Why upgrade your adventure motorcycle with TwinPegs™?
Because TwinPegs™ make it possible to use your body in a more natural and thus more efficient way, while riding motorcycles offroad. When getting used to TwinPegs™, there is no return to single foot pegs. It is natural for us to stand with heel support. It feels better to stand on a floor, than standing in a ladder with narrow steps. Gain balance and control, and save energy – Have more fun with your motorcycle!
The basic ergonomics for offroad motorcycles have been unchanged and unchallenged since the first motorcycle with fixed single foot pegs was built. Until TwinPegs™ was invented! Challenging “absolute truths” established over very long time is not easy. If something has been unchanged over so long time, it is easy to think that this is the best solution. So, why change? Because the only way to find better solutions, is to challenge the existing solutions!
“TwinPegs is a very good upgrade for adventure bikes!”
The biomechanics /
ergonomics of TwinPegs™
With TwinPegs™ installed, you are standing stable and comfortably, even without support from the upper body. Sharing the weight between two separate foot pegs reduce point loads on the feet, and this adds to the feeling of comfort. But TwinPegs™ contradicts what we have learnt about the importance of standing on our toeballs with the heel free, using pivoting in he ankle joint and calf muscles for added suspension. So despite feeling good, for many riders TwinPegs™ initially feels “wrong”. The riding techniques we have learnt are based on the limitations given by single foot pegs. These riding techniques are ideal for single foot pegs, refined over several generations of motorcycle riders.
TwinPegs™ give new opportunities! With TwinPegs™, the boot pivoting around the foot peg is limited by the heel support. But the important freedom to pivot is still there. The pivoting is moved up to the ankle joint when the heel is supported by the rear foot peg. In the ankle joint we have precise feedback on position, and support muscles to manipulate the movements. This make it easier to stay in balance, receive feedback from the motorcycle and stay in control of the motorcycle. It is the natural way of standing.
With TwinPegs™, our body weight is mostly carried by our thigh muscles. The calf muscles are much less stressed. Our thigh muscles are strong, standing with slightly bent knees with heel support cost little energy. Standing with slightly bent knees is a very agile position, it makes it easy to deal with bumps and stay in balance. Downhill skiers are not using their calf muscles for “added suspension” while they are dancing on their toeballs down the slopes. They are using their thigh muscles for suspension, with firm heel support when required. Riding on TwinPegs™ works exactly the same way.
The heel support provided by TwinPegs™ makes it also easy to dynamically shift our weight in the fore/aft and side to side direction on the motorcycle, with reduced strain on our upper body while doing so. Reduced strain on the upper body reduces fatigue and “arm pump”.
Summed up: TwinPegs™ provide gained balance and control, and saves energy/ reduces fatigue. These benefits can enable a competitive rider to ride faster further, or add comfort and fun to long enduro rides or adventure journeys.
TwinPegs™ for long distance travelers
Most of us must admit that the majority of travelled miles is not in exotic vast deserts, on gnarly jungle tracks, or on endless gravelroads that twists through remote landscapes. It is on tarmac, sitting. How is TwinPegs™ relevant for long distance travelling on tarmac?
The best position for our body is always the next one. We are created for movement. TwinPegs™ make riding standing up near effortless, even at highway speeds. Standing up relaxes back and butt, and the monotony of just sitting there is broken. Good for the body, good for the mind. This make long distance travels more fun.
Buell rider Per Atle Gustafson is a hardcore long distance traveler. He rode his Buell Ulysses from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. And back to Florida, after crisscrossing USA. With his own words:
I have tested a pair of prototype TwinPegs on my Buell Ulysses for 25.000 km, and can certainly say this is a great add on to the bike. I have not done so much off-road riding, but with daily mileages between 500 and 1.000 km I have done a great deal of standup riding to ease up on the fatigue in the butt and back. Standing for 15-25 km at the time is no sweat with TwinPegs fitted! Highly Recommended.
Riding steep downhills and braking hard
Some adventure riders, that have not tested TwinPegs™, believe that riding on TwinPegs™ is a problem when riding downhill.
TwinPegs™ prototype kits are being used successfully in enduro racing in Norway, and riding downhill has not been reported as a problem once from the enduro riders. That is also my own experience, from my own enduro riding down steep descents. The grip between boots and foot pegs are very good, thus eliminating this potential problem. None of the TwinPegs™ customers and testriders have reported problems when riding downhill either.
Motocross racers often drop their heels below the primary foot peg height while braking hard, and TwinPegs™ prevents this. Thus it is natural to think that this is a major conceptual problem with TwinPegs™. For the extreme sport of motocross, more testing must be done to conclude whether TwinPegs™ is a benefit all aspects considered, or not. Landing stable on TwinPegs™ is at least much safer than landing on single pegs.
However, the grip between boot and foot pegs are very good. And it is of course possible to drop the heel below the level of the rear foot peg.
Braking has not been reported to be a problem from any enduro racer, or adventure rider.
Feedback
“Definitely a great new experience when riding offroad in the standing position. The rider has more stable support at the feet due to a larger duel footpeg surface area. This reduces fatigue and extended pronation of the ankle allowing for more comfortable riding while standing. Rider input through the feet and legs is more direct and controlled allowing for better comand and riding technique.”
“Having the twinpegs relieves a great deal of rider fatigue, makes it easier when riding off-road over obstacles, and steep inclines/declines. It leaves me feeling significantly more connected to the motorcycle.”
“I have not seen or found anything comparable to TP. And I have tried!
TP gives off-road driving a whole new dimension. Much less fatigue in the legs and a much better control on the motorcycle.”
“I can ride standing for longer, I feel more in control of my bike, peg steering is easier, balance is improved, lower body circulation is improved as I have a more flexible stance, the entire body can ride more relaxed.”
“Thanks to Kai, I now have a set of TwinPegs on my GS 1200 mated with my existing Pivot Pegs. I have only managed some limited off road riding so far but straight away I felt so much more comfort when in the standing position. I feel I could manage much longer times in the standing position with these pegs. I also feel that with the more rearward position of my heel on the rear peg that the weight transfer will greatly help with sand riding. I can’t wait to try the TwinPegs in the Australian outback. Thanks Kai and TwinPegs.”
“Had my first practice sessions with prototype Twinpegs mountet on a 2017 Ktm exc 250 this weekend, and first that comes into my mind is – wow, this is pretty awsome.”
“I’ve logged over a thousand miles, on and off-road with these twin pegs (TP). I initially installed just one peg, so I could compare the fatigue of both legs. With TP, I have a more stable platform while standing. I can stand much longer and ride in a more controlled manner. I won’t ride another dual-sport bike with out them. I ride a R1200GSA.”
“Makes it easier to stay in balance in difficult terrain. You use less energy. I drove at least 50% more in the standing position, and riding on gravel standing up is a dream.”
“Gives you great stability in to turns, and amazing traction out of turns!”
“I have now been driving since June 2018 with TwinPegs on my bike, and one thing is for certain, I will never own a bike without TwinPegs again. I was the first to have the kit adapted and mounted on a BMW R1200 GS. The driving experience was totally changed for me, and is hard to explain, YOU HAVE TO TRY IT.”
“Just returned from riding the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR). We brought along several new products to try out on an extended off-road ride! The one we are most excited about is TwinPegs! They provide an incredible amount of comfort and stability while riding off road! Less fatigue and a lot more comfort!”
