busy

CRF230F Footpegs

October 15, 2018 version


Click pictures to supersize.


Footpeg adapter plates - xplodee and M&S

In August 2017, ThumperTalk inmate 'xplodee' worked up a very clean design and mounting scheme based on some footpeg adapter plate sketches.
Rear Footpeg Position Mod (PICS)
I purchased a set of adapter plates from him and proceeded to mount them on one of my CRF230F bikes.

busy The two upper rows show Honda CRF250X parts for the right side that I purchased from
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC  A complete parts list is shown at the end of this writeup.

A quote from xplodee "These require the use of CRF250/450 peg brackets and either stock or aftermarket pegs for a CRF250/450". He didn't mention a year, so I chose the 2012 CRF250X for parts. The X parts are curiously cheaper than the R parts. The part numbers differ also. I paid about $90, not including shipping.

 
 

The mounting bolts in the lower row are:
Front (right in the picture) - stock CRF230F M10-1.25x45; torque 43 lb-ft
Middle - provided by xplodee M8-1.25x14   M&S M8-1.25x16; torque 22 lb-ft
Rear (left in the picture) - M10-1.25x50 class 10.9; torque 43 lb-ft (see Custom mod below)

Loc-tite the ends of the threads, grease the bolt body and exposed threads, and torque as specified (see Custom mod below).


The end result - the footpegs are moved back 1 inch on the left and 5/8 inch on the right, and the overall width is reduced 1 inch. Footpegs are about 7/16 inches higher.
The footpeg set-back results in a more open cockpit and even my small frame/size benefited from the extra space. Larger riders will welcome the relief.

The steel plate assemblies are heavier than stock by 19 g (.7 oz).

Further developments have lead to lighter aluminum versions from xplodee and M&S:
The xplodee aluminum plate assemblies are lighter than stock by 267 g (9.4 oz).
The M&S aluminum plate assemblies are 11 g lighter yet (total less than stock 9.8 oz).


busy
ThumperTalk inmate xplodee has designed new aluminum footpeg adapter plates.
His post in Rear Footpeg Position Mod (PICS) thread

Order info here



busy
M&S has an aluminum set also.   

Order info here


The Honda Step Bracket is not included in the kit; shown for illustration purpose only.



Would I buy these adapter plates again? Well actually, I installed a set on my second CRF230F. Steel and then aluminum x 2. The whole upgrade at around $200 (steel) or $150 (aluminum) may seem expensive to some riders, but it's worth the money to me to get some foot comfort for those long all-day rides.


Benefits of using footpeg adapter plates

The footpegs are moved back 1 inch on the left and 5/8 inch on the right, and the overall width is reduced 1 inch. Footpegs are about 7/16 inches higher.

The footpeg set-back results in a more open cockpit and even my small frame/size benefited from the extra space. Larger riders will welcome the relief.

The aluminum versions in the M&S kit are lighter than stock Honda brackets by about 9.8 ounces.

Once you mount the Honda Step Brackets, you can mount stock Honda and aftermarket CRF250X, CRF450X, CRF250R, CRF450R footpegs that are larger, lighter, or which have some other feature you desire.

The Honda Step Brackets are parts numbers 2 and 3 in this table.
Part numbers 4 and 7, the footpegs, are sold by aftermarket retailers in kits.
The other parts 1, 5, 6, 10, 11, may also be included; if not, buy the Honda parts shown.
Part numbers 8 and 9 equivalents are included in the M&S kit.

________________________________________________________________________

Installation

busy
I removed the stock right side bracket with footpeg and installed the new xplodee steel adapter plate and Honda step bracket.

busy
Steel plate.

            xplodee aluminum plate on the left, M&S on the right.
busy busy

busy
After grinding on the inboard end of the Honda footpeg (see Custom mod mod below), I mounted the rest of the Honda footpeg parts.

*** Note the brake pedal adjustment, almost touching the engine case. See "Brake pedal considerations" and "Further brake pedal considerations" sections below.

*** Note: the aluminum adapter plates are smaller than the steel plate, so there is room to lower the brake pedal.

busy
Steel plate.

            xplodee aluminum plate on the left, M&S on the right.
busy busy

busy
Steel plate, from the front.

busy
Ready to ride.

