Neck Problems & LD Riding - How do you cope?

I can say that when I first got my ST this year (new to me) I was having right shoulder/neck trouble. I'm not sure if you have a back rest but it seemed to help my condition a great deal. After a month of fairly consistent higher speed riding I had no more pain. I do have a carbon helmet which if very light. I do suffer from the buffeting but I haven't had a neck problem, knock wood. Perhaps with your type of injuries it would not help, just a suggestion to possibly try.

The helmet I have is a Kaos carbon. I don't claim it to be great, but it is really light and low price. No doubt much better helmets exist but for $300 it was hard to pass up. Excellent fit and very comfortable. I'd say a little noisy likely but have no comparators.

The back rest means I don't have to hold myself forward under acceleration and can relax my arms more. I also use a throttle lock for "cruise" and find the ability to move either arm and relax a big help too. The discs I have herniated are in my lower back, not neck, so again I don't claim that this will help, but might. I bought something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-ST1300-Drivers-Backrest-or-Passenger-your-choice-/380734453538 and then had it re-worked to about half the thickness to allow a little more backrest to tank room.

Good luck.

I ride year round and I have realized that, during the summer, my neck pain is just about nonexistent. The reason is the jacket is FG mesh. The collar is much thinner and lower, the back of my Arai does not even touch the collar. My FG Kili has a taller and thicker collar and the pain returns. if I could find a 3 season jacket with a collar more like the mesh, life would be much better.



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The last week or so has seen significant improvement from physical therapy. Using some advice I got from my therapist concerning riding, I'm in route to the RTE in Nacona, TX. Almost there. Key was stopping every hour or so and doing neck exercises. Wahoo! 350 mi one way. Will probably have to make the return trip an overnighter. We'll see.

Great news, enjoy

Doodaa said:

Great news, enjoy

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Thanks. Did 700 mile round trip for the RTE. Did just fine stopping every hour and a half or so but should have stopped at mile 450 to 500 and got a motel for the night. Kinda over did it. Couldn't help myself because it felt so good to be riding again. The neck's a little sore & stiff but not too bad. A little PT tonight and tomorrow should iron it out.

From what friends who've gone through this tell me, I'll probably need the operation at some point so I guess I better get as much riding in as I can before that day comes.

Good to hear. You never know your limits unless you exceed them once in awhile. I don't know if you do it or not, but icing really helps. I like to drink Diet Coke at places that allow free refills. After drinking my soda, I refill the cup with all ice. Carry a ziplock and then ice your neck. Makes a BIG difference for me

Twelve years ago I had a discectomy/fusion to fix a herniated disk between C4 and C5. It took several months and an MRI to diagnose the herniated disk which was causing pain in my right arm severe enough to prevent me from sleeping through the night. Before the surgery I was in pain and when I woke up there was no pain other than my right hip were they took some bone for the fusion. Have not had any recurring pain or neck issues since then and have ridden over 150K miles on a Honda Nighthawk/ST1100/ST1300.

Listen to your doctors and make an informed choice between physical therapy and surgery. I have been casually looking at new bikes and may add a Wee-Strom to join my ST1300. I rode to Newfoundland this Summer on the ST with no issues.

[QUOTE;1679592]MICK Good to hear things are getting better...Hows the helmet?[/quote]

My Shoei RF1100 did just fine and caused no problems as far as I know. I hope that remains the case as I don't want to have to buy another helmet if I can away with it. There are two things I find hard to get the right fit in... helmets and gloves. Don't want to have to go through the trial and error of an new helmet.

Also didn't experience any turbulence to speak of. I had the windscreen all the way down, to just 1" above all the way down.

I will be do w n Houston in Dec, without bike, but maybe meet up have acoffee?

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Sounds great Valkman! I'd like to meet you. Give me a PM when the time comes.

Anybody want to trade necks? .

Christmas day I decided to do short run down the Interstate (~250 mi RT) to break in my new Sargent Saddle. From the minute I got on the open road I was getting a little bit of buffeting from gusty, cross winds. My original plan was to stop every hour or so and do a few neck stretches but I got lazy and let the threat of impending rain convince me to not stop at all. Big mistake. Woke up the next morning with a stiff, painful neck and fingers on both hands slightly numb and tingling (it's never happened to more than one hand before). It took me 4 weeks of 3 times a day, home physical therapy to work out the damage I did on my Christmas run.

