| Author | Message | ||
     Corner_blitz |
I have never owned a bike before but would like to soon. I injured my neck and back, similar to whiplash, about 8 years ago. I am wondering if anyone else has had or knows someone with a similar injury because I wonder how/if the ride would be affected by my neck. I'm young, so I like the look of the Firebolt and other sport bikes, but I don't know if those would be more uncomfortable than something like a Harley with a more upright seating position. If anyone has any advice/thoughts on this, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. | ||
| Sgthigg |
HOw about a XBS? It is more up right than the XBR. | ||
| Guell |
they make bare risers for the firebolt. It would help with the riding position. | ||
| Dfishman |
I hurt my back at 21.I am now 46.The Uly is way more comfy & easy on my back than the Harley cruisers.I had a tuber{x1}before the Uly.I put blast bars on it to ease the pain.It helped some,but nowhere near the comfort of the Uly. | ||
| Captain_mark |
In 2002 I had a surfing accident in Costa Rica which ended up having to have CV5, CV6, and CV7 heavily worked on and fused with a titanium plate, six screws and bone from my hip. Yes I have neck, shoulder and back pain. I thought my riding days were over. I bought a Uly last August because people told me It was more upright and comfortable. I have nearly 8000 miles on it since and it is the most comfortable bike I have ever owned. Now, over 80 you get blasted but you can get an optional wind screen which is 4" taller than the standard. | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Also take into consideration your height. The tanks on these Buells are not a long as jap bikes. With me being 5'7 I don't have to stretch too far to grab the bars. Due to playing football for so many years I have various battle wounds that I thought would affect me because of the position I'm in on the firebolt. All is well and obviously if your taller than me you would have a better reach but your knees would be more flexed than mine. My brother rides a fat boy. This bike is extremely comfortable. | ||
| Bill0351 |
Good luck with your search. It's hard to generalize about something like this. I have had trouble with lower back and shoulder pain for the last 10 years. My last three bikes have been a Sportster standard, a Roadking, and an M2 Cyclone. The Sportster was fairly comfortable and never made the condition worse or better. You would think the RK would have been the best, but it was hard on my lower back. Of the three, the Cyclone is the best of all. I borrow my friend's GSXR750 every now and then, and that is something I doubt I could deal with every day. The M2 seems to be the perfect balance for me. If you take the Rider's Edge course at the HD dealer, you will get to see what a Blast feels like. As soon as you have that license in your hand, test ride every single bike the dealer has on stock. I can't remember being refused a test ride on anything in the used inventory, and if they know you are serious about buying, you should be able to climb on some new ones as well. I hope you find a bike that suits you. Since the first time I took a spin on a friend's mini-bike I as hooked. There may not be a better motorcycling deal around than a used Buell. Bill | ||
| Etennuly |
I've had surgery on my lower back and was asking the same questions five years ago. The Ulysses has been awesome for me, not only for the upright seating but the long suspension sucks up the bumps so my body doesn't have to. Many people have wanted me to set my suspension to stiffer settings to better match my weight, but I have it softer for personal reasons. | ||
| Spiderman |
Hey Corner! First off how active are you? Sports, working out, etc. I used to have a lot of lower back pain but a physical therapist and lots of hockey and weight training I only experience it once in a great while. YMMV but physical therapists rock IMHO | ||
| Trac95ker |
I'm about as messed up as a soup sandwich. Try renting a Firebolt for a day. Make sure the suspension is setup on the soft side too. If you don't pay attention to this and it's to harsh, you may get a bad impression. Buy a light weight helmet. I find that I can ride a Firebolt no problem but it's the amount of riding time that affects me more. I also find the leaned forward position more comfortable on my back because I can support myself easier. Even if you can only ride for an hour or two at a time , it's still worth it. I also find that my back can handle a certain amount of abuse before things go haywire. What can you do to improve your situation so you can ride? Maybe a brace, exercise, ice, stretching, suspension adjustment, will power. Sometimes I carry ice packs with me. On the occasional long trip, I can rest on my extra tall tank bag! | ||
| Bott |
