Balls or Heel

[ScaredyCat]

I've been looking at the Yamaha Tracer and one part of it has made me question where I put my feet on the pegs.

Pre-accident I'd put my foot so that the heel would push up against the peg but I found that it acted like a pivot, so when slowing down as my weight shifted forward it'd cause the rear to be applied.

Since then I'd moved to positioning the balls of my feet on the peg. And so to the Yamaha Tracer bit. I haven't seen one in the flesh but I have looked at a few pictures and one thing that strikes me is the position of the pegs in relation to the exhaust.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/188253/_bcf/yamtrac1.jpg

Looking at the image it seems that putting the balls of my feet on the peg would result in the back end of the boot being positioned right in front of the exhaust exit. So it seems that a major manufacturer is telling me "Well that's not where your foot should be then, is it?"

Hence the question... Where should it be then?
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Honda CBF125 ↳ Speed Triple

[esullivan]

I use the ball, then slide the appropriate foot forward a bit to change gears or brake. I got into that habit (probably when I got told off for dragging the rear brake) and that's the way I do it now. I suspect having the foot forward would be more efficient -- I'd just have to tilt the foot -- but I'm used to it this way now.

When I have a pillion, sometimes her toe will bump against my heel (she's doing heel and I'm doing toe). I just adjust slightly, no issues. So if I got a bike with the exhaust where my wife's toe was, it wouldn't take me long to get used to it. I don't think it will be an issue.

Get a test ride on the tracer and let us know what you think. I'd be particularly interested because you're going from nearly same bike as me.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[Matt B]

looks like it has some kind of guard or rest bit to keep the foot off the can?

Anyway - balls!

Pet hate of mine is seeing people on bikes with their heels on the pegs and their feet sticking outwards to avoid the brake/gears. Makes you look like a plank when you do it.

Balls of the feet give better feel and control and keeps your feet back away from the controls when you are not using them. CBT (if you did one) should have taught you to move your feet forward and back.
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[Mudshark]

hard to tell without sitting on one but this looks like "toes" and not near exhaust

https://images.bennetts.co.uk/PageFiles/11186/661_Yamaha_MT-09TRACER_2014_0226.jpg
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R1250RS
XT660X

[Matt B]

https://www.automototube.net/2015-yamaha-mt-09-tracer-rear-view.jpg

Rear view shows that the can is actually nowhere near the pegs as it sits quite far in.
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stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people.

[Snorty]

Balls of the feet, if I put my heel on or have any part of my foot a bit lower than the peg, my foot will catch on the floor sometimes.

Iffy when you feel the road drag the front of your boot.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Baffler186]

I used to always have my heels on the pegs; when I first started riding I was only small so probably had to do it that way to change gear and use the rear brake.

The past year or so I've forced myself to use my balls - it's probably just psychological but it does feel much more comfortable, and I feel more connected with the bike. Now it's instinctive; I shift foot forwards for gear and brakes and my feet slot mack into the "balls on pegs" position afterwards.
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[Doovy]

I always ride with my heels on the pegs, toes hovering to the side or above brake/gear levers - probably as I'm a Central London rider everyday.

When I position myself to take a bend leant over then I slide boots back to be on the ball of my foot on the peg.

[Supermoto_Fan]

The metal ring is a guard, its the same on the 09.
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Yamaha MT-09 - Triple powerrrr

[BravoCharlie]

[Aceslock]

[Matt B]

[MarJay]

[Baffler186]

[Teflon-Mike]

Balls - mostly.

When I started trials riding (as a school-boy), the gear-lever's were conventionally 'heel shift', set well forwards of the peg, so you don't get feet tangled with it, and you have to move your whole leg off the peg to 'heel' it up or down, rather than toe-it. On the other hand... or foot even.. rear brake pedal is barely an inch from the peg, but slimmed and in-set, so you can reach it with your toe, with ball of your foot on the peg by twisting foot at ankle slightly.

Riding 'Feet-Up', all your weight is on the pegs; riding on the in-step, then, would be uncomfy, to start with; foots most padded on the heel and ball, where evolution expects your weight to be put; but you also have less mobility to move weight, absorb bumps or shift body-position.

Heel-hooking's not wrong; and on a road bike, taking your weight on your bum, should make little odds, so however you're most comfy, really.
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[Amber Phoenix]

[grr666]

Heels but my knees ache very quickly if I get my balls on the pegs. I suspect I'm the wrong size for my bike,
the two part seat doesn't help either as you can't really scooch back to get more room.
I'm going to buy some knee armour that you wear separately beneath leathers to see if that helps,
the armour that's fitted to my leathers is the fixed type and that doesn't help with the comfort issue either.
I'm short of leg,but long of torso and very long of arm. I'm aware the way I am doing it currently is wrong but
I'm not spending bundles on adjustable footpegs when I want to sell the bike this year anyway.
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[waffles]

Just to be awkward, I flit between heels and balls (lol)

Heels for riding around town, balls when I can see stretches of road that probably wont require much in the way of rear braking or gear changes. Balls are more comfortable


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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[recman]

[Commuter_Tim]

[WD Forte]

Balls, heels, covering the brakes, I don't trust pat or offical IAM type answers
like the bollocks about making progress
They all get my favourite answer
It depends!.
Control first, comfort second.
( if you're not in control you wont be comfy for long)
I'll shift between the two depending on circumstances and hazards
rather than adopt a fixed, by the book or 'cool' position.

I mean, you gotta stay on yer toes when ridin a bike......
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[mentalboy]

Instep for me (mostly).
Even as an older gentleman, I find that my balls won't reach the pegs and when I reach the kind of age where they do I'm not contemplating standing on them...
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Make mine a Corona.

[Old Git Racing]

Balls for me. My type of riding, with my present type of bike dictates that. Previously with a Harley, BMW R80RT it was instep. There's no definitive 'right way', It's what suits each individual at any one time.
Look at some pics of Mike Hailwood and see where his feet are, then look at Marquez. Totally different but the same result.

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[BillyJ]

Balls
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Had: '06 CBR125R + '01 GSF600 + '07 SPRINT ST 1050 + '80 CB250 RSA + '93 Ducati 900SS
Have: '13 GSXR-1000 + '01 CB500S
"The aryan confuser"

[talkToTheHat]

Balls.

On the GZ I had to ride with my instep in the pegs as they were that far forward of me.

When I first had the XV, I would ride with my instep on the pegs. This caused all manner of problems: Cruising in a high gear my toe would catch the gear lever halfway up and downshift unexpectedly, I think this was coupled with throttle input over a slight bump or similar but was not good for the engine or my underwear, and I never nailed down steps to reproduce. Riding instep on peg with a slightly forward peg causes my heel to drop so the first thing that touched down was not my toe or the footpeg but my heel, it's quite alarmingwhen a grippy rubber sole hits the road and your foot is pulled off the peg.

Conversely, the OEM exhaust on the XV is such that i couldn't quite get the ball of my size ten on the peg withoiut my heel resting on the exhaust. Fortunately the Motad pipe fixed that. Could use a bike with more leg room and ground clearance on the days I can bend enough to get over a proper bike.
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