[Noth]

I have a Bearcat Backrest on my 650.. I have never really had any lower back issues.. Upper back & shoulder.. yes. but lower back was always fine..

A week ago.. I took the interstate 2 hours + from Boston to New Haven ( I-95 for those that care) .. rain.. lots of traffic.. top speed via GPS 89 MPH.. but flow of traffic.. I got off the bike and could hardly stand up.. agony.. all week my brother & I drove to SW Michigan to do things for our elderly Mom.. rented a car an Infinity.. Low bucket seats.. and agony to get in and out..
I bought a back brace.. better.. sort of.. and yesterday rode the 2+ hours back up.. Agony !! My back never really recovered from the 1st situation..Just feels like tight muscles in my lower back that won't get better.. so back home last night (up I-95 2+ hours).. .. used the back brace all the way..I put heat on it last night I can hardly stand up.. wondering if others have had this happen & what I can do.. I Posted this in the 650 section as it may be related to the 650 ergonomics? It's completely new to me and I'm worried that my riding days are over.. This suckS !!

 

[momule]

Rather than find a way to blame the bike I would suggest you try a doctor. I don't know how old you are but typically riding long distance will aggravate an existing problem rather than cause a new one. Welcome to my world

I have osteoarthritis in my right hip and knee and am a candidate for hip/knee replacement but am scared to death of going under the knife. Aleve helps and there are some prescription antiinflamitories that work wonders...anything with NSAID in it. I'm going to ride until I can't walk anymore...you get used to the pain but you should let a doctor diagnose what is going on so that you can intelligently assess your risks.

Good luck to you

 

[MarilynsPrince]

I agree...Doctor first. Then, it may just be a matter of getting a better back support (for you). The Bearcat Backrest is a good one. But there is no such thing as "what works for one, works for everyone". I tried a 3Brothers back rest, and it didn't work for me. So I sold it and bought a Utopia back rest. What a difference. I injured my low back severely years ago, and the spasms and pain after riding an hour or two would kill me off. With the Utopia, I have riden 800 miles in one day and only been mildly sore for a few minutes after getting off the bick. It is higher and wider than the others I have seen. It is also adjustable when riding. I find it keeps me more stable when leaning, and also with any wind buffeting. I also added a Clearview XL windshield that reduces wind buffeting. I have had a lot of bikes over the years, and I love the Burgman for everything it does for me.

 

[Dave_J]

Hey, I played Doctor when I was a kid.

DR. Dave says do as said above. But do not use heat. ICE pack muscle injury's. Heat makes blood flow but if the muscles are swollen the blood can not flow out. Ice make a bunch of differance. Ice packs with a towel so as not to burn and move it around some.

 

[Noth]

Good advice for the ice. Thanks.. Not "blaming" the bike at all...Just wondering about similar pain is all.. I was just thionking about the doctor.. but , no doubt, by the time they see me (3 weeks) I'll be better.. I have ridden longer without this issue so I find it realy odd & bothersome.. I am hoping it is a one time thing.

 

[Buffalo]

Your back pain may have just been because of the stressful riding environment you were in. Riding in the rain at high speeds with lots of traffic you were probably pretty tense. That could have induced strain in your lower back resulting in the pain you experienced.

 

[DandyDoug]

I have been off the bike for almost 4 weeks now due to low back and sciatica pain. Went to the doctor , he prescribed a pain med and a muscle relaxer. No luck , no improvement.

I felt a bit better yesterday and rode the bike to do some errands in town. I could hardly stand or walk afterward
I plan to go see a chiropractor after the government send me my check this month , if they are still in business

I have one of the Izuzzu backrests , and have tried to adjust it forward by changing the length of the tube over the metal rods. I am pretty short so i thought moving me forward a little might help. No luck

I just cannot get comfortable on the bike , so it's up for sale.
I will ride it occasionally until sold, but at 69 I believe i am done. Started riding at 12 years so I'd call that a good run.

 

[Noth]

Buffalo.. That's exactly what I figured.. and yes I was very tense.. Traffic on I-95 between Boston and New Haven is no joke in a car let alone on a bike.. and Dandy that's exactly what I worry about.. I'll be 64 in a month and I do not have any provision for being laid up in my plans..

As I type, I have an ice pack in my back brace.. I'm gonna take a walk.. "they" say the worst hing you can do for a back is to baby it.. so I'm not going to do that..

 

[DandyDoug]

My doc gave me a set of exercises to help strengthen my low back and I do them every day, twice if i can stand the additional aggravation. It does help , plus i have always been a walker . Hardly a day goes by the i do not go outside and walk the hills in my neighborhood . If the weather is too bad I walk on the tread mill.
My theory is; if you stop moving, you really stop moving !!

Good luck with your problem.

 

[Buffalo]

Noth I'm your age and don't plan to give riding any time soon.

I do exercise to strengthen my lower back and stomach muscles. Stomach muscles have a lot to do with keeping your back healthy.

 

[TheReaper]

3 words , stretch stretch stretch ! Got an inversion table ? If not buy a good one .

TheReaper!

 

[DougInKY]

I hurt my lower back years ago lifting my son out of the back of the car when he was little (he now has a son of his own that is bigger than he was back then). It has given me problems off and on all these years. Now that I am in my 60's, I have found that if I want to ride one of my motorcycles I have to wear a brace of some kind any time I am riding (I wear a Back-A-Line). Big difference, lots of pain post ride if I forget it, no pain if I wear it.

