AverageJoe

Is there a way to get some more leg room on a rebel 250. If I could move the pegs out an inch or have a higher seat the ride would be much more comfortable. I appreciate any ideas
THanks

__________________

cagie

A lot of folks have that same complaint. Aftermarket controls are vitually non-existant for the Rebel. Some of us have made forward controls using flat stock. If you do decide to go that route, ask questions about what is safe and strong enough.

__________________
Comments contained in my posts are not intended to cause physical or psychological stress and are mearly my two cents worth, and in this economy, that's cheap!
87 CMX250C 'the Pygmy Pony'
87 CMX450C 'Black Lithium'

JunkyardDog

I have just what you are looking for. Unfortunately you will have to build it yourself, because nobody makes it (yet), though BlueCollarBobbers seemed interested.

Basically what I did was make 2 brackets, with 4 holes in them, out of 1/4"x2" steel, bolted the brackets to the bike with 2 of the holes, to the original footpeg locations, then used the other 2 holes to bolt the stock pegs to. This moved the pegs exactly 4" further forward, at the same height. I'm 6', with a 34" inseam, and simply did not fit on the Rebel. This completely solved the problem. Before doing this, notice that the left and right sides are different, and the brackets will have to be slightly different to get the pegs in the right place. Easy to figure out.

Next part is the shifter and brake. The shifter was easy, I simply made a new rod 4" longer than the original one, and everything works fine. The brake was a little more complicated, and I rode the bike around several weeks before getting around to that. IMO, the stock Rebel brake pedal is a bad design, and simply welding in an extension would make it worse. I bought a used shifter assembly from eBay, which already comes with a pivot, attached it to the right bracket I made, removed the stock pedal, left the rest of the linkage in place, including the pivot the original pedal clamped to, and ran another linkage rod from the shifter pedal to a hole I drilled in the flat arm just below where the rear linkage rod attaches to it. So far, this setup has worked fine. I wanted to make sure it would, before doing the final step, which is machining down the pivot shaft the original pedal clamped onto, and tapping threads on it, so I can use a chrome acorn nut to hold it in place, which is what the original pedal did. Right now I just put a washer and a hose clamp on to hold it in place. Not pretty, but it works. I will post pictures of this setup, just as soon as I can find my camera. Jerry.

__________________

JunkyardDog

http://tinyurl.com/yfgp5pk

Ok, here is a link to a picture similar to what I did. The main differences are that I did not move my pegs that far forward, did not use a cross brace between the right and left side, used heavier steel to make the brackets out of, used a second shifter pedal with pivot, instead of what this person used, and painted my brackets gloss black to match the frame. I used grade 8.8 bolts to bolt the brackets to the frame, and used split lockwashers. I did not use any LocTite, because if one of the bolts should break off, I want to be able to get it out. I also painted the frame mount bolts black, to match the brackets, and used the stock footpeg bolts to install the footpegs on the brackets with, with Nyloc nuts on the back. So far, I have had no problems with my setup, and the Rebel is now 10 times more comfortable. It looks completely stock to someone not really familiar with the Rebel. Jerry.

__________________

Guba

I added the floorboards that MCEnterprises makes for the Rebel. For me at 5'10" it was the difference between getting leg cramps after an hour or so of riding, to riding all day till your butt goes numb. But everyone is different.

I bought mine through Jacks Rebel Warehouse, and I sprung a little extra for the heel/toe shifter. But I have used the floorboards without it and can say that if your used to the normal Rebel shifting characteristics, then you won't be dissapointed at the least!

__________________
Some days beer tastes good...other days beer tastes better!

'07 Rebel 250 26,000 miles

JunkyardDog

I'm 6' even, with a 34" inseam, and considered the floorboards, but then got to messing around with homemade parts, and found a way to make it work. I made the final parts in a machine shop at work. I took extra care on the cosmetic part, because I didn't want it to look homemade. If BCB decides not to make something like this, maybe Jack would be interested. This mod, or something similar, is just about mandatory for a 6' or taller person to be able to ride a Rebel, and it would be cheap and easy to produce for anyone with the right equipment. It could be sold for WAY less than the Mapam forward controls, and still make a nice profit. Jerry.

__________________

flitecontrol

Jerry, I use blue threadlocker and have never had any problems removing or losing fasteners. With all the vibration on a bike, something is apt to shake loose if you don't. Now if you use red or yellow LocTite, that's another story! Those are considered semi permanent and forget about ever removing it permanent!

__________________
I'm keepin' all the left over parts. I'm gonna use 'em to build another bike!

2001 Rebel 250, 1989 Vulcan 750
Putting your bike info in your signature helps others help you!

Leaf

I'm about the same height as Jerry, but I guess maybe I have a shorter inseam or something... The stock setup seems comfy to me. However, barring magically turning it into a standard, I think a back rest would do wonders, lol.

__________________

JunkyardDog

I chose not to use LocTite, because if a bolt should break off (my setup puts a little more stress on the frame mounting bolts than the stock footpeg setup does, so do the non existent Mapam forward controls), I want it to be loose in the frame if it breaks, so I can get it out easily. I have had to many problems with trying to remove stuck broken bolts. So far, the split lock washers are holding up fine. They keep the bolt tight, but will release the tension on the threads if the bolt should break.



As for a backrest, Protac makes an excellent rider backrest for the Rebel. Get one, you won't regret it. Personally I find cruisers more comfortable than standards, because of the upright seating position that puts all your weight on your butt. I have arthritis and fibromyalgia, and am unable to put any weight on my hands, arms, or shoulders, or bend my neck up so I can see where I am going, for any length of time without severe pain. If I could, I would still be riding sportbikes. I tried an '07 Ninja 250, and it was to painful to enjoy riding for more than a few miles, and it's bars were a lot higher than a real sportbike. I sold it after a few months. So far, my '02 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 is by far the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden, and it has the stock seat on it. I also have a Protac backrest for that bike too. Once you have ridden with a Protac, you will never want to ride without one again. Jerry.

__________________