BMW K1300/1200gt Highway Roto-Pegs
While you anxiously await the game changer for your riding comfort, I thought I would repost the history and story of how the BMW K1300/K1200gt Roto-Pegs came to be. Here is my story:
Hello,
I originally purchased my BMW K1300gt and rode out to South Dakota for the Sturgis rally. It is an 800 mile ride from home, and we usually cut it up into two legs. The amount of discomfort I felt on the ride up was unbelievable. I was having knee and leg cramping, the seat was uncomfortable, and I was all around miserable. When I got to the rally, I actually had my seat modified and tried to find some type of highway peg that I could use for the ride home. The seat helped a little, but I didn't find anything I could use for highway pegs. I believed that the problem was the seat, being that it was too narrow, and did not support my backside properly. When I arrived home, I spent alot of time trying to redesign my seat, and even though it helped, the leg and knee pain, on long rides, continued. I realized that the pain I was feeling, was a combination of two things. The seat, and the position of my legs. When you sit on this bike, your legs are in a crouched riding position, with your legs bent back in a sport riding position. Blood flow to the lower part of your legs is diminished in this position and causes the fatigue you feel. I searched the internet the world over in hope of finding a solution or some highway pegs for this bike, and if you are reading this, you probably know, there aren't any. I did find a guy who had cut a hole in the fairing and inserted a piece of all-thread into one of the engine bolts, and used the protruding piece of metal as a foot rest! Wish I would have met him before he ruined his side panels. I was very disappointed and was literally going to sell the bike because of this issue. As much as I love the way it handles, accelerates, and feels like you are on a much lighter bike, I could not handle the discomfort I had while touring. My last ditch effort was to try and make some type of peg that would be ergonomically correct, look good, be innovative and not change the Euro style look, and actually work to alleviate the pain I felt. I studied Mechanical engineering in college and have always enjoyed designing and working with anything mechanical. I have worked as an auto mechanic and still to this day rebuild engines for myself and acquaintances. I have designed parts for the Yamaha Vmax, one of which I own, and still sell my Vmax Power Fork Brace that I designed. I have worked with the machinist, that I currently use, in designing several parts for my motorcycle, along with the Vmax Power Fork Brace for about 10 years. I contacted him and we began the design process for some type of highway peg. The result after 20 to 30 hours of design actually looked nothing like what we have now. The prototype basically positioned the pegs where they are now, but the brackets were different on each side. The actual pegs were smaller in size and deployed like a traditional highway peg by folding up or down. I tested the original prototype on the next long ride out to Sturgis and the difference was incredible. The ability to move your feet to a new position that allowed for better blood flow to your lower legs, is one of the corrections to the leg and knee discomfort. The new radical Roto-Peg is also a revolutionary new design, where the peg deploys not by folding out, but by rotating and clicking into place. I have also purchased a Corbin seat which gives the support that is lacking of the original seat. The only problem that I had after installing the Corbin is that the seat height was like the original seat in the high position. I am 5'7" and it was difficult to back the bike up when I am on my tip toes. I have now installed a lowering kit from Lust Racing and am back to having my feet flat on the ground while on the bike. I came close to selling this great sport tourer, but the peg fix was the savior. I have been on several web pages dedicated to BMW riders and was surprised to find how many riders out there were experiencing exactly what I had gone through. I am hoping to purchase a CNC mill of my own in the near future so that I can produce my designs on my own. I plan on creating new products that correct existing problems in the motorcycle industry, and by owning my own equipment, greatly reduce the manufacturing costs that I can pass on to consumers. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and feel free to comment on this site if you wish.
Sincerely,
Ken Estrada
If I won't put it on my bike, I won't let you put it on yours!