MXA TEAM TESTED: KITE PERFORMANCE FOOTPEGS

WHAT IS IT? Kite Performance footpegs are Italian-made, billet aluminum footpegs with replaceable steel teeth.

(1) Who is Kite? Kite Performance is an Italian moto company that makes a wide variety of billet aluminum hard parts, including hubs, triple clamps and a selection of colorful trickery in between. Kite products have only recently become available in the USA through the sole distribution of Dubya, a new importer for both Talon and Kite. MXA first discovered Kite when we tested Andrew Short’s KTM 350SXF. It had Kite hubs, which Roger DeCoster told us they had chosen for their light weight.

(2) Construction. Kite pegs are hard-anodized, aircraft-grade, 2024 billet aluminum platforms with horseshoe-shaped, stainless steel, serrated-tooth inserts. The inserts are held in place by the overlapping heads of four Allen screws. Most aftermarket footpegs are 57mm wide, and Kite’s pegs follow suit. That is 10mm wider than many stockers. Our pair of Kite pegs weighed 2.6 ounces less than the steel KTM pegs.

(3) Mud. Aluminum pegs must utilize more material to achieve the strength of steel, which can mean less open space for mud to escape. For aluminum pegs, Kite’s are slim and open. The teeth are tall, which also helps. The pegs do not, however, have positive draft (a funnel shape that gets wider at the bottom to allow mud to be pushed out by downward pressure from the rider’s boot). The Kite pegs don’t accumulate excessive mud, but they would be better with positive draft.

(4) Performance. A wide platform and sharp teeth are a sure recipe for a solid feel on the bike. Aluminum pegs can be very resistant to damage in certain types of impacts and vulnerable in others, so strength is a trade-off. We recommend never using aluminum in any boulder-smashing offroad conditions (like Endurocross), and we recommend that you periodically inspect the pegs for damage. A gouge in the aluminum can be a weak point that fractures in the future.

(5) Applications. You can buy Kite pegs for your KTM, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki or Husqvarna. There are two or three different colors available for each brand, with one option always being silver.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? We had three complaints: (1) The screws holding the serrated teeth were difficult to remove and to round off. Be very careful to use the correct-size Allen wrench. Don’t misplace the spare bolts that come with the pegs, either; you’ll need them. (2) The replacement teeth are identical to the ones already in the footpeg. This is a wasted opportunity to provide a different height or type of tooth. (3) The material is aluminum, but the price tag has Ti written all over it.

The wide platform and sharp teeth felt great on the track, and the bright orange looked trick in the pits. But, we subtracted a star for the high price and recalcitrant teeth.