So I got an unexpected PM from another member today, that contained the statement
I read all your posts on the foot pegs but just when it started getting interesting you stopped posting on how if you like them. ... [you] haven't posted on it for a while so I was wondering if you still like them or you decided to not go with them and get your money back?
The fact is, I haven't posted more about the blades because this is still not true:
Now I need to go run with them for a few thousand miles
It's been an off-year for me, ST-wise, but I have been out for a few rides and have deployed the blades out of a sense of obligation. "
They're there to be used, so use 'em." is what the voice inside my head (well,
one of the voices, anyhow) is telling me.
What I've found so far is this: they're better
for ME than the MCL version, but I still have one of the same issues I had with the MCLs, namely that they position my legs such that the backs of my calves still come in contact with that square edge on the back of the lower cowling, where it flares out to accept the tip over guard covers. (Red circled area in the photo below)
Viewers with a keen eye for detail will note the manly fullness of my lower limbs, especially my calves. Resting the back of my calf on the spot in the circle is not comfortable.
I might alleviate it by re-installing the tip over guard covers, but that would come at the cost of repositioning my leg into what I fear would be an even more awkward position. And, for those who have experimented with mounting them by inverting the mount such that the blade retracts to beneath the tip over guard, that's only going to make my problem worse. So aesthetics are going to lose out to function for a while longer at least.
A second observation I've made is that I seem to have some trouble deploying the blades while riding. It's easy enough to pull them back in from the extended / in-use position, but getting them out is a bit tricky for me. I have been toying with the idea of relocating the pegs on the tops of the blades to whichever set of holes they aren't currently in. (I don't recall whether I put them in the holes at the tips of the blades, or the set an inch or two closer to the pivot. Whichever it is, though, I want to try the other position before I chuck it in altogether.)
Lastly, there's a delicate balance to be struck on the torque placed on the pivot bolt itself. Too loose, and the blades almost self-deploy. Too tight and they're really, really hard to get into position.
As I said above, I've not done a lot of miles yet this year so I don't feel as though I've given them a full and comprehensive test, or a really fair chance. I'm still not entirely convinced that I'll keep them but I'm also not yet quite ready to put them up for resale. Happily, I have a full day's riding on the calendar for this coming weekend, and the potential for a full week not long after. At the end of those two excursions, I expect I'll have my final opinion and answer.
