 Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,337
Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,337 |
Ma, oh man. I really like the SM. Its got a great vibe, handles good, and rides good (with a full progressive suspension upgrade). It's a bit underpowered, but you get used to that. What I can;t seem to get past is the way it torques my back. I've got 3 bulging discs and a cracked vertebra. I've tried the stock drag bars, some bent bars with a little rise (like T100 bars), buckhorns, and now a set 8" mini apes. I've not been out with latest mini apes, but just sitting in the garage it doesn't look good for the home team. The low bars feel the best on my back and neck where the bulging discs are but with the feet forward as they are it kills my lower back where the cracked little bugger is. The taller bars feel good on the lower, but the vertical loading kills the bulging discs. I've ridden the new ST and a Tiger for about a half hour each, and that riding position was really nice. My dealer has his demo coming up for sale. It is an 07 St in red with ABS, a can and programming, and a taller shield. He said I could have it for $9. It's a great deal- especially with the 3.9%, but I just don't know...
I'd have to trade the SM in. I really want to put a hack on it and take the kids out in a couple years. I think that would be big fun with them. Someone talk me out of getting the ST. I really don;t need to go into more debt.
2002 Bandit 1200/ GSXR cams/ 1277 BB Kit/ Holeshot header and can/ 38mm flatslides/ a good head/lotsa hp/lotsa tq- lots of rear tires...
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 370
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 370 |
2003 Red and Black Speedy. What do I want to change on my bike next????
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 664
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 664 |
Maybe you should start thinkin about a Rocket. My local dealer has an '04 with 1500 miles on it for $10,900. Or a '06 Sprint (2 - 1 red, 1 blue for w/ bags) for $8500.
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 885 Likes: 2
3/4 Throttle
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3/4 Throttle
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 885 Likes: 2 |
I had the same problems with back pain on my Speedmaster until I got a corbin seat with backrest. The backrest makes a world of difference..
Cheers,
Brad
To be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid.
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,693 Likes: 22
Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,693 Likes: 22 |
A Thunderbird just sold here for $3000. How bout a conventional used bike for a little bit of money? Then you can keep the SM.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3
Old Hand
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Old Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3 |
Try an America. Those bars and seat just might do the trick, and the change isn't that hard.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 20
Complete Newb
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Complete Newb
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 20 |
I had the same problem after back surgery last July, the feet forward position of my Speedmaster was uncomfortable. I bought an 07 Tiger last month and I'm amazed at the power, handling, braking and comfort. I say go for the ST or a Tiger. I'm keeping the Speedmaster too, but most of my rides will be on the Tiger.
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 188
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 188 |
I had the same back pain problem on my America and bought a Sprint also last year (it was a 98). The good news is the back pain went away but the bad news is that it was killer on my hands and wrists. Ended up selling the Sprint.
I test rode a new Sprint with the higher bars and they were better, but hands still started to hurt after about an hour. Haven't taken the tiger out long enough to comment but seems like it might work better. Insurance on a new Sprint is also WAY higher than the tiger or any of the twins.
What I have now is the best of both worlds - a regular Bonneville with genmar bar risers and rearset pegs. Seems strange but the rearsets keep the pressure off the back and the risers keep the pressure off the hands. Plus I get the lower insurance of a non-faired bike and the ease of maintence of the air cooled twin.
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457 |
Quote:
Would mid mount controls help any????
Our seats are really too low for mid controls unless you have really short legs. I put a set of mid pegs on mine hoping for back pain relief. With feet forward and short suspension travel, potholes and railroad tracks would wreck my back for days. Although it does give me place to move my feet to on long trips, it didn't miraculously convert my America into a tourer. Lower, shorter bars helped quite a bit. When sitting straight up, road shocks would travel right up my spine, agravating my bulging disks.
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 513
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 513 |
I've got a L-4 fracture from '91'. I have put about 7kmiles on a SM with the stock roadster (similar to gunfighter) seat and 17kmiles on the TBA since Dec 05.
