modifications to 96 Royal Star Tour Classic for daughter

[Joe West]

Hi everyone. Before I attempt to reinvent the wheel, perhaps someone on the forum has some info to help me.

 

My daughter is 9 yrs old and yesterday I took her around our neighborhood on the bike, she loved it. In fact she loved it so much that she wants to take a longer country ride with me.

 

I'm a little uncomfortable with her fit to the bike. Previously I installed some later model OEM rear foot pads for my wife. they sit about 4" lower than I'd like for my daughter to be comfortable.

 

If I could find a few more of these used foot pads, I might be able to tig weld a nice machined block to them and be able to switch them out using the pin and clip to swap out for my wife or daughter. ( Of course other ideas welcome)

 

Next, I'd love to be able to fabricate a few arm rests for her unless anyone knows of some available aftermarket options.

 

Thanks,

joe

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Commendable. Her feet should not have to dangle, as it makes her less steady on the bike.

 

Kuryakyn makes some 'swing-up' style pegs for the Harley Touring bikes. They operate in tandem with the existing footboards for the passenger with shorter legs, or passengers who want to recline a bit, with their legs higher up.

 

http://www.kuryakyn.com/index.cfm/go/Home.ProductDetail/catID/10/scID/20/IMID/1596

 

http://www.kuryakyn.com/index.cfm/go/Home.Products/catID/18/scID/122

 

Possibly something could be adapted or built that would do the same thing. Or maybe even some type of offset, folding highway peg kit that is mounted on the saddlebag front guard?

 

 

 

 

[Joe West]

Thank you so much for your reply, I am leaning now toward fabricating one from either billet or steel. Nothing fancy as I don't have all the high tech equipment.

 

I was thinking along the lines of taking advantage of the pin and clip design that holds the original passenger floorboard on. I'm going to look for a tube with a 1/4" hole that will accept the stock pin and then weld a piece on it that raises straight up 4", and then I'll weld a flat to that for her foot.

 

I hate to have to spend big bucks and then end up fabricating and hacking up an expensive part. Plus I have to figure out a way to make a few arm rests as added stability for her.

 

Sure was hoping these were things already made to fit somewhere.

[pegscraper]

I have seen on other bikes where the owner would take some universal type saddle bag support rails and mount them upside down so that they came up beside the seat and gave the passenger something to hang on to. Just an idea.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Someone DOES make armrests for these bikes...I have seen them here before. I believe they clamp onto the existing grabrails, but not sure.

 

Im sure a search would turn something up.

[Joe West]

That's a great thought also! I'll tell you my wacky early drawing board idea if you promise not to laugh.

 

They sell these universal foot pegs that turn at different angles, kind of like these I have my eye on ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370379696784&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

[url=http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335830059&toolid=10001&mpre=http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335830059&toolid=10001&mpre=http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335830059&toolid=10001&mpre=http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370379696784&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT][/url]

My idea is to attach the clamp to the passenger backrest support bar, then drill right threw the clamp and backrest bar and pin it once it is in position, then unbolt the foot peg and replace it with a large size lag bolt with an end welded on it to fit right back in where I unbolted the foot peg.

 

Then onto the lag bolt, screw on a wooden padded arm rest made out of a wooden 2" cloths closet rod drilled out in the middle and screwed into the lag bolt.

[LilBeaver]

My girlfriend (who rides only on occasion) is fairly short. She has complained about having to use her 'tip-toes' in order to touch the floor boards. A quick, cheap and non-attractive solution was to take some scrap wood I had laying around - cut it to the appropriate length then attach it to the rear boards (I simply use zip ties to attach them).

 

Like I said, it isn't attractive but a few cents for the couple zip ties and whatever the leftover wood was worth.

 

It sounds like you are looking for something not so Macgyvered though...

[Joe West]

My girlfriend (who rides only on occasion) is fairly short. She has complained about having to use her 'tip-toes' in order to touch the floor boards. A quick, cheap and non-attractive solution was to take some scrap wood I had laying around - cut it to the appropriate length then attach it to the rear boards (I simply use zip ties to attach them).

 

Like I said, it isn't attractive but a few cents for the couple zip ties and whatever the leftover wood was worth.

 

It sounds like you are looking for something not so Macgyvered though...

 

No no ... that's not a bad alternative either. I think however, I'd be inclined to drill four holes right through the existing passenger floorboards to accept the zip ties cause I would be very nervous about the possibility of them sliding off. Also wiggle would worry me as she is not an experienced rider. But that may be the best and fasted way to do this. Maybe a nice 4x4 block.

 

I'm very happy to hear all ideas ...thank you very much!

[Joe West]

I just told my daughter we should find some of those Frankenstein platform shoes ... that didn't go over so well.

[Shipper]

These http://www.getlovehandles.com/ bars should do the job and they will work for the wife as well. Not cheap but seem well made. If my wife rode more often I would have bought them.

[Snaggletooth]

Oh Joe.......You called them "Frankenstein"! Should have said Spice Girls or Goo Goo Dolls. Or God forbid......Lady Gaga!

 

She would have probably jumped on that.

 

Kids today. Geesh.

[LilBeaver]

No no ... that's not a bad alternative either. I think however, I'd be inclined to drill four holes right through the existing passenger floorboards to accept the zip ties cause I would be very nervous about the possibility of them sliding off. Also wiggle would worry me as she is not an experienced rider. But that may be the best and fasted way to do this. Maybe a nice 4x4 block.

 

I'm very happy to hear all ideas ...thank you very much!

 

A couple straight clamps on the ends of the wood block (cut to length) that would sort of 'nestle' the block around the floor boards may be an alternative to drilling through the floorboards them selves.

Or, cut little tracks in the edge of the block of wood for the zip ties to sit into, thereby eliminating the slop in them all together.

I do hear what you are saying about the possibility of them sliding off though.

Just some thoughts.

[LilBeaver]

I just told my daughter we should find some of those Frankenstein platform shoes ... that didn't go over so well.

 

Maybe you should find some with the fishes in them too. Maybe she'll like those.

 

AND as a bonus, if you let her feet ride on the exhaust for a while, when you stop for a rest break you can have a snack too!!

[Joe West]

Well, my first trip to the drawing board for footrest extensions for my daughter had me thinking it would be easiest to make them out of hard oak 2x4 blocks. I tried it, but the angle was N/G. So back to Home Depot to buy some metal and do some fabricating. Last time I welded was 30yrs ago, LOL ... by the time I got back in the groove, I was done. But ugly as they may be, they worked like a charm.

 

Here are some pics of both the first design oak, and the steel finished product. I included what the stock pad looked like since these were not stock on the 96 model to begin with.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Saw these posted on another thread:

 

http://www.diamondraccessories.com/rstourdeluxe/proddisplay.php?name=Passenger%20Highway%20Pegs