Neck pain

[beemer01]

I'm your fairly standard run of the mill 53 year young biker - my current steed is a lovingly restored 85 K100RS.

I have barbacks in place with the stock bars - but find that after a few hundred miles I have a hard time turning my head much, because my neck gets stiff.

I've heard that another model's handlebars will solve the problem - which model do you guys suggest? Do you also recommend changing the brake line?

 

[PGlaves]

I'm your fairly standard run of the mill 53 year young biker - my current steed is a lovingly restored 85 K100RS.

I have barbacks in place with the stock bars - but find that after a few hundred miles I have a hard time turning my head much, because my neck gets stiff.

I've heard that another model's handlebars will solve the problem - which model do you guys suggest? Do you also recommend changing the brake line?

I can't speak for your neck - only mine, but I can recount my experience in a little detail. For years I rode my K75T - upright seating or what some call the sit up and beg position. Voni on the other hand rides with a more forward leaned position: stock R1100RS, R1100S (bars above the triple clamp), and K75S.

When I ride one of her bikes my torso is is a more leaned forward position and when I tilt my head slightly to level my line of sight with the horizon I have tilted my neck back slightly. If I ride one of her bikes for more than an hour or two I get stiffness in my neck and what I call a stinger right at the base of my neck. I have to deliberately press my chin toward my chest a few times to stretch it out and it goes away for a little while.

I now ride an R1150R. The bars in the stock position did about the same thing to my neck. I installed a set of bar risers that moved the centerline of the bars up 1-1/4 inches and back 3/8 inch. This just barely corrected the problem. I can now ride the bike long miles but after 500 or so I do occasionally get the stinger and have to do the stretching. I think if I had gone with the bars 1 inch back instead of 3/8 inch back it would be perfect but I didn't like the boat tiller feeling of the handlebars.

Just my experience. I don't have the problem on any of my other bikes: K75RTP, K75 Standard, F650.

As for bar substitutions, the "time honored" approach on the early KRS bikes was to use the bars from a K75C. The rise on the RS bars is at most an inch. The rise on the "C" bars is 3 inches. The rise on the K75T and K75/K100 RT bars is about 6 inches. There are fairing clearance issues with the RT bars you won't have with the C bars. As for cables and brake lines I've heard it both ways. Some guys felt they had to get longer cables and hoses. Others reported simply carefully rerouting them which provided sufficient slack.

 

[n1hnr941]

I get the same knot in my neck from my K1100RS but it doesn't take 300 miles. I do find dropping my chin to my chest helps a lot. No part of the body like to be stuck in one position for too long....well maybe one

 

[RIDERR1150GSADV]

Maybe getting a lighter weight helmet might help, along with some strengthening exercises in a gym.... I would stop a little more frequently and move your head and neck around a bit to keep the blood flow up also. Just my 0.02 cts

 

[tommcgee]

I have barbacks in place with the stock bars - but find that after a few hundred miles I have a hard time turning my head much, because my neck gets stiff.

Getting more bend in my arms got rid of the knife in the back of the neck problem for me. Lots of ways to do this...barbacks, risers, different bars, different seat, etc.

 

[ultracyclist]

strengthing and stretching exercises will help. Work slowly into the strengthening side of the equation or you will experience one hell of a headache, similar to a whiplash accident.

Consider re-working the ergos of the bike.

I am not sure that I agree with the lighter helmet idea as stated. If you can find a lighter helmet that fits your head and matches your style of riding, then go for it. But just to move into a lighter helmet in order to save weight is a poor strategy, IMHO.

Consider adding a "GS" style of bike to your garage?

 

[RIDERR1150GSADV]

strengthening and stretching exercises will help. Work slowly into the strengthening side of the equation or you will experience one hell of a headache, similar to a whiplash accident.

Consider re-working the ergos of the bike.

I am not sure that I agree with the lighter helmet idea as stated. If you can find a lighter helmet that fits your head and matches your style of riding, then go for it. But just to move into a lighter helmet in order to save weight is a poor strategy, IMHO.

Consider adding a "GS" style of bike to your garage?