The SM setup was better on my overall back situation in that my upper spine seemed to have less stress. The TBA with the wide factory pullback bars seems to put me in a more comfortable riding position but my upper back seems to take more stress from those hard bumps and dipps. I have all the factory suspension with my rear shocks set to the 3rd position preload.
I think that R3 Classic style floorboards just behind the current forward pegs would help a great deal.
I seem to have more problem with butt burn than spine pains. I attribute this to the TBA seat being a little to small for my body size.
The TBA is great for everyday ridin' but for the long term and cross country I'm opting for the Rocket III Classic. (sometime in the future.) I'm 6'4" 300+Lbs and the big saddle on the R3 more suits my butt, frame and weight for the long haul. Still love ridin' those SM and TBAs though.
Not to get off topic but the answer may be relative to the original topic but what exactly is the benefit of the progressive rear shocks and springs for the front shocks?
Its more fun to be ridin'! I'm still ridin 
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 395
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 395 |
You could try the floor boards,that way your feet are flat and you can change your rideing possition alittle on long rides.
"Big" Jack Wilson
Mishawaka,IN.
2010 Thunderbird
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Quote:
Would mid mount controls help any????
I think Steve's suggestion is definitely worth looking into, Bryan. It could be a coincidence(of aging), but I TOO had no back problems until I bought my BA over 6 years ago, and now it "goes out" regularly if I don't do my stretching exercises almost daily. It IS this feet-forward riding position, with all the weight of your torso RIGHT ON your tailbone that is often the cause of this. Case closed!
And this is why a few years ago I designed and built a set of mid-mounted peg which sit about mid-thigh as I sit on my BA. But because they have no control units attached to them I still have to move my feet back forward whenever I wish to change gears or use the rear brake.
Quote:
Our seats are really too low for mid controls unless you have really short legs. I put a set of mid pegs on mine hoping for back pain relief. With feet forward and short suspension travel, potholes and railroad tracks would wreck my back for days. Although it does give me place to move my feet to on long trips, it didn't miraculously convert my America into a tourer. Lower, shorter bars helped quite a bit. When sitting straight up, road shocks would travel right up my spine, agravating my bulging disks.
And Lon is correct TOO, but what I also did was to add about two inches of foam to my seat, so when I use my mid-pegs my legs are not bent more than 90 degrees at the knees.
What I can never understand in a millions years around here is why everybody seemingly wants to sit even lower than a stock BA or speedy affords already and so they cut down their seats! What?! Is that a "cooler look" or somethin'???!!!
Well, I certaining hope IF it's NOT done because their inseam is less than 26 inches(mine's 33", BTW), I sure hope for their sake that the people who think that particular look is "so cool" never start suffering from back pain or they TOO will come to this same little "epiphany" as you and I have come to!
Last edited by Dwight; 02/19/2008 8:37 PM.
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,630 Likes: 7
Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,630 Likes: 7 |
Backrest and floorboards. The backrest eliminated the sore back and the floorboards made long rides much more comfortable. Now with an Airhawk seat cushion a 1000 mile day is not out of the question.
We all like to think of ourselves as rugged individualists. But when push comes to shove most of us are sheep who do what we are told. Worst of all, a lot of us become unpaid agents of whoever is controlling the agenda by enforcing the current dogma on the few rugged individualists who actually exist.
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Re: Thinking of making a change
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,463
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,463 |
I'm in the middle of thinking of things that help my back. I've got a problem with L5 disk, the one that when it's moved it puts pain down my right leg. I walked with a limp till last week....that's how I know.
I've got a spare America seat, and I've bought a memory foam pillow that I'm gonna cut up and use in the seat. I don't seam to be having a problem with the America's riding position, but I haven't gone that far yet - but then I'm not supposed to be riding yet. I'm hopong the memory foam stops a lot of the vibrations going up to my back.
Some Irony...I bought the seat to play with - before my back was bad. Now it's just bought the need to do something with it forward.
Gina
03 America - Pretty stock - except the TBS wheel... 
06 America - missing, presumed in bits. With it's TBS wheel... 
09 America - It's very blue....
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