I bought this some time ago and was surprised when I opened the packaging just how poor it really is, the paintwork whilst still good was very dull and lifeless looking, the finish on the castings was really rough and generally it just looked shabby. It wasn't rusty or had any corrosion on it at all, IMO that's just how they look, maybe the paint was better when it was brand new but if so age has really dulled it down. TBH I'd only bought the footrest for what I call the hero blob plate,(and of course I found the missing one after I bought it) this is a small plate that bolts to the bottom of the rubber footrest and has a small blob attached, it's commonly called these days a hero blob, the idea being that if you an get the bike that far over that these start to grind across the road surface you're a hero. Sad that isn't it. This plate is the main difference between the CB500K and the CB550F L/H footrests, I've had a CB550F L/H footrest fitted to my CB500K for many years and there is no difference in feel or location. I just liked the idea of saving the rubber from being scuffed to death on the road surface, I thought it looked unsightly and I'd rub them so badly they'd wear through to the steel pin inside.
So when I was getting some parts freshly powder coated I thought I'd spruce this footrest up, I stripped off all the dull paint, flatted the metal down so it looked smooth and had the pin and it's carrier done in gloss black. I didn't have the hero blob plate done. The rubber is of course still brand new, as are the screws that hold the plate on and the pivot pin. I have replaced the washer on the pin and the split pin with stainless steel ones, the split pin is now a stainless steel R clip. I still have the original washer and split pin and these will be included if you prefer the original look.
Here's a pic of a CMS footrest
And here's a pic of the one I'm selling.
The main advantage to fitting new is the way they hang, over time the pivot pin hole elongates and ovals, this allows the footrest to hang at a lower angle, follow another old bike and look at their footrests, it's very common to see them angling towards the ground so they don't sit at 90 degrees like they did when new. Also the pad on the footrest itself wears away due to the constant motion it's subjected to, only way to cure that is to have a blob of weld done and grind it back to shape, which is what I am doing with my own footrests.
You can see by the before and after pics how much brighter and fresher looking the newly powder coated one looks, not only does it look better but it will last far longer as well, no more unsightly rust forming within months of fitting. The pivot pin is a tight fit and has been well greased to stop any undue wear. The rubber has also has some lube on it so it will come off in the future with little problem when you need to replace the worn rubber.
CMS want £119 for this part, DS want £127 plus P&P and it's a special order.
I'll take £90 inc P&P and if you would prefer the hero blob plate to match the rest I'll replace it for one of mine done at the same time for £5 extra just to cover the cost of having the one fitted powder coated.
