Floorboards swapped to R18B flatpegs

[Saunders]

Well I finally swapped out my floorboards for the R18B flat pegs and realized what an improvement it turned out to be. With the boards, you have to place your feet further apart while at a stop light. The pegs allows you to place them inward towards the bike and get both feet flatter on the ground, which makes it much easier to stand up while at a stop. It's also easier to back the bike up with your feet since the floorboards would be right up against your shins and the pegs give a bit more room to maneuver.

Also with the floorboards, the heels of your boots are resting above the board which in turn causes your knees to be up higher. If you have an inch or so heel on your riding boots, then your knees are that much higher as well when resting on the boards. The flat pegs allows the heel to rest below the peg not causing as much binding in your knees. Plus I think its easier to pivot your ankle on the pegs to shift gears and not have to reposition your foot into place. For just straight highway cruising, the boards are comfortable I'll admit. Of course this all comes down to personal preference.

Not sure if anyone else was having this issue, but with the floorboards it was tricky trying to engage the kickstand as only a small portion of the stand was exposed. With the boards out of the way, there is much more room to get your heel onto the kickstand and swing it open. That's a big plus.

The only negative I've found with the pegs, is the rear brake lever seems to be in the way slightly. You can turn your foot outward a bit and not a problem, but with them straight ahead it feels as if you would be riding your brakes with your foot inadvertently on the pedal. You just have to be subconsciously aware. Again not a big deal, but I may try the peg style brake lever and see if there is anymore room. It seems the bikes with floorboards all had the flat style lever while the round peg bikes all had the peg style brake lever. Don't know if they're that way for a reason, or just aesthetics.

 

[VARG]

Yup, I put the same BMW foot pegs on my 2022 R18 TC.. my other bikes all have foot pegs so it made sense for me, I agree with your observations, especially on ankle room at stops, and even though floorboards do really rock on the freeway I really prefer the foot pegs for dynamic riding, really exciting on the TC!

 

[Saunders]

I had considered the Wunderlich flat pegs which actually are an inch lower, but they only work with bikes that have the round pegs, and would have required using different mounting brackets and kickstand. Luckily someone here on the forum mentioned the R18B pegs would mount right up, otherwise I wouldn't have know about them and spent a small fortune for the Wunderlich pegs and BMW brackets needed.

 

[bigalcam]

I have the standard footpegs for the 2021 R18. I wonder if these flat pegs would bolt right up? Where did you obtain these?

 

[Saunders]

I have the standard footpegs for the 2021 R18. I wonder if these flat pegs would bolt right up? Where did you obtain these?

If your bike came with floorboards, you can swap them out with the flat pegs used on the R18B Bagger model which is what I did. I got them thru BMW dealer ($182). However since you have the standard round foot pegs, you can't use these without changing the mounting brackets and kickstand which are very pricey. The better alternative would be to use the Wunderlich flat pegs.

https://www.wunderlichamerica.com/BMW_R18_Footpegs_Lowered

 

[VARG]

I put the Wunderlich Lowered Footpegs on my 2021 R18FE, they were a direct swap with the original round foot pegs.
I've been very pleased with them, as they are lower and offer a significant range of positions sliding foot forward and back.
My favorite Gaerne riding boots have flat soles, like a trials boot so the sole/peg interface is pretty consistent n most positions.

I have hopes that Wunderlich will design a lowered footpeg to retro-fit on the B/TC as that would provide a bit more drop than the BMW option.
Wunderlich does advertise a full lowered style floorboard for the B/TC but they're too long to be considered a foot peg.

 

[Alex-B]

My R18 had floorboards, test rode the R18B with these pegs and hated it. My dealer installed the boards, shift levers and brake lever and I’m much happier. I found the heel on my boots was locking against the original bagger pegs and making shifting awkward as well as not being able to move my feet around a little. Personal choice at the end of the day

 

[Saunders]

My R18 had floorboards, test rode the R18B with these pegs and hated it. My dealer installed the boards, shift levers and brake lever and I’m much happier. I found the heel on my boots was locking against the original bagger pegs and making shifting awkward as well as not being able to move my feet around a little. Personal choice at the end of the day

Was curious, did the dealer say why you had to change out the rear brake lever or was that just a preference?

 

[Alex-B]

Was curious, did the dealer say why you had to change out the rear brake lever or was that just a preference?

Just a preference, I said I wanted an identical setup to my trade in. Obviously costs them less than retail for the parts but still a good deal for me.

 

[motoring]

I put the Wunderlich Lowered Footpegs on my 2021 R18FE, they were a direct swap with the original round foot pegs.
I've been very pleased with them, as they are lower and offer a significant range of positions sliding foot forward and back.
My favorite Gaerne riding boots have flat soles, like a trials boot so the sole/peg interface is pretty consistent n most positions.

I have hopes that Wunderlich will design a lowered footpeg to retro-fit on the B/TC as that would provide a bit more drop than the BMW option.
Wunderlich does advertise a full lowered style floorboard for the B/TC but they're too long to be considered a foot peg.

"...
I put the Wunderlich Lowered Footpegs on my 2021 R18FE, they were a direct swap with the original round foot pegs.
I've been very pleased with them, as they are lower and offer a significant range of positions sliding foot forward and back.
My favorite Gaerne riding boots have flat soles, like a trials boot so the sole/peg interface is pretty consistent n most positions...."

