Here is another product to help increase the comfort levels on your beloved Road Star. Despite the sheer size of the Roadie, some riders feel that the floorboards could be a bit better positioned, either for comfort or just to increase that stretched out and laid back feel. Introducing Floorboard Extensions from SS Cycle Works, a product that takes your existing floorboards and repositions them for a more cruisier feeling.
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Product Information
- Ease of Installation: 8/10
- Installation Time: 30 to 60 minutes
- Mechanical Aptitude Required: Beginner
- Tools Required: 5mm & 6mm Allen wrench, 17mm wrench or 17mm socket. Impact driver or rattle gun and Locktite recommended
- Quality of Instructions: Excellent
- Quality of Product: Excellent
- Supplied by: SS Cycle Works
- Reviewed by: RoadStarMagazine.com (this review is subject to the following disclaimer)
Product Overview
The ability to stretch out a little bit on the Road Star is one that owners often wish for particularly when on longer rides. Additionally the near horizontal position of the floorboard is a little flat for the likes of some people. With a set of SS Cycle Works Floorboard Extensions you retain the old school styling of your floorboards plus get to stretch out a little further and your feet are tilted back in a more comfortable position.
Product Quality
The floorboard extensions are made from very heavy 3/8″ plate steel that is CNC machined and finished in tough wearing black powder coat to match the bike’s frame and to prevent them from rusting. The supplied mounting bolts are stainless steel along with large Nylok nuts. There isn’t much more to say about the quality other than to mention that they are STRONG! I know this because unfortunately I laid my bike down on its side after lowering it off the lift without the side stand down, and while the weight of the bike was pivoting from the left floorboard the floorboard extensions didn’t have so much as a whisker of a bend in them (can’t say the same for my clutch lever and shifter…). Talk about tough!
Appearance
The floorboard extensions themselves you don’t notice so much, but the new position of your floorboards is obvious as they are pushed forward 3 inches and the toe is tilted up by 10 degrees. One small downside to this is the rear master brake cylinder does look a little bit “out there” if you happen to notice it, but it isn’t that big a deal. Something else I noticed and commented on to Jerry “Phantom” Townsend of SS Cycle Works, was the supplied bolts that hold the floorboards to the extensions seemed unduly long and were quite obvious once spotted. 
Jerry’s reply was they are that long to allow for 2001 and up model Road Stars that have a 3/8″ spacer welded to the floorboard mount. I have a 1999 Road Star so it wasn’t there for me and Jerry does mention if you have engine guards you may need to grind that spacer off the mounts so the guards fit. He also recommended that the bolts could be hit with a burst from a can of black spray paint making them practically invisible if so wished. Speaking of engine guards, Baron’s, Yamaha’s large bars and Road King engine guards have all successfully been used with the SS Cycle Works floorboard extensions, although you may need to do some small mods for the Road King bars
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Functionality
The new position of my feet is definitely more comfortable than the stock setup, that I can say without a doubt! After installing the SS Cycle Works Floorboard Extensions I went on a weekend ride of 500+ miles and loved the stretched out feel I had. I did have a concern that the different angle of the floorboards would make them scrape more in the corners, but honestly if there was a difference I didn’t notice it, and I scrape my boards a LOT! I also wondered if the altered angle of the boards would have my feet slowly sliding backwards but I have to admit it didn’t feel like that was happening at all. I would say though that if you are shorter than my 5’8″ then the extensions may not be for you. While I didn’t feel like I was “reaching” for the boards, someone only a little bit shorter than me may feel differently. Lastly a common question is what happens to the shifter and brake peddles when the floorboards move and the easy answer is that they move with them. If you have a look at the brackets holding it all together you will notice that the shifter on the left and the brake pedal on the right are attached to the floorboard brackets so where the boards go so does everything else.
Installation Process
The installation isn’t too hard and if you have an extra set of hands it will make the job a lot easier. My installation didn’t go as smooth as it should have due to two of the supplied Nylok nuts seizing up on the bolts. Initially I thought it was because I had been doing them up too fast and the bolts were too long in turn making the nylon melt on the bolts. In the end I had to sheer the bolts off to remove them! After contacting SS Cycle Works it turns out that I was the last person to receive a bad batch of Nylok nuts that they had unfortunately missed. Jerry assures me that mine were the last of them as he thought he had found them all, so just a bit of bad luck.
Now one thing that could be a hiccup for you is getting the bolts out of the floorboard brackets in the first place, this is where an impact driver is highly recommended because they can be real tough! A bike lift or some method to get your bike standing vertically will also be of great benefit otherwise the left hand floorboard bolts are a little hard to access. As mentioned earlier, the shifter and the brake pedal all move with the floorboards so you don’t have to be concerned about them being out of reach. The only thing you have to do to aid in this is to readjust your shifter angle which is very easy, and you also need to unclip your rear brake line to give it some slack for when it is moved forward. Other than that, as long as you don’t forget your side stand is down when you lower it off the lift, like I did, it is a pretty easy install.
Concluding Opinion
At the low price of $57US, which includes shipping within the continental US, I honestly believe the SS Cycle Works Floorboard Extensions are well worth the money for the added comfort and foot position they give you. They are very strong and once installed will take anything you can throw at them.
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Review remains posted for historical content
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