i've had 3 lower back ops, the last was a triple fusion with rods and plates. i have a 2000 m2 with low superbike bars. as someone else said,the lower bars let my arms take some weight off my back and makes it bearable,although about an hour is the longest i can go. smiling the whole hour.just test ride all and every model you can, and see what works for your situation. | ||
| Slaughter |
Ask your doctor or Physical Therapist to work with you. I had to go through some very specific exercises in my PT after one of my accidents because of my back injuries. Took about a year of very purposeful exercises with the guidance of the physical therapist. Still, long rides bug me in my upper back (and left wrist). Racing, I'm never in the saddle more than 20-45 minutes and I never seem to notice. I cracked C7, T1 (no spinal cord damage) and broke the 2 attached ribs at those locations. Kinda miserable for the first year. I was very insistent in going through my recovery that I be able to race and had my PT program setup largely on that basis. (Message edited by slaughter on March 24, 2008) | ||
| Corner_blitz |
Thanks for all the suggestions  | ||
| Buellish |
Leaning your torso foward might not be as much of a problem as tilting your head up to see through the face shield,in terms of a sport bike riding position. He was after all talking about a wiplash injury. | ||
| 4cammer |
My back pain went away after a season on my XB9R. Think I used muscles I had not for 20 years.... True story. | ||
| Dwardo |
I herniated C7 a couple of years ago and it doesn't really give me much trouble but I'm paranoid about it. When I got my M2 I found that the bars were just a little too low for me (I'm very tall and long in the trunk) so I got a 1" riser from American Sport Bike and recently a Pegasus seat. These make the bike much more comfortable for me. Also, the Buell Traction Grips are nice. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
unless you get an electric glide, you won't get the comfort on most harleys like you would on most of the buells. just my opinion. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
If you are set on getting a sports bike. I would do a of lower back training and abs, lower abs (leg lifts) to help you on your way to fun riding. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Good luck and welcome Corner blitz! Probably the best advice I've heard is to try and rent some different bikes. Some parts of your body are going to hurt anyway until you get used to riding. Without a decent windshield your neck will probably hurt until you build up the muscles. I have the same type of 'whiplash' injuries. Stretching out on a long bike seems to make it worse. I usually wear an electric vest now below 75 degrees as it helps keep the pain away. Windshields are for cars (I do fine without one). Regardless of the advice, motorcycling is like sex. You wont care whats going on or what hurts, it feels to good to stop! | ||
| Corner_blitz |
hadn't thought of an electric vest before, that's a good idea as I love the heated seats in my car. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Some have collars, some dont. The collar is great for keeping the neck warm but tends to get in the way of helmets buckles and can really bulk up the neck area in cold weather if you add something like a neck warmer, bandana or have a jacket with a thick collar (anyway, bulking up the neck area aggravates my condition.Maybe I have a short neck) | ||
| Spectra |
I BROKE MY BACK IN OCTOBER 07' ( TRUCK RAN A RED LIGHT )I RIDE A 08' ULY EVERYDAY AND LOVE IT | ||
| Teddagreek |
I have Budging disks from my accident on my bike.. That being said you need find the bike and ergos that will suit you.. rent some bikes and see how you like each one.. Good Luck.... | ||
| Danny_h__jesternut |
Mostly I leave the pain in the neck home where she belongs when I ride. Whats that DEAR, one moment please, I'll be right there,....... gota go. | ||
| Old_man |
The bent forward position on most sportbikes may cause a problem with your neck because your head must be in a backward position in order to see. I have an XB9S with 1 inch bar risers and find this a very comfortable position that puts me in a natural posture and causes me no discomfort. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
One things for sure...there's no shortage of 'bikers' with neck and back problems!!! Leave the pain in the neck at home LOL! | ||
| Sparky |
An enduro accident in the mid 70's messed up my shoulder and has resulted in occasional back and neck muscle cramps. So I always carry a couple aspirins, ibuprofens & tylenols in my jacket just in case an ache develops on a long ride and starts to be distracting. Usually, though, the thrill and excitement of riding is enough to circulate the feel-good endorphins that nullify nearly all riding discomforts for me. |