________________________________________________________________________

Custom mod

I modified the footpeg ends that press against the Honda step bracket so the footpegs sits level ( almost, see text). The Honda step bracket is mounted to the aluminum frame of the CRF250X/CRF450X at an angle from vertical, and the stock footpeg is made to accomodate this angle. The xplodee adapter plate is mounted almost vertical, so the footpeg must be modified to get it level. The 250/450X footpeg parts are not the same as the 250/450R footpeg parts, so this process may be different for the R models.

busy
Using an X-acto knife, I marked the end of the footpeg which presses against the step bracket. I tried to make the marks at 1 mm intervals, but the first mark was a bit sloppy. I used these marks to determine how much I was grinding off the end of each footpeg. I discovered that I had to grind off 1 to 2 mm, but I suspect that could vary according to each person's needs. (Click picture to see marks better.)

I did the grinding in short 30 second sessions on a bench grinder. I discovered that just holding the end of the footpeg against the outer rounded edge of the wheel was not going to work; the ground down surface had an arc in it. I switched to pressing against the side of the grinding wheel and that was much better. CAUTION - if you grind too aggressively, the heat generated will degrade the baked-on black paint, and the marks will be obliterated. DAMHIK.

After each 30 second session, I mounted the footpeg into the step bracket by slipping the pin in, and leaving the spring off. I determined that it was very easy to get the angle wrong, and the footpeg would not press squarely against the step bracket. To insure I was grinding the 'taller' edge, I marked the footpeg ground end with a black marker where I needed the most grinding. Of course, the mark is ground off immediately, but it was perfect for letting me know where to start grinding as I placed the footpeg against the wheel.

BTW, I checked fit from the top looking down, and from the bottom looking up. The later was difficult but worth it. I caught several instances where there was a gap developing.

I think I had 8 to10 short grinding sessions on each footpeg, and the final fit was very square to the bracket. I did not grind off enough for the footpegs to be level; I left the outside ends a bit higher. I wanted to avoid a drooped footpeg look. I can always come back later and take a little more off.


One further mod is necessary. The stock rear bracket M10 socket bolt head is too large, and it interferes with the footpeg rotation. The stock bolt is also 5 mm too short. I substituted a flat hex-head bolt (M10-1.25x50 class 10.9) that I found at TrueValue.

A note about class. Metric fasteners are rated by class, not grade. Similar, but different. The M10-1.25x50 hex head bolt seems to come in class 8.8 and 10.9 only. Their ratings are:
Class  8. 8 - Proof Load 580 N/mm2 (  84,000 psi)  Tensile Strength   800 N/mm2 (116,000 psi)
Class 10.9 - Proof Load 830 N/mm2 (120,000 psi)  Tensile Strength 1000 N/mm2 (145,000 psi)

Most of the weight on the footpegs is carried by this bolt, and I thought it wise to use the strongest bolt available - class 10.9 is the one I use.

________________________________________________________________________

Torque settings on the footpeg bracket bolts

Stock CRF230F

2 M10-1.25x45  / 43 lb-ft each
  
  

Stock CRF250X

M12-1.25x28  / 40 lb-ft
M8-1.25x24  / 29 lb-ft
  

aluminum adapter plate with CRF250X step bracket

M10-1.25x50 class 10.9  / 43 lb-ft
M10-1.25x45  / 43 lb-ft
M8-1.25x14 xplodee    M8-1.25x16 M&S  / 22 lb-ft

The xplodee M8-1.25x14  and  M&S M8-1.25x16 at 22 lb-ft are less than the stock Honda M8-1.25x24 at 29 lb-ft. I suspect Honda has spec'd the higher rating due to the bolt length. I wouldn't want to go over 22 for the shorter M8 bolts.

________________________________________________________________________

Weights and Measures

Stock CRF230F
bracket and footpeg

Left side 546 g
Right side 771 g
Total 1,317 g

Steel adapter plate
with CRF250X footpeg

Left side 668 g
Right side 668 g
Total 1,336 g

xplodee aluminum adapter plate
with CRF250X footpeg

Left side 525 g
Right side 525 g
Total 1,050 g

The steel plate assemblies are heavier than stock by 19 g (.7 oz); virtually identical.
The xplodee aluminum plate assemblies are lighter than stock by 267 g (9.4 oz).
The M&S aluminum plate assemblies are lighter than stock by 278 g (9.8 oz).


