wiredgeorge
New member
Bought a set of NIB seal floorboards from another member, captrib, who had an extra set. This set may not be current as it didn't have the heel-toe shifter but only has a single shifter which replaced the OEM shifter. The supplied Seal shifter contacted the board a when shifting. The shifter peg was also WAY too low even using soft tennis shoes; couldn't get my toe underneath.
I fixed the issue of the rubbing shifter on board by putting the shifter in a BIG bench vise and taking out about 80 percent of the bend that had been engineered into it. This got it away from the board. The only problem then is that the shift peg pointed downwards quite a bit and looked awkward. I put it back in the vise and put a pipe on the peg and bent it up about 3/4". OK that issue is fine now.
Next issue I had was the peg was too darn low. I know why the guy who engineered the Seal shifter (not the heel-toe) may not have had this happen. The shifter attaches to the shift mechanism by an articulated rod... that is, the bolt/nut that hold the shaft that connects are in a pivoting ball with a hole through it. This is done to keep the mechanism from binding. The arm has thread on both ends and a lock nut. I just loosened the locknut on the end connected to shifter with the shifter off and turned the end of the arm that screws onto the arm out all the way. This lengthened the mechanism and made the shifter and peg sit up quite a bit higher. Plenty of room for my big foot now. I bet the prototyping test bike had the shift linkage adjusted a bit differently. I could probably make the shifter/peg go up another 1/2" to 3/4" by adjusting the other end out if it needed it.
The shim that allows the brake to work with the boards could have been another 1/4" thicker. When the brake is fully depressed, there is only about 3/16" brake pedal above the board. I would feel better with a bit higher pedal so the pedal is higher over the floorboard. By the way, this is a nitpick as I am sure others love the brake's full depressed position. The brake height adjustment had to be done with a shim under the pedal rubber because the pedal itself pivots on a bushing same as the shifter side and connects direct to the non-adjustable brake linkage. The only other option would be to fab a longer linkage piece and supply it but the shim is much easier and simpler.
Last note... It would take about a half hour to install these boards on a SE5 or SE6 model. Not on a SM5/SM6. The rocket scientist who poured 3 gallons of permanent thread locker is the hero here. I am still a fairly strong guy but I struggled to get the the bolt out that goes through the shifter side bushing and foot peg. Here is what I did in case it might help someone else.
1. Jack up front so you can get under trike. (you can find all kinds of tips for this on this site). Once in the air, I use jack stands and put the parking brake on and a chock behind the rear wheel for safety.
2. Remove the rubber pad on the left foot peg. I didn't re-use the heavy metal piece that was used originally to retain the rubber pad. The Seal instructions don't mention it. If you want to use the thing, buy some M6x 50mm with 1.0 pitch and buy some nice M6 nylon locking nuts while you are at it for re-assembly. The 1 1/2" screws provided just are not long enough to use those heavy metal things that come from the factory.
3. Get an 18" breaker bar with 6 point 17mm socket and put it on the M17 nut inside the foot peg. Put a 6 point M15 open end wrench on the bolt head inside the bike and rotate it up till it contacts the frame. Sit where you can pull the breaker bar with BOTH HANDS to the rear of the bike with the wrench jammed against the frame and if you are strong enough you will break it loose. I wasn't keen on using heat in this location which would have made the permanent thread locker easier to break loose.
4. It took me about 1/2" hour to figure the technique out and once I got the bolt and bushing out I cleaned all the old threadlocker off the thread. It really isn't needed as the nut that retains the bolt has a nylon retainer ring. With the thread cleaned, it went back together much easier and I used some blue loctite just in case. Once you remove and re-install the bushing/bolt it can be done very quickly.
5. To re-install just put the small M6 bolt/nut back onto the linkage and tighten. Then put the shifter back under and insert the bolt through the hole in the foot peg. Put the M17 nut on the bolt and tighten. You can hold a M15 socket on the bolt head and the same M17 socket/breaker bar on the nut and tighten.
6. Well, before you tighten, set the board where it will go and check clearance of the shift peg for your toe. If there isn't enough room, adjust the shift linkage as I have already described and then install and lock down the bolt that the shifter pivots on.
