Scraping footboards on the Yamaha Midnight Star XVS 950 Cruiser motorbike in turns - what can I do to stop it?

[Jem W]

Hi all,

I am considering buying a Yamaha Midnight Star XVS 950 cruiser motorbike but have one problem. I have seen in a lot of youtube videos the footboards scraping the ground when turning and this seems to be quite an issue with the bike. It doesn't have great ground clearance. However, there must be a way to stop this? I was wondering if there is anything you can get to add to the bike to stop this? Maybe some kind of small rollers to fit on the underside of the footboards to stop the scraping? Or some protective material to protect the actual metal from scraping? I am not keen on having to replace the footboards all the time!

Any help?

[KirriePete]

Take the bends slower?

[christofeser]

If you don't like leaning too much and scraping them. Buy a trike

KP, even with slow bends, you can still scrape the floorboards, I do it on me draggy all the time. Just gotta accept it that they are gonna get scratched. Who cares, it's underneath the floorboard. I.E. Underneath the lowest part of the bike, nobody checks it, and if they do, it's only to be expected with a low bike.

If you think that the price of the bike will de-value more than the price of the floorboards, then they're always replaceable

Personally, I'd just take it.

Chris

[Paulwhite]

if you scrape the boards/pegs then your leaning too far and probably going too fast, just slow down a tad and dont lean too far and it will be fine. its all about how you ride.

[mits007]

Don't turn....

just ride on.. and on... and on.... sooner or later you'll end up where you started

(you just didn't want to hear that did you!?!?!)

regards,

-Mits-

[Ttaskmaster]

If you're decking out, then you're either going too fast, not planning your turn properly or intentionally riding like a dick.

In my case it's the latter.

Remember Cruisers are not über performance flashy manoeuvre bikes.

Most of the deck-out complaints in reviews and the like come from Hoolie-bike riders who are used to hooning around on Bandits.

[FLYIN BRIAN]

A lot of cruiser bikes have a wear tip on the foot boards. Replace as necessary.

[Leatherat]

Hi all,

I am considering buying a Yamaha Midnight Star XVS 950 cruiser motorbike but have one problem. I have seen in a lot of youtube videos the footboards scraping the ground when turning and this seems to be quite an issue with the bike. It doesn't have great ground clearance. However, there must be a way to stop this? I was wondering if there is anything you can get to add to the bike to stop this? Any help?

Perfect!

[Jem W]

Where can I buy new foot boards for the XVS 950? I have searched online but can't find them, so do not know how much they cost. £50 every few years is fine with me! I'm sure the plates won't wear down too much, and I'll just be concious about my turns.

[Leatherat]

Where can I buy new foot boards for the XVS 950? I have searched online but can't find them, so do not know how much they cost. £50 every few years is fine with me! I'm sure the plates won't wear down too much, and I'll just be concious about my turns.

Kuryakyn do these pretty trick footboard covers, they don't come cheap but they might be worth having if you want to cover the damage from time to time, otherwise I guess you'd be looking at new OEM from Yamaha, but you aint gonna get them for £50 I'll bet!

http://cruiserstuff.com/pgroup_detail/21809_Footpegs_Floorboards/31430_Billet_Rider_Floorboard_Covers/?goto=%2Fpgroup_list%2Fyamaha_accessories%2F21809_cruiser_Footpegs_Floorboards%2Fdes%2F

[FLYIN BRIAN]

Look here:

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sports/parts/home.aspx

Got to side stand & footrest. Clearly shows a wear tip. #19 & 35

[Ttaskmaster]

DON'T work on the basis of just replacing them once they wear out every couple of years.

Learn to ride a Cruiser properly instead.

Be aware that while your pegs/boards are dragging, that's a point of anchorage to the road - You are moving. You don't want anchorage.

Worst case scenario is a poor road surface, with you doing 90mph down a motorway slip-road or exit ramp that suddenly tightens up.

You lean further to counter this and get more turn, the peg/board anchors, your bike is pulled to the ground in a low-side, the bike then bounces off the surface, the rear tyre that is now spinning freely then regains purchase and the bike high-sides.

You, of course, go where the bike goes and after having one side of you grated along the ground, you will then be flung to teh opposite side and over the top of it.

You then tumble down the road with 37+ stone of spinning bike careening after you, which hits you on the way. That, plus any other vehicles, roadway furniture, trees, buildings or whatever, all for you to crash into.

The place for decking out the pegs is on a racetrack.

