Question about floorboards - anyone see a problem with these?

[Ellyess]

I have a 2018 RT SM6. I got it a couple of weeks ago. I replaced my Yamaha Venture because I have a bad hip and knee. I love the Spyder, but there's no leg room and my hip and knee are so stiff, I can't even move them off the foot peg to get them on a highway peg. I've looked at the floorboards that are available, I've mocked up my own floorboard prototype and put cushions on the seat to come up with the best solution. I would like to make custom floorboards that bolt into the foot peg mount and drop down 1 1/2" to 2". I think that would give me enough leg room to stretch out on the floor board and be comfortable. Before I start tearing my bike apart to get the foot pegs off, does anyone with more experience with working on these see a problem? Is there something I should watch out for as I start this? I've tried to attach a JPEG of a crude sketch to illustrate my concept, but I'm not sure it will attach.

 

[Snoking1127]

"because I have a bad hip and knee." My question would be, why didn't you buy an SE6 model? I think you would be much better off just finding a SE6 model, no matter what you do with this one, you still have to deal with the shifter.

Because it was a SM6 you most likely got a good deal on it. But was it a good deal for you?

 

[Ellyess]

Hahaha, ya I may have been a bit hasty in my purchase. I did get a smokin' deal on it. It was a dealers ryder instruction bike. It has 200 miles on it and it came with a new bike warranty all for $15,500.

 

[Spyderman2018]

Most floorboards mount ABOVE the mounting bolt on a 20 deg. angle for comfort reasons. Besides, the closer your foot stays near the brake pedal, the better. If you decide to try this unique modification, please let us know how it turned out.

 

[Spyderman2018]

Oh, & welcome to the board!!

 

[Ellyess]

Thanks Spyderman. I live in western NY. Near 70 degrees today. They are calling for "several inches of wet snow" tomorrow into Thursday. I won't be riding for a few days, I may as well work on the floorboards. I'll be sure to share my progress.

 

[Snoking1127]

Hahaha, ya I may have been a bit hasty in my purchase. I did get a smokin' deal on it. It was a dealers ryder instruction bike. It has 200 miles on it and it came with a new bike warranty all for $15,500.

Find someone with a SE6 that will let you take a short spin on it, and I think you will want to switch to one without a clutch and foot shifter, that has floorboard standard.

 

[Ellyess]

Snoking, my wife and I are going to go to a nearby dealer and do some test riding Saturday (weather permitting). She wants me to trade for a different bike that's comfortable for me. I want to fix the one I have. Some people call it stubborn. I call it determination.

 

[ARtraveler]

:welcome: And good luck with whatever decision you make. Your bike and your determination count with me. :bowdown:

 

[Ellyess]

Thanks ARtraveler. I appreciate everyone's input. I'm new to the Spyder world. I've been riding 2 wheels for 50 years... mostly cruiser style and cruiser/touring style bikes. I've been researching Spyders for a long time, but I didn't sit on enough to make an educated decision. I sat on a couple 2020 RT Limited. I knew they were different, but I didn't know how different. The one I bought was 8 hours away in Virginia. My brother and I went down to haul it home with his truck and trailer. It was a LONG and brutal ride down in traffic. The dealer stayed open 2 1/2 hours past closing on a Friday so I could complete the purchase. I was exhausted and not thinking straight. I didn't even sit on it. The battery was dead so I couldn't test ride it. They put a new battery in the next day. It took 5 1/2 hours for them to fix that and the froze e-brake caused by them trying to jump start the dead battery. At that point, I just wanted to get the bike on the trailer and start the 8 hour ride back home. I'm not discouraged though. I like riding the Spyder and when I resolve the leg room issue, I am going to love it! Thanks to all you guys with the warm welcome and advice.

 

[Snoking1127]

For the record I am 6'3" and 220, and have peripheral neuropathy in both feet. I do not have an issue with my 2018 RT-L. I rode a 2021 RT-L in my trike class and found the high brake pedal difficult to work compared to the 2018 I had been practicing on for a week before the trike class on my 2018. So now people are trying to resolve the brake pedal issue on the 2020 and 2021's, and paint that they say scratches easily. So each gen has it's good and bad points.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I have a 2018 RT SM6. I got it a couple of weeks ago. I replaced my Yamaha Venture because I have a bad hip and knee. I love the Spyder, but there's no leg room and my hip and knee are so stiff, I can't even move them off the foot peg to get them on a highway peg. I've looked at the floorboards that are available, I've mocked up my own floorboard prototype and put cushions on the seat to come up with the best solution. I would like to make custom floorboards that bolt into the foot peg mount and drop down 1 1/2" to 2". I think that would give me enough leg room to stretch out on the floor board and be comfortable. Before I start tearing my bike apart to get the foot pegs off, does anyone with more experience with working on these see a problem? Is there something I should watch out for as I start this? I've tried to attach a JPEG of a crude sketch to illustrate my concept, but I'm not sure it will attach.View attachment 188876