The secret of breaking the nut loose is to be able to get both hands on your breaker bar and use all you got as they on there snug. Hope all this babble helps someone. The boards are a revelation on t he bike. Just turned the RT into a real tourer as I now can move my feet around.
I fixed the issue of the rubbing shifter on board by putting the shifter in a BIG bench vise and taking out about 80 percent of the bend that had been engineered into it. This got it away from the board. The only problem then is that the shift peg pointed downwards quite a bit and looked awkward. I put it back in the vise and put a pipe on the peg and bent it up about 3/4". OK that issue is fine now.
Next issue I had was the peg was too darn low. I know why the guy who engineered the Seal shifter (not the heel-toe) may not have had this happen. The shifter attaches to the shift mechanism by an articulated rod... that is, the bolt/nut that hold the shaft that connects are in a pivoting ball with a hole through it. This is done to keep the mechanism from binding. The arm has thread on both ends and a lock nut. I just loosened the locknut on the end connected to shifter with the shifter off and turned the end of the arm that screws onto the arm out all the way. This lengthened the mechanism and made the shifter and peg sit up quite a bit higher. Plenty of room for my big foot now. I bet the prototyping test bike had the shift linkage adjusted a bit differently. I could probably make the shifter/peg go up another 1/2" to 3/4" by adjusting the other end out if it needed it.
The shim that allows the brake to work with the boards could have been another 1/4" thicker. When the brake is fully depressed, there is only about 3/16" brake pedal above the board. I would feel better with a bit higher pedal so the pedal is higher over the floorboard. By the way, this is a nitpick as I am sure others love the brake's full depressed position. The brake height adjustment had to be done with a shim under the pedal rubber because the pedal itself pivots on a bushing same as the shifter side and connects direct to the non-adjustable brake linkage. The only other option would be to fab a longer linkage piece and supply it but the shim is much easier and simpler.
Last note... It would take about a half hour to install these boards on a SE5 or SE6 model. Not on a SM5/SM6. The rocket scientist who poured 3 gallons of permanent thread locker is the hero here. I am still a fairly strong guy but I struggled to get the the bolt out that goes through the shifter side bushing and foot peg. Here is what I did in case it might help someone else.
1. Jack up front so you can get under trike. (you can find all kinds of tips for this on this site). Once in the air, I use jack stands and put the parking brake on and a chock behind the rear wheel for safety.
2. Remove the rubber pad on the left foot peg. I didn't re-use the heavy metal piece that was used originally to retain the rubber pad. The Seal instructions don't mention it. If you want to use the thing, buy some M6x 50mm with 1.0 pitch and buy some nice M6 nylon locking nuts while you are at it for re-assembly. The 1 1/2" screws provided just are not long enough to use those heavy metal things that come from the factory.
3. Get an 18" breaker bar with 6 point 17mm socket and put it on the M17 nut inside the foot peg. Put a 6 point M15 open end wrench on the bolt head inside the bike and rotate it up till it contacts the frame. Sit where you can pull the breaker bar with BOTH HANDS to the rear of the bike with the wrench jammed against the frame and if you are strong enough you will break it loose. I wasn't keen on using heat in this location which would have made the permanent thread locker easier to break loose.
4. It took me about 1/2" hour to figure the technique out and once I got the bolt and bushing out I cleaned all the old threadlocker off the thread. It really isn't needed as the nut that retains the bolt has a nylon retainer ring. With the thread cleaned, it went back together much easier and I used some blue loctite just in case. Once you remove and re-install the bushing/bolt it can be done very quickly.
5. To re-install just put the small M6 bolt/nut back onto the linkage and tighten. Then put the shifter back under and insert the bolt through the hole in the foot peg. Put the M17 nut on the bolt and tighten. You can hold a M15 socket on the bolt head and the same M17 socket/breaker bar on the nut and tighten.
6. Well, before you tighten, set the board where it will go and check clearance of the shift peg for your toe. If there isn't enough room, adjust the shift linkage as I have already described and then install and lock down the bolt that the shifter pivots on.
The secret of breaking the nut loose is to be able to get both hands on your breaker bar and use all you got as they on there snug. Hope all this babble helps someone. The boards are a revelation on t he bike. Just turned the RT into a real tourer as I now can move my feet around.
