestly, forwards really aren't that far forward on a Sporty. I still have a good bend to the knee on mine, not all stretched out like some of the bigger bikes you see out there.