Friend of mine learned this the hard way, as described above.

Besides, it'll save you money too!!

[Jem W]

DON'T work on the basis of just replacing them once they wear out every couple of years.

Learn to ride a Cruiser properly instead.

Be aware that while your pegs/boards are dragging, that's a point of anchorage to the road - You are moving. You don't want anchorage.

Worst case scenario is a poor road surface, with you doing 90mph down a motorway slip-road or exit ramp that suddenly tightens up.

You lean further to counter this and get more turn, the peg/board anchors, your bike is pulled to the ground in a low-side, the bike then bounces off the surface, the rear tyre that is now spinning freely then regains purchase and the bike high-sides.

You, of course, go where the bike goes and after having one side of you grated along the ground, you will then be flung to teh opposite side and over the top of it.

You then tumble down the road with 37+ stone of spinning bike careening after you, which hits you on the way. That, plus any other vehicles, roadway furniture, trees, buildings or whatever, all for you to crash into.

The place for decking out the pegs is on a racetrack.

Friend of mine learned this the hard way, as described above.

Besides, it'll save you money too!!

So how do you ride it propperly compared to sport bikes? Just take care around corners not to lean too much? Slow down maybe? Shift your weight to the other side of the bike when you turn?

[Ttaskmaster]

If a Sports bike is a super-fast jet fighter, then your Cruiser is a big bomber. Literally, I sometimes feel like I'm a kid playing 'Aeroplanes', with my arms outstretched, such is the riding position.

But it's a good analogy. Rather than whizz round the corners - a quick lean, scuff of the knee as you hit the apex, then blast out - aim for a slow, gentle banking turn. Remember that Cruisers with their raked forward forks often have a MASSIVE turning circle compared to most bikes (except the VFR800, I've found), so plan the turn accordingly. They turn in slowly and gently bank round.

Focus too on countersteering.

With most bikes, you think you lean it round the corner. You don't - Every single bike steers with countersteering. You move the bars, the bike leans, you lean with it.

This is far more noticable with Cruisers.

Most riders have a lot of pressure down onto the footpegs, so that's their main point of contact and balance. When they go to lean the bike, they feel the pressure on their feet. What they don't realise is that their shoulders (and thus the bars) are the first things that move, thus countersteering.

With Cruisers, all the pressure is on the arms and back muscles, so you have no choice.

And yes, slow down a bit - Cruisers are all about cruising slowly along so all the people can admire your chrome and beardy-bandanna. No use in a Sports bike as they just blast past and no-one knows/cares what it was. Cruisers go slow so you can get a goooooooood look at them

OK, I do jest, but yeah - These things are heavy, heavy bastards.

Mine weighs 37 stone (more than 3 times my own weight) and it's a tiny Cruiser!

they're not made for slinging about and hooning like a Hoolie.

Take it easy, sit back, relax and just enjoy cruising along.... no rush, no worries.

Forget Born To Be Wild - try Magic Carpet Ride.

[Ttaskmaster]

Easy one - 90° turning, I will take betwen 15 and 25mph.

Roundabouts 20mph in 2nd gear.

Centre of lane, or racing corners work fairly well.

[2 Wheels]

Maybe some kind of small rollers to fit on the underside of the footboards

Suaside !

Did I read somewhere that narrower ones can be got ?

[Guest prokon]

hello all

this is my first post so bare with me, i have a 950 midnight star myself so know how easy it decks out on bends.

i allso have a 27'boat that is fitted with a KeelShield wich is a 4mm thick vinyl strip on the bottom of the boat

after three years of beaching the boat every weekend on a gravel shore there is no sighn of wear just wondering

if a piece of this on the floorboard would do the trick,if you google KeelShield you will get some info on it.

[PeterC]

My foot boards on my 650 have a hinge and can fold about 35/40 degrees. And they have some sort of metal rubbing/wear strip on the outside edge. However that said, I have never grounded either board. What's that say about my riding?

I'm with TM on this - no rush on a cruiser.

[Jem W]

hello all

this is my first post so bare with me, i have a 950 midnight star myself so know how easy it decks out on bends.

i allso have a 27'boat that is fitted with a KeelShield wich is a 4mm thick vinyl strip on the bottom of the boat

after three years of beaching the boat every weekend on a gravel shore there is no sighn of wear just wondering

if a piece of this on the floorboard would do the trick,if you google KeelShield you will get some info on it.

Interesting!