Floorboards

[dano1946]

I'm considering adding floorboards to my 99IS .  What are the pros and cons. - and costs?

Thanks.
Dan

[Jess from VA]

The main pro is all day comfort (my feet get sore on pegs all day... really) (plus, I've ridden boards and heel toe shifters for 30yrs, and it's what I know)

The main con is a little bit of decreased lean angle (my Cobras are ground off on the outer edges).  And understand the most often used driver's Cobras are actually a smaller passenger floorboard adapted for the front because our valve covers will not allow the bigger driver's boards to fit in the space available.  So big or even medium feet do not entirely fit on the boards, mainly the left shifter board, if you run a heel toe shifter.  My left foot is always 1/3 off the board.  Another con for some is, without a heel toe shifter it can be a challenge to fit your boot toe over the front edge of the board, then under the shifter to upshift.  Many have moved the shifter up or down on the spline a notch, or changed the shifter to some other 1100 sportbike shifter, which is larger and farther out from the bike.  

For the Valk, if I could not have a heel toe shifter, I would not have boards at all.  And, it is my experience that most guys who spend many years on a toe shifter alone, can never get comfortable with a heel-toe shifter later in life.

Cobra traditional floorboard and Rattlebars kickshifter.


Cobra swept floorboard and Rattlebars kickshifter


Complicating things, I think the lower pic has the Rattlebars peg lowering kit, often used by those with boards and heel-toe shifters, but not me, they really make you drag sooner in leans and corners.

Here is a nice compromise, Kuryakyn Iso Wings as a peg replacement, like a half floorboard, and they do not interfere with reaching the stock shifter under the valve cover.

Not the Hwy pegs up top, the foot peg replacement on the bottom. (both are iso wings)


You have to buy the wings without ends, and get the correct adapter to the valk drivers peg location. And they are a bunch cheaper than cobra boards.


Or you can get the MC Enterprises kit of boards and heel toe shifter but they touch down even sooner cause they're wider, and pushing $500.

[Regis]

when my valk was new in 97' I put on a set of driver cobra boards but took them off and took them back for return . The main problem was I couldn't get my toe under the shifter with boots on to shift up , and when I re adjusted the shifter to allow my foot under the shifter I couldn't get my boot between the shifter and the head to downshift .I couldn't find a happy medium .

[dano1946]

Thanks Jess and Regis - excellent explanations.

[R J]

when my valk was new in 97' I put on a set of driver cobra boards but took them off and took them back for return . The main problem was I couldn't get my toe under the shifter with boots on to shift up , and when I re adjusted the shifter to allow my foot under the shifter I couldn't get my boot between the shifter and the head to downshift .I couldn't find a happy medium .

Shift up - that is what the little stub sticking out on the back is for, to shift up.

Shift down - you use the little stub on the front.

I've had a Kick shifter since they were 1st out.      You would have to fight me to the death to get it off of there.

[Regis]

when my valk was new in 97' I put on a set of driver cobra boards but took them off and took them back for return . The main problem was I couldn't get my toe under the shifter with boots on to shift up , and when I re adjusted the shifter to allow my foot under the shifter I couldn't get my boot between the shifter and the head to downshift .I couldn't find a happy medium .

Shift up - that is what the little stub sticking out on the back is for, to shift up.
Shift down - you use the little stub on the front.

I've had a Kick shifter since they were 1st out.      You would have to fight me to the death to get it off of there.

                                                                                                   

















Ummmmmm , I believe the initial question was about floorboards . not heal-toe shifters . I didn't install a heel-toe shifter as they weren't available in April 97' and I also don't like them . So..... what are you trying to say?  I'm eternally grateful for your explanation on the proper use of a heel-toe shifter and if I ever decide to like one and actually decide to buy one I will look this post up and bask in your eternal wisdom . Thanks again .

[9Ball]

Cobra floorboards and the CB1100xx shifter arm/peg works great with my size 14 boots.  Went through a couple of iterations until I ended up with this setup, including cutting off the OEM shifter peg and attaching a H-D peg to the OEM arm.  Worked better than stock until I found out about the CB shifter assembly.  Costs somewhere around $40 (from HDL) for the new CB1100xx arm and the rubber boot.

CB1100xx shifter


modified OEM peg


side view of modified OEM shifter


Good luck....

[R J]

when my valk was new in 97' I put on a set of driver cobra boards but took them off and took them back for return . The main problem was I couldn't get my toe under the shifter with boots on to shift up , and when I re adjusted the shifter to allow my foot under the shifter I couldn't get my boot between the shifter and the head to downshift .I couldn't find a happy medium .

Shift up - that is what the little stub sticking out on the back is for, to shift up.
Shift down - you use the little stub on the front.

I've had a Kick shifter since they were 1st out.      You would have to fight me to the death to get it off of there.

                                                                                                   

Ummmmmm , I believe the initial question was about floorboards . not heal-toe shifters . I didn't install a heel-toe shifter as they weren't available in April 97' and I also don't like them . So..... what are you trying to say?  I'm eternally grateful for your explanation on the proper use of a heel-toe shifter and if I ever decide to like one and actually decide to buy one I will look this post up and bask in your eternal wisdom . Thanks again .

Regis, sorry for the explanation to resolve the shifter problem.     I thought the question was pros and cons.

