New Rider Boot Question

[steve45058]

So I bought some Alpinestars SMX 6 based on the reviews and I tried to take them out yesterday for a spin and was SO surprised at how hard it was for my foot to get under the lever!  It was so uncomfortable that I had to take them off because I did not want to screw up riding.  With the riding sneakers it was such a breeze!  
 
 
Do I just have to get used to this?  

[Guest ChicagoAJ]

Might have to adjust the lever to make room for a bigger boot. I've never liked riding boots, I always go for the riding sneakers/high tops. Must nicer off bike to walk around in.

[steve45058]

Might have to adjust the lever to make room for a bigger boot. I've never liked riding boots, I always go for the riding sneakers/high tops. Must nicer off bike to walk around in.

Yea I am not sure what to do.  Is the only additional protection from a riding shoe the protection of the shins?

[Guest ChicagoAJ]

Might have to adjust the lever to make room for a bigger boot. I've never liked riding boots, I always go for the riding sneakers/high tops. Must nicer off bike to walk around in.

Yea I am not sure what to do.  Is the only additional protection from a riding shoe the protection of the shins?

Might be stiffer in the ankle area too. Most people I see in my area just wear gym shoes, so I figure I'm better off than them with heavier high tops made for riding. 

[jeffkisthename]

I myself am an advocate for appropriate gear. I need riding boots myself, but they are so damn expensive. Until I have the coin saved up for some $200+ boots, I will be using my safety boots that zip up pass my ankles to the bottom of my calf. They also have composite toe and give me a little extra ground clearance for flat footing. I'm short at 5'6".

[bmwpowere36m3]

Yes and try to wear them around as much as possible to break them in...
 
Riding footwear generally is stiffer than "casual" and they offer different levels of protection. Shifting will definitely take getting used to and moving the shifter slightly higher also helps.

[bmwpowere36m3]

I myself am an advocate for appropriate gear. I need riding boots myself, but they are so damn expensive. Until I have the coin saved up for some $200+ boots, I will be using my safety boots that zip up pass my ankles to the bottom of my calf. They also have composite toe and give me a little extra ground clearance for flat footing. I'm short at 5'6".

Not much more than quality redwings or similar... unless your looking at full-race SIDIs $500-700 

[jeffkisthename]

I myself am an advocate for appropriate gear. I need riding boots myself, but they are so damn expensive. Until I have the coin saved up for some $200+ boots, I will be using my safety boots that zip up pass my ankles to the bottom of my calf. They also have composite toe and give me a little extra ground clearance for flat footing. I'm short at 5'6".

Not much more than quality redwings or similar... unless your looking at full-race SIDIs $500-700

I have $75 vouchers from work for safety boots and I think my boots were around 150ish. So, you're right there, but I have help on safety boots LOL and I keep those at work. The ones I use for riding were from my old job. I was looking into something like the Alpinestars SMX Plus or a TCX boot. My feet are average to wide, so SIDI wouldn't work for me.

[Guest ChicagoAJ]

Not much more than quality redwings or similar... unless your looking at full-race SIDIs $500-700

I have $75 vouchers from work for safety boots and I think my boots were around 150ish. So, you're right there, but I have help on safety boots LOL and I keep those at work. The ones I use for riding were from my old job. I was looking into something like the Alpinestars SMX Plus or a TCX boot. My feet are average to wide, so SIDI wouldn't work for me.

I feel you on that average to wide comment. Every riding boot I tried on at my local CycleGear was killing my toes. Even the Kickstarter shoes I ended up getting are a little snug but I'm hoping they'll break in. 

[steve45058]

Yes and try to wear them around as much as possible to break them in... 
Riding footwear generally is stiffer than "casual" and they offer different levels of protection. Shifting will definitely take getting used to and moving the shifter slightly higher also helps.

Thanks.  I will definitely try to do this.  I also think I may have bought a size too large for my foot so that could also be the case.  I was contemplating returning them for some Stylmartins but I am sure I will need the protection because I am a new rider.  
 
The Alpinestars SMX 6 were only 250 from RevZilla and highly approved by everyone.  You should check those out @jeffkisthename

[jake]

My boots should be at my house today ... http://www.amazon.com/Spidi-XP3-S-Street-Motorcycle-Boots/dp/B008AFJM24?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
 
I got them for $100 bucks not sure why they were that cheep might have lucked out.
 
I have some TXC shoes and love them but I don't think they are up to par on protection but better than sneakers. I wanted boots for a long time but the price seemed a bit much until I did a track day and now that I am a little more aggressive on the road/and now on the track I plan on using my boots all the time.
 
Move the lever so it fits the boot I have to do this between my TXC shoes and my rain boots so its normal. As said give them time to break in.

[steve45058]

My boots should be at my house today ...http://www.amazon.com/Spidi-XP3-S-Street-Motorcycle-Boots/dp/B008AFJM24?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 
I got them for $100 bucks not sure why they were that cheep might have lucked out.
 
I have some TXC shoes and love them but I don't think they are up to par on protection but better than sneakers. I wanted boots for a long time but the price seemed a bit much until I did a track day and now that I am a little more aggressive on the road/and now on the track I plan on using my boots all the time.
 
