Storz Gsx-R750/1100 Low Set Footpegs
STORZ GSX-R750/1100 LOW SET FOOTPEGS
EVALUATION
HIGHWAY PEGS FOR A BACKROAD BANDIT
IT WAS ELIZABETH I WHO PROMISED, “I will make you shorter by the head.” But some Suzuki GSX-R pilots might happily submit to a similar sentence, if only the shortening applied to their inseam dimension instead. The Suzukis’ fine, high, racetrack-ready footpegs provide superlative cornering clearance, but they also make the bikes flat-out inhospitable for long rides at less than a full-gonzo pace.
Storz Performance (1362 Tower Square #2, Ventura, CA 93003; [805] 654-8816) offers a less drastic means for raising a GSX-R’s comfort level: the Low Set footpeg kit. The kit consists of two nicely machined 6061-T6 aluminum billets with finetooth knurling for sole-purchase, each one bolted to an offset hanger; a knurled aluminum replacement shift-lever tip completes Storz’ solution. The pegs bolt right on. too, using stock GSX-R carriers.
Still, there is some shortening to be done—although nothing as radical as what Elizabeth had in mind. Because in addition to dropping the rider’s boots about 34-inch from stock, the pegs also move them %-inch further forward, so a similar amount needs to be lopped off the shift lever. A hacksaw makes short work of the soft alloy lever, and drilling a hole to mount the new tip takes seconds; dressing the cut with a file requires a little more patience and elbow grease. Mounting the tip with the included Allen bolt, and adjusting the rear brake pedal’s height, make the 1 '/2-hour job a done deal.
That minor surgery works major magic in making a GSX-R more tolerable for longish hauls. In fact, every tester who threw a leg over the revamped Suzuki enthused about the improvement over the stork-like leg position the stocker imposes. The sole shortcoming is the knurled shifter tip’s raspy surface, which chews up the finish on a riding boot poste haste.
The added legroom Storz pegs afford doesn’t come cheaply, though; at $110, they'll make a GSX-R pilot shorter by the wallet. But what he gets in the bargain are handsomely finished pieces that substantially jack up the bike’s degree of civility, without lowering its high, race-ready profile one smidgeon. And that’s far preferable to taking Elizabeth’s shortcut.