I guess I must have mis read the response.

[Regis]

when my valk was new in 97' I put on a set of driver cobra boards but took them off and took them back for return . The main problem was I couldn't get my toe under the shifter with boots on to shift up , and when I re adjusted the shifter to allow my foot under the shifter I couldn't get my boot between the shifter and the head to downshift .I couldn't find a happy medium .

   

Shift up - that is what the little stub sticking out on the back is for, to shift up.
Shift down - you use the little stub on the front.

I've had a Kick shifter since they were 1st out.      You would have to fight me to the death to get it off of there.

                                                                                                   

Ummmmmm , I believe the initial question was about floorboards . not heal-toe shifters . I didn't install a heel-toe shifter as they weren't available in April 97' and I also don't like them . So..... what are you trying to say?  I'm eternally grateful for your explanation on the proper use of a heel-toe shifter and if I ever decide to like one and actually decide to buy one I will look this post up and bask in your eternal wisdom . Thanks again .

Regis, sorry for the explanation to resolve the shifter problem.     I thought the question was pros and cons.

I guess I must have mis read the response.

I was being sarcastic , not trying to be a dick . sometimes its hard to read into peoples thoughts on the board , I was laughing ! 

[Bigun]

Cobra floorboards and the CB1100xx shifter arm/peg works great with my size 14 boots.  Went through a couple of iterations until I ended up with this setup, including cutting off the OEM shifter peg and attaching a H-D peg to the OEM arm.  Worked better than stock until I found out about the CB shifter assembly.  Costs somewhere around $40 (from HDL) for the new CB1100xx arm and the rubber boot.

CB1100xx shifter


modified OEM peg


side view of modified OEM shifter


Good luck....

  Thanks for the Idea, My size 15's give me some issues with the stock set up. Are you using the passenger boards or are they the full sized driver boards?

[9Ball]

They are the Cobra rider boards, not passenger boards; however, they are both the same size (8" front to back and ~5" wide) as you can see in this picture.  The mounts are different on each set and the rider boards pivot just like the stock foot pegs.  The passenger boards fold up and down and don't pivot.

[Jess from VA]

As previously noted, Cobra's driver's boards for valk are actually a smaller passenger floorboard adapted for the front because our valve covers/shifter position will not allow the regular (larger) driver's boards to fit in the space available.  There are no BIG(er) Cobra drivers boards than the ones they sell for valk drivers.

Fitment/mounts obviously may differ front and rear, but that is why the driver and passenger Cobra board for valk are the same (smaller) size on 9ball's bike.  Even for big feet they are much better than pegs for comfort.

[Bigun]

It looks like they sit about an inch or so lower than my Iso-pegs is that right? If so they are a definate go for me.

[Bigun]

Added the Cobra driver and passenger boards today along with the CBX1100 Blackbird shifter. Thank you for the suggestion. I tried them with the stock shifter, A definate no go. With the Blackbird shifter things feel natural and better than then it did with just pegs and stock shifter. Thanks again. Bigun

[rxvalk]

I too was considering boards. I have ridden pegs on every bike I have owned. A friend of mine shared that when he sat on a valk with boards he missed being able to flex his feet back and forth (point toes down or heels up). Some one else said if you have ridden pegs your whole life it is hard to get used to the heel toe shifter. That and the earlier touchdown of the boards were factors for me. I drag my pegs occassionally when I am riding the twisties.

Hope that helps I cant comment on the difference as I decided not to invest the dollars after considering those factors.

[KSDragonRider]

I have the small cobras, i just put them on.  I tried several different positions with the stock shifter.  I found that the best thing for me is the peg relocators with them. 
I really like this set up.  I dont ride hard or lean through the corners hard, so this setup to this point has worked (all of a week). 

I liked being able to move my feet around on the floor boards before i put the lowering kit on, but could not get my foot around the shifter.  I will try these like this for a while, and if i cant ride the way i want with them, then i will get a cb1100 shifter and see how i like that.

I have only rode one bike with a heal toe shifter, and i could not get the feel of it. 

[9Ball]

I have the small cobras, i just put them on.  I tried several different positions with the stock shifter.  I found that the best thing for me is the peg relocators with them.  
I really like this set up.  I dont ride hard or lean through the corners hard, so this setup to this point has worked (all of a week).  

I liked being able to move my feet around on the floor boards before i put the lowering kit on, but could not get my foot around the shifter.  I will try these like this for a while, and if i cant ride the way i want with them, then i will get a cb1100 shifter and see how i like that.

I have only rode one bike with a heal toe shifter, and i could not get the feel of it.  

You'll wonder why you didn't change the shifter sooner....it was such an improvement.  I tried adding the airfoil peg on the stock shifter for a few years and thought it was better than the stock peg, but the cb1100xx shifter has been by far the best upgrade.  You'll find that it also helps to get a more positive shift engagement since the shifter arm is a bit longer, gives better leverage, and rides closer to the center of your foot.

The heel-toe shifter wasn't an option for me (had the Rattlebars unit) due to the size 14 boots.  The heel part kept me from being able to plant my foot squarely on the floorboards.  I have a heel-toe shifter on my Rocket 3, but the floorboards are much bigger, the shifter arm is long enough not to interfere front to back, and the shifter has an larger range on adjustability since there is no engine casing in the way.

Good luck....