Move the lever so it fits the boot I have to do this between my TXC shoes and my rain boots so its normal. As said give them time to break in.

Haha newby question, but can you explain how you adjust the lever?  

[weazsel]

To answer OP's question you do NOT have to get used to that. I wear Icon Raiden boots. Love them. When I first got the bike I took it back to the dealer because I thought something was wrong with the shifter. My boot was resting under the shifter putting upward pressure on it. It was uncomfortable as hell and hard to shift.
 
I'm at work otherwise I'd take a picture for you. There's a clamp on the transmission (?) spline which is attached to the shift linkage. Loosen that, pull it off and raise the shift lever up a little higher. Make sure to line up the clamp so you don't strip anything. Push it down and tighten down the clamp. (not sure if there's a torque spec) Rinse and repeat until it's comfortable for you. After I did that it was SO much better.
 
Edit: Coarse adjustment - clamp on spline. Fine adjustment - linkage rod.

[goloso]

Do you see the rod that connects the foot lever to the gearbox?
It has two nuts, one on each side. Loose a bit both of them and you will be able to turn the rod. By turning the rod you rise or lower the lever. Tighten back the nuts and done.

[bmwpowere36m3]

I wear A-Stars SMX-3... above the ankle, below the calf.  Better than the old work boots I was wearing, but not quite the Gaerne SG-10s I rock when off-roading.

[steve45058]

To answer OP's question you do NOT have to get used to that. I wear Icon Raiden boots. Love them. When I first got the bike I took it back to the dealer because I thought something was wrong with the shifter. My boot was resting under the shifter putting upward pressure on it. It was uncomfortable as hell and hard to shift. 
I'm at work otherwise I'd take a picture for you. There's a clamp on the transmission (?) spline which is attached to the shift linkage. Loosen that, pull it off and raise the shift lever up a little higher. Make sure to line up the clamp so you don't strip anything. Push it down and tighten down the clamp. (not sure if there's a torque spec) Rinse and repeat until it's comfortable for you. After I did that it was SO much better.

 

Do you see the rod that connects the foot lever to the gearbox? It has two nuts, one on each side. Loose a bit both of them and you will be able to turn the rod. By turning the rod you rise or lower the lever. Tighten back the nuts and done.

Thanks guys I really figured this was the case, just because these boots were so highly regarded.  I just wanted to make sure that like these boots weren't good for the FZ07 or something lol!  I will stick with these and continue breaking them in

[bmwpowere36m3]

Don't forget one nut is LH-thread...

[jake]

Do you see the rod that connects the foot lever to the gearbox? It has two nuts, one on each side. Loose a bit both of them and you will be able to turn the rod. By turning the rod you rise or lower the lever. Tighten back the nuts and done.

I just take out the one bolt in the bottom of the linkage pull off the arm and move the whole arm. In my video it show what I'm talking about when removing the sprocket cover.  

 

[twowheeladdict]

It is all good until you crash. Then you will be glad you have motorcycle boots that protect your sensitive ankle.
 
Personally, I would never wear anything with exposed laces on a motorcycle. To much risk of getting something caught, even something as simple as trying to put your foot down.
 
Once you get used to riding in quality gear, you feel exposed when wearing less.
 
The shifter, clutch, and brake levers are all adjustable for a reason. Proper setup makes riding much more enjoyable and safer.

[Jeckler]

I ride with SMX-1's, similar to the OP, but over the ankle. I did have to adjust the shift linkage due to the extra thickness. Can't stand riding in regular shoes now.

[sorkyah]

started off on this bike with a set of lightweight tactical boots from bates,
They were great until i tried on a pair of a-stars smx 1's
I liked the feel but couldnt get over the feeling of not having the ankle coverage...
Got the smx 3's perfect fit...but i had the same issue as OP... had to adjust the shift linkage angle and the linkage almost 1" to fit the new boots

[chewbakkah]

I have alpinestars SMX-1 vented boots. They're right above the ankle and SUPER comfy. I have wide feet and didn't think they'd fit but they're perfect. I prefer to ride in them because of the stiffness of the sole, makes it really easy to stand up on the pegs. I actually leave my work shoes in my desk and wear the boots to work.

[jerryv]

i got these and love them:
 
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/tcx-x-square-sport-wp-boots?utm_source=product&kwd=&gclid=CIrEs-DAgs4CFcQehgod3XcIew

[ddog]

The majority of riding specific boots, even lower end ones, tend to have better ankle protection and a better toe box for ease of getting under the shifter lever. I wouldn't ride in anything that doesn't have a very secure closure and a high top, but that's just me. Nothing with velcro for sure. Even if it's good from the start it will wear out after a few thousand miles and start to pull apart.

[Guest 2wheeler]

As a new street rider, I wanted a good/safe set of boots. I did my research, and then started hitting Craigslist (big in DC) regularly. A couple of weeks ago I got a pair of used once AlpineStars S-MX5 boots for less than half price. I had decent enough boots already so I could be patient. Depending on where you live, you can get some great deals on motorcycle stuff/camping gear on Craigslist.