Knight Design Lowered Footpegs | Gear Review

My heart will always belong to liter-class sportbikes; they are my all-time favorite machines to ride. The rest of my body, on the other hand, isn’t feeling the love. I can no longer coax my not-so-young bones into folding up pretzel-like in a full-on sporting posture for any extended length of time. My body simply rebels.

That’s why I recently purchased an Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory 1100. It’s a ready-to-go sportbike with all the thrills, but offers rational ergonomics that are a better match for my needs these days. However, even with its relaxed fit, the Tuono’s footpegs are mounted just a pinch too high for my aging and oft-abused hip joints.

Seeking relief, I was happy to learn that Knight Design provides a quick and easy solution. Knight Design is a family-run business based in Corvallis, Oregon, that manufactures parts in-house for a wide variety of motorcycles, predominantly footpegs and foot controls. They offer pegs in various sizes and designs, plus silver- or black-anodized finishes or natural silver. 

For my Tuono, I chose silver-anodized lowered pegs (about 1.4 inches lower) with the aggressive Quadtrax tread ($149.95 per pair), plus silver-anodized lowered toe pegs ($64.95 each) for the shifter and brake pedal. The parts boast excellent finish and workmanship, and they swapped out readily with the stock units. I didn’t even need to go anywhere to confirm the wisdom of the new pegs; just hopping on the Aprilia in my garage provided proof aplenty of the extra legroom.

Better yet, long days in the saddle are now distinctly more comfortable and accommodating. No more kinks in my hips. Hooray! Since I don’t move around in the saddle a lot when I ride, the grippy Quadtrax tread suits me well, and I appreciated the enlarged toe pegs, which I find easier to locate and operate. Some might worry about the loss of cornering clearance given the lowered pegs, but there’s still plenty available for the type of riding I do. I’m not planning on spending much time at the track with my Tuono nowadays, just some spirited backroad rides. So, the Tuono and I are just fine, thanks.

In addition to lowered pegs, Knight Design also makes regular-height pegs, wide pegs, and pegs with rubber tread for a variety of motorcycles. Whether you’re looking to change up your riding stance a bit or just add a little bling, it’s well worth checking out the options.

For more information: Call (541) 286-4455 or visit knightdesignllc.com