Hi Ellyess, I have a 14 RT with the SE trans. and made my own floorboards also ( good for you ) ..... the real problem as I see it is the SM shifter .... your design looks good .... but will you be able to shift it ..... There are devices available to turn the manual into an almost Semi-Auto shifter ..... but they will add cost ..... good luck ..... Mike :thumbup: PS you will also have to figure a way to connect the rear of the floorboard so it doesn't move .... I could help with that if you need it

 

[RICZ]

This may come off as a "closing the barn door after the horse is gone" suggestion, but have you tried sitting on an F3T or F3L? They sit you lower and come with adjustable floorboards. I had your same symptoms and had to make the change after 68 years on 2 wheels - on Venture Royals from 1983 on. I too thought the RT was the way to go and when I sat on one I found it was a very bad fit, mainly due to the pegs. I sat on an F3L and it was an AAAHHH moment. Took it for a test ride and it was a good fit all the way back to the dealer. SOLD! I am so glad I got the F3 as I do all my own maintenance (short of what requires BUDS) and F3s are much, much easier to work on.
Here are my thoughts; It's like you are trying to make a hospital bed comfortable - that's an effort that will never pay off. Take your lumps and trade for an F3T or F3L wit da floorboards. Get the electric shift too - you will thank me. I'm lovin' it!

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Snoking, my wife and I are going to go to a nearby dealer and do some test riding Saturday (weather permitting). She wants me to trade for a different bike that's comfortable for me. I want to fix the one I have. Some people call it stubborn. I call it determination.

Your approach is somewhat like what my business quasi-partner and I discussed many years ago when I had a print shop and he a magazine. Business was tough and going downhill slowly but we were determined to make a go of it. I told Leo one day, "The challenge is to know when we have crossed the fine line from persistence to stupidity." I'm not sure how far past the line we each were when we each decided it was time to bail.

 

[Ellyess]

Blueknight, you're the man. If you have pictures of what you did, that would be awesome. I'm planning on attaching a bracket on the back of the floorboard that bolts into the passenger floorboard mount. I'm also going to make a bracket on the front that bolts to the frame somewhere to stabilize the front of the boards. I mocked up a wood one last night. I haven't removed the foot pegs yet. I bolted the prototype floorboard onto the bottom of the foot peg. That drops the floorboard down about 2". The positioning is perfect and I don't think the shifter is going to be an issue. I don't know about the brake pedal yet. I'm going to weld up a prototype this weekend and mount it to the bike. I'll post some pictures as I go.

 

[Ellyess]

RICZ, my wife and I were planning on going to a local dealer to test ride an F3 Limited this weekend. But, I live about 50 miles east of Buffalo NY and we got another round of snow yesterday. They were spreading salt on the roads yesterday afternoon. I don't feel right about taking the dealer's bike out on a test ride in the salt. I'll take the weekend to make my prototype floorboards instead.

 

[IGETAROUND]

Might want to look @ Pierre's accessories; he makes a solid produce. https://www.canamspyderaccessories.com/rt-spyder/floorboards-risers/

Al in Kazoo

 

[Ellyess]

I've watched a ton of his YouTube videos and checked out his website. Thanks

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Blueknight, you're the man. If you have pictures of what you did, that would be awesome. I'm planning on attaching a bracket on the back of the floorboard that bolts into the passenger floorboard mount. I'm also going to make a bracket on the front that bolts to the frame somewhere to stabilize the front of the boards. I mocked up a wood one last night. I haven't removed the foot pegs yet. I bolted the prototype floorboard onto the bottom of the foot peg. That drops the floorboard down about 2". The positioning is perfect and I don't think the shifter is going to be an issue. I don't know about the brake pedal yet. I'm going to weld up a prototype this weekend and mount it to the bike. I'll post some pictures as I go.

Thanks .... sorry no pics .... but they wouldn't help your situation any way ..... my alumin. floorboard is mounted to the Top of the foot pegs ( I have the basic model ) ... I only had to remove the OEM rubber cover and tilted the boards at the same angle of the pegs surface. I made a small bracket for the front and used existing holes .... If I had a longer piece of Alumin. I would have done what you did at the rear and skipped the front bracket.... I have an SE so it wasn't difficult to do this, and getting on & off isn't an issue ( I'm only 74 :roflblack: ) ..... If you care to see some of the things I have done - review my Albums ...... they may give you some idea's ..... good luck .... Mike

 

[Ellyess]

No problem Bluenight, my wife talked me into test riding an F3 Limited this morning. It was 28 degrees, but what a blast. I am so comfortable on the F3 I can't believe it. It's a used 2017 F3 with a comfort seat. The dealer gave me an amazing deal on the trade. I broke even on the deal and saved the money I was going to put into a seat and custom made floorboards, shift lever and brake pedal. I'm blessed to have a beautiful wife who understands what a big part of my life riding is.