A few questions...please and thank you.
1. You said, "...so the sole/peg interface is pretty consistent n most positions...". Not certain what that means in relationship to the Wunderlich Lowered Footpegs for use on an R18FE?
2. So I googled it, seems 20mm lowered, these Wunderlich Lowered Footpegs, are like .787" lower (thus maybe 3/4 of an inch if I am figuring right). What can of difference did that make in comfort for your knees, if any?
3. Since these are sort of mini-floor boards what effect if any do they have on ease of feet moving back and forth when putting feet down at a traffic light or up when walking the bike, or straddling it when standing?

My issue is my knees feel like they are too high in relation to my legs, I have a 30" inseam and currently using a Weekender seat so don't know if the small drop in height these offer will make any real difference in the discomfort issue I am experiencing.
ty

 

[VARG]

"...
A few questions...please and thank you.
1. You said, "...so the sole/peg interface is pretty consistent n most positions...". Not certain what that means in relationship to the Wunderlich Lowered Footpegs for use on an R18FE?
2. So I googled it, seems 20mm lowered, these Wunderlich Lowered Footpegs, are like .787" lower (thus maybe 3/4 of an inch if I am figuring right). What can of difference did that make in comfort for your knees, if any?
3. Since these are sort of mini-floor boards what effect if any do they have on ease of feet moving back and forth when putting feet down at a traffic light or up when walking the bike, or straddling it when standing?

My issue is my knees feel like they are too high in relation to my legs, I have a 30" inseam and currently using a Weekender seat so don't know if the small drop in height these offer will make any real difference in the discomfort issue I am experiencing.
ty

hi motoring, the sole/peg comment relates to the flat boot sole, flat heel to toe, no arch groove.. so sliding foot forward and back maintains good contact with the footpeg/pedal.. for knee comfort, the additional drop though small is a benefit i noticed as well. (I hope Wunderlich makes a version of the lowered foot pegs for the B/TC.)

link to see boots, note flat sole, good tread though, very comfortable, very tough but minimal armor.
https://www.motosport.com/gaerne-balance-oiled-boots

 

[motoring]

Thanks Varg, my Lord those are some big boots
Might have to give them a call, wonder if they will offer any Black Friday discounts. Dam…as I add up the cost the price difference between my R18FE and a Bagger ever so slowly starts to lessen. Still, I am digging the R18FE provided I sort out the leg/knee ergos near term.

 

[Bwana]

I put the Wunderlich Lowered Footpegs on my 2021 R18FE, they were a direct swap with the original round foot pegs.
I've been very pleased with them, as they are lower and offer a significant range of positions sliding foot forward and back.
My favorite Gaerne riding boots have flat soles, like a trials boot so the sole/peg interface is pretty consistent n most positions.

I have hopes that Wunderlich will design a lowered footpeg to retro-fit on the B/TC as that would provide a bit more drop than the BMW option.
Wunderlich does advertise a full lowered style floorboard for the B/TC but they're too long to be considered a foot peg.

If those pegs are lowered have you had an issue with scrapping the pegs yet?

 

[VARG]

If those pegs are lowered have you had an issue with scrapping the pegs yet?

I've not had an issue with scraping with the Wunderlich lowered pegs on Pure or Classic.
I'd say they afford similar lean to the footpegs minus drag pegs.
They are thinner than the footpegs, so the top surface is lower than the top of the peg was.
They get thinner towards the ends, relieved on the bottom, they are a little shorter than the footpegs.
I put them on because I like to shift with my toe on all my bikes, floorboards are too bulky for my taste.
Sorry took so long to answer, must've missed the post.

 

[Folo]

Your rationale for the pegs is one of the reasons taller folks struggle with cruisers.. at a certain height you get stuck between bike trim levels because that angle and height with boards can mean discomfort in the long run whereas pegs would prevent it altogether.

 

[RyBread]

Well I finally swapped out my floorboards for the R18B flat pegs and realized what an improvement it turned out to be. With the boards, you have to place your feet further apart while at a stop light. The pegs allows you to place them inward towards the bike and get both feet flatter on the ground, which makes it much easier to stand up while at a stop. It's also easier to back the bike up with your feet since the floorboards would be right up against your shins and the pegs give a bit more room to maneuver.

Also with the floorboards, the heels of your boots are resting above the board which in turn causes your knees to be up higher. If you have an inch or so heel on your riding boots, then your knees are that much higher as well when resting on the boards. The flat pegs allows the heel to rest below the peg not causing as much binding in your knees. Plus I think its easier to pivot your ankle on the pegs to shift gears and not have to reposition your foot into place. For just straight highway cruising, the boards are comfortable I'll admit. Of course this all comes down to personal preference.

Not sure if anyone else was having this issue, but with the floorboards it was tricky trying to engage the kickstand as only a small portion of the stand was exposed. With the boards out of the way, there is much more room to get your heel onto the kickstand and swing it open. That's a big plus.

The only negative I've found with the pegs, is the rear brake lever seems to be in the way slightly. You can turn your foot outward a bit and not a problem, but with them straight ahead it feels as if you would be riding your brakes with your foot inadvertently on the pedal. You just have to be subconsciously aware. Again not a big deal, but I may try the peg style brake lever and see if there is anymore room. It seems the bikes with floorboards all had the flat style lever while the round peg bikes all had the peg style brake lever. Don't know if they're that way for a reason, or just aesthetics.

Hows the heal toe shifter and brake lever length with the pegs? still useable I assume?

When I swapped to the wunderlich floorboards on my k1600 I had to buy new shift and brake levers.

 

[VARG]

I don't use a heel shifter so cannot advise using one with pegs, the toe shifter is fine for me.
I'm fine with the brake and shift levers but i adapt easily..
If anything i'd suggest the brake pedal is a little high but I just hang my foot outside it.