My orthopedic doctor tells me that almost everyone has back troubles by the time they are in their 50's. He says it just goes with the design of the human body. Try to find something (a brace, exercise, or even surgery) to help OR take your complaints up with the designer...

Namaste'
Doug in Kentucky

 

[tonylee5566]

I have been off the bike for almost 4 weeks now due to low back and sciatica pain. Went to the doctor , he prescribed a pain med and a muscle relaxer. No luck , no improvement.

I felt a bit better yesterday and rode the bike to do some errands in town. I could hardly stand or walk afterward
I plan to go see a chiropractor after the government send me my check this month , if they are still in business

I have one of the Izuzzu backrests , and have tried to adjust it forward by changing the length of the tube over the metal rods. I am pretty short so i thought moving me forward a little might help. No luck

I just cannot get comfortable on the bike , so it's up for sale.
I will ride it occasionally until sold, but at 69 I believe i am done. Started riding at 12 years so I'd call that a good run.

i also have the Izuzzu backrests

 

[military1]

Im 38 years old shattered my right lower leg in 2000. Six surgeries later I have a leg 3/4 inch shorter than the left leg. So now I have my hips out of balance big time. I have deployed 3 times to combat zones since 2003 and wearing body armor weighing in at another 50 pounds doesn't exactly help your back out. My question do they make a full backrest for the Burgman that supports more of your middle to upper back area? I feel like an old man asking this question!

 

[Noth]

Im 38 years old shattered my right lower leg in 2000. Six surgeries later I have a leg 3/4 inch shorter than the left leg. So now I have my hips out of balance big time. I have deployed 3 times to combat zones since 2003 and wearing body armor weighing in at another 50 pounds doesn't exactly help your back out. My question do they make a full backrest for the Burgman that supports more of your middle to upper back area? I feel like an old man asking this question!

I have a bearcat backrest.. do a search here.. supports mid back up well.. my back problem now is all lower.. from sitting in the same position for too long.. nt much can be done about that except to lose weight and strengthen my back

 

[Daboo]

As the others have said...go see a doctor.

A suggestion that might help you, or someone else. Look at your riding posture. It seems like most Burgman riders want to lean back on the bike as if they are riding a cruiser. I tried that for about 2-3 days, and got a really uncomfortable back as a result. It looks cool, and seems like it should work. But every bump in the road that gets transferred to the bike...goes directly into your spine. If your back and stomach muscles aren't in top shape, they can't take that kind of pounding.

Every movement of the rear suspension is transferred to the rider's spine.

On the other hand, if you lean forward slightly, the movement of the rear portion of the bike moves your seat up and down, but the movement isn't transferred directly to the spine. The back pivots up and down instead.

An article in Sound Rider! magazine also offered a suggestion for riders with back pain. Take your thick wallet out of your back pocket. It can cause your spine to get twisted. Makes sense.

Chris

 

[Bakeisback]

I have extremely tight hamstrings... I suggest doing some stretching regularly. It is not exercise and it won't hurt anything. If I do not do my stretches, my back reminds me of it.

 

[NormanB]

I agree that medical advice should always be sought. However, notwithstanding that, there can be no doubt that good muscle tone can help and a set of physiotherapist approved exercise will improve matters.

 

[Marv]

I agree...Doctor first. Then, it may just be a matter of getting a better back support (for you). The Bearcat Backrest is a good one. But there is no such thing as "what works for one, works for everyone". I tried a 3Brothers back rest, and it didn't work for me. So I sold it and bought a Utopia back rest. What a difference. I injured my low back severely years ago, and the spasms and pain after riding an hour or two would kill me off. With the Utopia, I have riden 800 miles in one day and only been mildly sore for a few minutes after getting off the bick. It is higher and wider than the others I have seen. It is also adjustable when riding. I find it keeps me more stable when leaning, and also with any wind buffeting. I also added a Clearview XL windshield that reduces wind buffeting. I have had a lot of bikes over the years, and I love the Burgman for everything it does for me.

I also changed backrests from a Bearcat to a Utopia backrest. At first I had it set as low as possible and could not understand why I was having trouble with my lower back. It seems the Utopia backrest has an arc built into it and it was hitting my kidneys. After raising it the problem went away.

Years ago I had a Plymouth cage with a built in lumbar support that was adjustable. I could really notice the difference when it was pushed out and supported my lower back.

Have you tried riding with a kidney belt. They are very wide and would give your lower back support.

 

[westgl]

Exercise is not the issue, well not completely, if you start off with pain.

You say you have pain,

I know what it is like to Have back pain, knee pain ankle pain, or to have a back go out on you do to a sciatica nerve, while doing, or not doing anything, even sitting still, especially riding bikes.

I use to have pain also, all sorts of pain,

I had Pain every day, I started going to a Natural Doctor it is called Homeopathic Dotor,

She said, she knew what the problem was, But I was going to have to go in for a Blood test, to make sure.

I did, Vitamin D3, was extremely low, she said 99.9% of people in the USA are WAY, Way TO LOW!!!!!

You can Only get it from Sun light, you would have to lay out in the sun all day (in the summer) to get enough.

I started taking 10,000-iu a day, I am Cured,

Vitamin D3 will keep most of the cancers away as well.

I have, NO PAIN any where in my body, anymore.

My wife also had so much pain, she could not stan at the sink to do the dishes it was to painful,

she also started taking the vit. D3 all pain was gone worked in less than two weeks, she felt much better in a couple of days.

she recommended this over taking any calcium because calcium CANNOT be absorbed into the body.

But Vitamin D3 can, it is very easily absorbed by the body.

Vitamin D3 is Cheap!!!!!

And it does so much