Since Christmas, I have done 2 rides, one of 175 miles (RT) and the other at 200. On both days I made sure that the forecasted wind speed was 10 mph or less. On both I stayed on secondary roads, stayed at the speed limit (55 to 70 mph), and stopped every hour or so for 5 minutes of neck exercises. Things went great on the 175 mile run and only a slight amount of discomfort on the 200 miler. The next time we get a break in the weather, I'm going to try a 250 mile run. These are depressingly short runs for someone who use to do 500 to 800 miles per day for 2 to 3 weeks in a row.

For me, it seems that buffeting is the killer. I was thinking today that maybe I should get a Goldwing with its big barn door windscreen to eliminate the buffeting but then I re-read the thread and saw that Nashcat tried a wing and had the same problem as he did with the ST, so another bike is out. Guess the only solution is to trailer the bike but then that kind of defeats the purpose of a motorcycle trip. Pfft!

Oh well, no questions or any great revelations to add to this thread. Just had to vent.

Mick, after having C5-C6 replaced back in 04, I find the need to stop more often than I used to just to give the neck a little rest with a couple of 360 degree rotations. Helps. But now not riding because of this damn accident back last Oct and still 11 weeks to go with casts on the right hand. But, hopefully, someday will get back at it?? Time will only tell how I react to the latest??

Mick said:

Anybody want to trade necks? .

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I DO I DO!!! C4,5,6,7 T1 fuse with titanium Everyone is different but for me being leaned forward looking slightly up is not doable for very long so I recently purchased a bike that is more upright.

gmast1100 said:

Mick, after having C5-C6 replaced back in 04, I find the need to stop more often than I used to just to give the neck a little rest with a couple of 360 degree rotations. Helps. But now not riding because of this damn accident back last Oct and still 11 weeks to go with casts on the right hand. But, hopefully, someday will get back at it?? Time will only tell how I react to the latest??

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Is your soft cast off yet? Seems I read in one of your posts that you felt you'd be riding in June?? It's only a few months away but I know from experience that it feels like forever! In 2010, 11, & 12, I missed winter & spring riding because of shoulder operations. It was really maddening only being able to go out in the garage & just stare at my bikes! It was like they were angry at me for not taking them out.

As to the occasional stopping, it definitely means I won't be able to make the kind of daily mileage I'm use to. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can figure out a way to ride long distances again but the latest revelation about the wind and turbulence has me wondering how I'm going to pull it off. I don't think I've ever been on a trip where I didn't encounter gusty winds somewhere. Oh well, the book's not closed yet. Gotta keep trying to find a way to make it happen.

Muchmore said:

I DO I DO!!! C4,5,6,7 T1 fuse with titanium Everyone is different but for me being leaned forward looking slightly up is not doable for very long so I recently purchased a bike that is more upright.

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Holy cow Danny!...what is all that?? Looks like barbed wire.

As for forward leaning, it definitely helps that I have the MCL Gen III risers on the ST. The Bandit is another story though. I've got 2" Rox risers on it but it definitely still has me leaning forward more than on the ST. May not matter anyway because I'm close to making a decision on whether to put it up for sale next month. Really don't want to but no use having a bike that's going to be uncomfortable for my neck and that I would seldom ride. Dang I'm gonna miss that Bandit's engine if I sell it!

Mick said:

Holy cow Danny!...what is all that?? Looks like barbed wire.

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HA! It does look like barbed wire or a pocket watch Mine is all titanium and I found after neck surgery or fusion that all of my movement come from right above and below the fusion so in the afternoon, about 3pm like clockwork. Stretching and movement is all that works for me, sittings still, starring at computer screens gives me shoulder/neck pain so I just need to move around. Long rides really are no problem for me as long as I get to keep my freedom. It took a LONG time to get here though, but my circumstances were a little different I think.

Mick said:

Is your soft cast off yet? Seems I read in one of your posts that you felt you'd be riding in June?? It's only a few months away but I know from experience that it feels like forever

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Soft cast is coming off Thursday and then hard cast for 10 weeks and hopefully I'll be done. That will mean 2 braces, 3 hard casts, and 1 soft cast in the past 7 months. I've waited long enough!!