NOTE I recommend that you buy 2 new stock CRF230F footpeg mounting bolts rather than re-using the old ones on the bike.
BOLT, SOCKET (10X45)  90181-MCT-000   about $1.70 each  partsfish.com


I wanted to see how much the footpeg location changed with the new adapter plates and footpegs. I slid a piece of foam core between the bike stand and the bottom of the bike and drew (crudely) around the perimeter of the footpegs. I did this with one CRF230F that has stock footpegs (plus wideners) and then with the other CRF230F that has the xplodee adapter plates and CRF250X footpegs. The picture below is the result: red is the stock CRF230F footpegs (with wideners) and black is the xplodee adapter plates and CRF250X footpegs. The smudge marks are where the dirty frame rails sullied my art work.

busy
Note the forward cant of the footpeg outlines. The stock and xplodee angles are almost identical.


busy
Here is the left side only, enlarged a bit so it's readable.

"Front bolt" is the alignment mark referenced to the front bracket/adapter plate bolt head.

There are several overlaid lines (for both black and red) because I was trying to get an accurate path and I noticed that I was tilting the marker pen too much in places, and I went back over to correct myself.

After I took the foam core away from the bikes and stands, I drew a horizontal line down the middle of the footpeg so I could measure front-to-back displacement. The xplodee adapter plate places the left footpeg back 1 inch. The right side is different.

The horizontal red and black arrows point to the widest parts, so I can measure how wide each setup is (see the next picture for those numbers).


busy Now the right side.

"Front bolt" is the alignment mark referenced to the front bracket/adapter plate bolt head.

Overlaid lines as before.

Footpeg centerlines as before. The right side setback is 5/8 inch, compared to 1 inch for the left. If you recall, the stock right side footpeg bracket is a huge piece that sticks out rather far from the side of the engine. I suspect it was designed for kick-start lever clearance. Noting that the xplodee adapter plates are identical, the unusual stock right side bracket could account for the different setback between left and right sides. Another thing to note - the stock footpeg alignment is slightly offset to begin with. Lastly, with the xplodee adapter plate, the footpeg location is determined by the threaded hole in the frame for the upper bolt, and not by the adapter plate holes. Think about it....

Looking at the horizontal red and black arrows and associated widths, we see that the xplodee overall width is 1 inch less than the stock setup. This is good.

To summarize - footpegs moved back 1 inch on the left and 5/8 inch on the right and the overall width is reduced 1 inch. Footpegs are about 7/16 inches higher. Virtually no change in weight.

Caution - Measured numbers are based on my drawing skills and the inaccuracies of pen alignment when projecting onto the foam core. A more accurate measuring method will yield different numbers. You have been cautioned.

________________________________________________________________________

Brake pedal considerations

The brake pedal sits just above the xplodee adapter plate and may prevent full rear-brake actuation. I did two things to minimize interference.

I adjusted the brake pedal resting position (no brake applied) to it's highest extent, almost touching the right side clutch cover.
See the picture above marked with <*** Note the brake pedal adjustment, almost touching the engine case.>.

I adjusted the brake actuating arm that sits on the brake cam shaft coming out of the brake panel. I positioned the arm so that at full actuation, it was slightly behind vertical. I was able to reposition the arm without removing the rear wheel from the bike. Remove nut and bolt, slide the arm half-way off, rotate a few positions, slide the arm back on, install the bolt and nut. It only took two tries to get it where I wanted it.

The end result of these two changes was to have a higher than usual brake pedal tip and less than usual brake pedal throw before full lockup. It took some getting used to, but after about 10 minutes, my foot was well-adapted and I had no further thoughts about the brake. I may remove a small slice off the top of the xplodee adapter plate to give more room for the pedal to operate - about 3/16 inch. Another possibility is to grind a few 16ths off the bottom of the brake pedal arm. Both of these material removals would be limited to the area where the brake pedal arm touches the xplodee adapter plate.


Further brake pedal considerations

A TT inmate posted details about an aluminum brake pedal available on eBay, and I decided I had to give it a try. It comes in two versions: red and black; I chose black, the red seemed to blingy to me.

busy
The pedal has full range of motion, never coming near the engine side cover nor the footpeg bracket. Test ride coming up tomorrow.

