Proper Foot Technique For Shifting And Braking?

[DJ_MI]

I don’t really know what the proper technique is. Do you lift your foot off the peg to get it over or under the shifter? Do you “cover” the rear brake pedal all the time?

It’s uncomfortable for me to bend my right foot up enough to cover the rear brake all the time while sitting. It’s better when standing.

The opposite is true of the shifter though. When standing I lift my foot off the peg to reach under the shifter which changes the balance of the bike.

So what is the “proper” technique for foot position and movement to operate the controls? Or what do you do?

 

[Ridefreak]

It's hard to have an rear brake adjustment that fits both sitting and standing, esp if you move your body weight forward and backward while riding like on a dirtbike. That's where the flip up brake pedals came from. Otherwise it's often a compromise.

With shifting I don't have the same issue, for me one setting usually works fine for both esp since I can choose when to shift, braking doesn't give that option

 

[DJ_MI]

It's hard to have an rear brake adjustment that fits both sitting and standing, esp if you move your body weight forward and backward while riding like on a dirtbike. That's where the flip up brake pedals came from. Otherwise it's often a compromise.

With shifting I don't have the same issue, for me one setting usually works fine for both esp since I can choose when to shift, braking doesn't give that option

Thanks.

How do you move your toes over and under the shifter while standing? Are you moving your foot backwards or pivoting it to the side?

 

[Hermit]

Shifting? Foot Brake?

Not on a scooter.

 

[Yooper_Bob]

I don't intentionally cover the rear brake all of the time, but I do intentionally cover the clutch and front brake 95% of the time.

My feet are big enough (size 15 boots) that I sort of cover the rear brake by default 100% of the time.

I am unable to up shift while standing. When I do shift while sitting, it's only by using the edge/sole of my boot to catch the end of the shifter. My feet are too big to really fit under the shifter. I do have an extended shift lever, but my skid plate sort of interferes with it.

I don't lift my feet off the pegs for either shifting nor braking. I think I may slide my left foot slightly forward when shifting, but I don't even think about it.

I do use slightly different feet positions for sitting vs standing. While standing, I am more on the balls of my feet. Sitting, my feet are a bit more forward.

You just have to figure out which feet/lever positions work best for you. Take a wrench along on a ride and play around with different brake/shifter levels.

 

[Shinyribs]

I keep my toes on the pegs so every time I go for the shifter or the brake I'm swinging my feet around. Both street and dirt, I've had some sketchy situations from letting my feet dangle too low.

Whether I'm sliding my feet or swinging them out, I mostly don't know/pay attention, I just do it.

Offroad, I like tight woods and my knees suck, so I have my brake pedal set where it's comfy while seated. That makes it a bit weird when standing, but it's still usable and NEEDING rear brake while standing isn't a big concern for me. If I'm ever in a situation where I need to brake hard the first thing I'm doing is sitting down. My 220lbs + gear , up high while braking hard? Yeah, that's gonna end bad 😁

 

[klaviator]

I guess I should pay more attention to how I do this. I think most of the time I just pivot my foot without lifting it from the peg. This is one advantage of scooters, no footwork is required.

 

[DJ_MI]

I guess I should pay more attention to how I do this. I think most of the time I just pivot my foot without lifting it from the peg. This is one advantage of scooters, no footwork is required.

That’s kinda where I’m at. I never really paid much attention to what I’ve been doing.

The KLX has widely spaced lower gears so I’m not shifting much on the trails. It wasn’t until I rode the CRF with its much more closely spaced ratios that I started to have to shift more and noticed I was clumsy with my foot. I’ll have to pay more attention this year and try to figure out what I’m actually doing.

 

[Alan F.]

I'm toying with scrambling my Royal Enfield Interceptor. The brake and shift pedals on these bikes are made of flat steel stock

I'm wondering if I could grind off the factory toe pegs and drill a hole to mount a pair of inexpensive folding footpegs. They're a little big, but for a size 14 boot they might not be too bad.

But those plastic end caps will have to go, I'll cross drill and place a roll pin, maybe shorten the pegs a little too.

Thoughts?

 

[ZoomerP]

Maybe source a second set to make experimentation less likely to leave the bike parked if it doesn't work out.

 

[Alan F.]

I can't help but think they're too long at 3-1/4"
2-1/2 seems better but I dunno.

Also I see Woodcraft folding toe pegs are down to $18.99 at Revilla.com and Cyclegear.com but those are similar to stock size stationary pegs and won't be friendly with large boots.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...7RAeKHvN5JALbeZdFBoCubQQAvD_BwE&sku_id=913445

 

[matty]

I dont think there is a right or wrong way to position your feet for the controls on most motorcycles.
However if its rearset i do not like my toes to far back nor do i like riding with my balls of my feet on the pegs either.
this is to some extent down to my usually running dirty bars on aany sports bikes i might own, which makes pushing off the balls of your feet awkward and reduces my Tank traction with my knees.
the Arch on the peg gets the ankle swivel i need to operate controls but a solid push to move and twist in the corners without the re position you need do off the balls of your feet technique.
With a fighter you get to move more / got to move more it could be argued , its important to have the tank gripped the Arch/ instep on the peg is a big stabilizer i feel.
All this said its down to what you want and indeed what you ride too.
On my old Triumph T150 its got rear of mid mount pegs and Straight club man/ drag bars, typically what i run on the older naked bikes but the foot technique is more of less the same on a rear set wheelie bike.
Really for my tastes if you like, once you move away from that sort of feet back and higher bars thing, you start to loose that raggy edge handling, and i no longer feel super confident whatever the situation or territory is .
A good example is my one and only venture thus far into forward control cruiser low rider bobber steeds, A Kawasaki EN500.
Its a stout well set up chassis good steering angles and overall its decent handling, but the low seat hight and forward controls mean even moving your arse back is a no no just not possible. your feet are just there taking up real estate not contributing to your input to the bikes control all you got is lean off and hunching forward with your upper torso to help you control it in the turns.
Its Kind of doable and i supose if its all you ever known you would not know no better. but for me its Alien interesting yes but alien.
The Fact is i dont think anything is off the menu and just because i do this and like this and that, means just that. its what suits you the bike you got how its set up and what you are doing with it or expect from it.