PSR Highway Blades (ST 1300) Install and First Impressions

[ibike2havefun]

Thanks - I am looking forward to this review when it comes out.

I've had to cancel my planned trip to the BRP for this year, meaning I have no idea when I'll get back out for a long ride to use the blades again, so in the interest of wrapping this up here's where I have finally settled regarding the PSR Highway Blades: I don't love them, but I like them well enough to keep them.

On a scale of 10, 1 being awful, 5 neutral, and 10 ideal, I'd give them a 10 in build quality, about a 7 in ease of use FOR ME, and 6 in overall benefit to me. This is NOT a knock on the product, it's my subjective assessment of how much I feel I personally gain from having them, versus not having them. Here's how I arrived at those values.

They're well made and relatively easy to install. Once the mounting bolts are torqued to about 10 lb-ft they do not rotate on the tip-over bars. I don't care a fig about the over-vs-under the tip over bars installation aesthetic; in fact right now I don't even have the plastic tip over guard covers installed.

I can deploy them from fully retracted by reaching down and flicking them partway open with my hands, more easily than I can by using my feet alone. This is less than entirely convenient (or safe) and discourages me from using them at a whim, but doesn't make them untenable. If I remember, I do it before getting rolling.

Once they're partway open my feet can do the rest. And I can partially retract them by hooking my toes on the fronts of the blades and giving a gentle pull.

They position my feet and legs fairly comfortably (I have a 31" inseam) but as mentioned elsewhere they also put my calves in contact with that edge on the fairing. Boots with thicker soles might help with that.

I'm notoriously inflexible in the joints, and after a while on the blades my hips start to stiffen up. Then it's time to go back to the regular foot pegs.

Hope that helps you in your decision-making process. Happy riding to you, no matter what you decide.

 

[KDJr]

Any options beyond the blades? I am looking to get the legs stretched out farther to the front and out a little wider. Thanks!

 

[CYYJ]

... 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.

I'd like to install highway blades (of one design or another) on my ST 1300, but a big concern I have is that the Honda accessory wind deflectors that I have installed on the sides of my bike would present the same kind of problem that Keith reports in his post above.

The Honda wind deflectors effectively extend the width of the side body panels by about 2 inches on either side, and the wind deflectors have a sharp edge on them.

So, for other forum members who have wind deflectors on their bike and are considering a ST 1300 highway peg purchase or installation, think carefully about the ergonomics & possible interference from the wind deflectors before purchasing highway pegs.

Michael

Wind Deflectors

 

[number1barber]

I was looking at the PSR ones but didn't fancy the cost for something so simple. i was about to build a set similar to the MCL ones using steel strips when i remembered a post by shaun cole on the pan fb group. i instead cut a piece of aluminium angle and bolted it through the cover and through the bar below. First attempt got the angle wrong second attempt required a much larger piece of aluminium to still get the bolts in but to get the angle piece much further over. To mount it meant i had to remove the deflector kit as it made the bike too wide. Shaun did not bolt through the bars he mounted to the cover only and added a screw through the fairing to stop the cover coming off this allowed him to mount the piece right on the corner which is better. The solution was not to rest your feet but to rest you leg on the covers against the bracket giving you a straight leg stretch. All seemed well and riding in motorcycle boots it was comfortable
Yesterday i went for a ride to the beach it was 32 degrees. i was wearing shorts and hiking boots. Near the end of the ride i decided to try my rests again and placed my leg on them swiftly burning my leg on the side cover. I will keep them but only use them on warm days with proper boots not on hot days. They will need to be cut neater and painted black with hammerite galvanised.
In the meantime i will think about adding a bolt on diy set that fold out i just need to have a look about the leg angle to avoid the fairing

 

[Jammin'John]

It's a shame that you need to have at least a 30" inseam to use these PSR's !

JJ

 

[Belray]

This is what I did for my 29" inseam . A longer bolt on the front pinch bolt with a spacer. The two smaller washers I used to adjust how far the bolt stuck out to stop the peg from folding out . The 3rd picture shows the peg using the bolt as a stop.