Test ride was a success. My foot needed one stab at the brake pedal to calibrate itself, then all further brake use was autonomous.

________________________________________________________________________

Honda footpeg parts list

I ordered stock Honda footpeg parts from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. The parts list below is from DiscountHondaParts (which I had on hand), and it is very similar to the Rocky Mountain list. If you buy the M&S kit (the one I sell), you don't need to order bolts #8 and #9; they are included in the M&S kit.

busy

Ref Part Part number  q    ea   Ext

1

PIN, STEP JOINT 50603-KZ4-J40

2

2.27

4.54

2

BRACKET, R. STEP 50610-MEN-671

1

9.72

9.72

3

BRACKET, L. STEP 50611-MEN-671

1

9.72

9.72

4

ARM, R. STEP 50616-MEN-305

1

25.04

25.04

5

SPRING, R. 50617-KZ4-J40

1

2.39

2.39

6

SPRING, L. 50618-KZ4-J40

1

2.39

2.39

7

ARM, L. STEP 50642-MEN-305

1

25.04

25.04

8

BOLT, FLANGE (8X24) 90101-KZ3-J50

2

1.53

no

9

BOLT, STEP (12MM) 90101-KZ4-J40

2

1.50

no

10

WASHER, PLAIN (8MM) 94102-08800

2

0.50

1.00

11

PIN, SPLIT (2.5X30) 94201-25300

2

0.53

1.06

Note. The step brackets, springs, and step arms (footpegs) come in left and right variants. To avoid confusion, I left the parts in their bags until I worked on a side, then un-bagged only that side's parts. Further, the step brackets have a distinct top and bottom; always put the large bolt hole on top. (It would be hard to put the large upper bolt in the smaller lower hole... ;-)

If you get the parts mixed up, sort out the step brackets first, and the step arms and springs will be easy to resolve. Here are pictures showing new Honda step brackets, each marked with a letter (L and R). The parts are shown upside down in the top picture because they stand up without support for picture taking (large holes on the bottom). The lower picture is matching the L-R orientation but laid down for a different aspect.
busy
busy



Footpeg brackets - unknown

In April 2010, a ThumperTalk inmate designed footpeg brackets that moved the footpegs closer to the frame. And they reduced the weight to a minimum. Here are pictures showing the custom footpeg mounts with Tusk aftermarket wide KTM footpegs.

busy
Left side

busy
Right side

busy
Top view

I can't imagine any teenage CRF230F owner who wants to pimp his ride by popping $65 for custom footpeg mounts will be too happy to discover that the footpegs are angled forward.

These brackets did not sell well...



Works Connection footpeg wideners

I suffer from instep fatigue when I ride for longer than about 5 hours. I use ortho inserts in my riding boots, but that doesn't completely solve the problem. Some time ago, I discovered that larger footpegs provided a great deal of relief.

When I had my 2009 WR250R I had a need to widen the footpegs. I had used a footpeg widening product on several bikes I owned in the 70s, and I went looking for them on the interweb. Lo and behold, I found some Works Connection footpeg wideners. They looked just like the ones I used on my bikes from the '70s with the wimpy footpegs. Exactly like 'em.

busy
They come in many widths so they fit virtually any footpeg out there. I ordered a set of 1 1/2" for my WRR and a set of 1 5/8" for my CRF230F. Actually, I ordered several of each.

When they arrived, I noticed the 1 1/2" wideners didn't fit the WRR footpegs exactly. I used a grinder to take off 1/32" or so on the inside of the spacer and then they fit just fine. The local welding shop charged me $15 to weld the wideners on and walla, wide footpegs.

The wideners add 1/2" to the width and about 1/4" to the length, and that is just about right for my small 8 1/2 foot.

In the picture, the upper two WRR footpegs have the wideners welded on and I'm showing a top and bottom view. A stock footpeg is just below for comparison. The two wideners are very simple, with just an extra strip of spacer welded to the inside edge to get the teeth away from the stock teeth. Click the picture to see the details up close.

busy
I slipped a set of Works Connection footpeg wideners on my stock Montesa Cota 260 footpegs. They look great. A friend welded them for me.


Works Connection footpeg wideners - about $30 per set.  MXSouth and Works Connection

  

Home