Well a lighter helmet out of lets say carbon fiber vs fiberglass or whatever, may also help out in case of , god forbid, an accident (less mass=less stress on the neck) It was offered as a suggestion in addition to other things a rider can do to alleviate a problem. Don't forget that a distracted rider is less safe as he/she focuses more on being uncomfortable rather than on the riding and dealing with traffic and the road. YMMV

 

[beemer01]

Comfort

Well a lighter helmet out of lets say carbon fiber vs fiberglass or whatever, may also help out in case of , god forbid, an accident (less mass=less stress on the neck) It was offered as a suggestion in addition to other things a rider can do to alleviate a problem. Don't forget that a distracted rider is less safe as he/she focuses more on being uncomfortable rather than on the riding and dealing with traffic and the road. YMMV

I have two helmets, and the lighter helmet does create less of a problem - but it's still there to a degree. The discomfort was acutely observed last fall when my stiff neck and the forward leaning position made it difficult to turn my head far enough to check for traffic at rural intersections.

Now uncomfortable became dangerous.

Anyone have a 75C handlebar for sale?

 

[BUDDINGGEEZER]

Neck Pain

I'm your fairly standard run of the mill 53 year young biker - my current steed is a lovingly restored 85 K100RS.

I have barbacks in place with the stock bars - but find that after a few hundred miles I have a hard time turning my head much, because my neck gets stiff.

I've heard that another model's handlebars will solve the problem - which model do you guys suggest? Do you also recommend changing the brake line?

I'm not a DR. but I did have anterior cervical fusion of the C4-C5 vertebrea in 1991. Still have a bulging disk C5-C6 and the stinger pain has returned.

My injury was due to getting my head bent down on a trap block playing high school football in 1968.

What I'm leading up to is in my case, the head position that bothers me most is to look down (computers hurt after a time). My surgeon said this is rare, most blown cervical discs are so that looking up is what causes pain.

The forward lean on the RS would cause you to look up. Possibly a bulging
cervical disc???? If this is the case a more upward riding position would force you to lower you head and reduce the pressure.

For 7-8 years I could not stand the pressure of a rain hood. I now lift light weights and that has helped big time, untill recently.

I wear a 3/4 helmet, because a full face is too heavy. I sometimes wish I rode a Harley, a do-rag is much lighter. Actually I wear a helmet for wind and weather protection.

Just food for thought. I do know how you feel.

Ralph Sims

 

[beemer01]

Correct -

The RS does make me look up, and in so doing, well... you know the rest of the story.

Otherwise, for riding locally I like the RS lean forward position. We'll see how the K75C bars feel... after I locate some!

 

[osbornk]

Everyone is different but the RT position works best for me. I have had RTs in a K75,K100 and R80. The CLC also fits me.

 

[BUDDINGGEEZER]

K75c bars

There are K75C bars in the flea market

Ralph sims

 

[godzilla]

I had the RT bars installed on my 85 K100RS. MUCH better. I don't think they replaced any of the cables.

I can't answer the fairing issue. I had a Pichler fairing on her, but after a crash, we converted it to a K100 Standard with no fairing at all.

 

[tkpinsc]

Maybe getting a lighter weight helmet might help, along with some strengthening exercises in a gym.... I would stop a little more frequently and move your head and neck around a bit to keep the blood flow up also. Just my 0.02 cts

I had neck issues when I first got my k1200rs, prior bikes where gs and rt riding positions. I tried several things with barbacks different shields, etc. all helped some.

The biggest improvement came when I replaced my heavy shuberth modular with a new light shoei full face. Also make sure your helmet fits so you can see without additional head lift. The visible horizon differs in helmets. My shoei has a higher horizon then the shuberth so I don't need to tip my head back as much to see forward. You need a taller horizon when you lean forward then you do for an rt or gs style bike. Also make sure you minimize head buffeting by placing your windshield so your head is completely in or out of the wind.

 

[ghostridery2k]

The RS does make me look up, and in so doing, well... you know the rest of the story.

Otherwise, for riding locally I like the RS lean forward position. We'll see how the K75C bars feel... after I locate some!

if you just one to try it out i pull my bars off (K75c),the bike is coming apart anyway.let me know.
Do you try low seat?may help litle

 

[kayseventyfive]

The ultimate answer for neck pain is the low seat and the wheelbarrow (LOT) bars. This combination will give you a very upright position. The drawback to this is, unfaired, with a tall torso, driving fast into a headwind can pull a bit on you.

I have that combination, and am ready to try C bars (when I can find a pair) to lean me forward a little, and take the risk of a little neck pain.

 

[beemer01]

Ghostrider -

That's a kind offer - bring 'em over to the McCormick's shindig, Nothing like trying the position out first!

 

[ghostridery2k]

That's a kind offer - bring 'em over to the McCormick's shindig, Nothing like trying the position out first!

check your PM

 

[bmwwrench]

Neck Pain

I have struggled with neck pain since a car accident in 1987. I've learned to ride with my head tilted down slightly, rotating my eyes upward to look where I want to go.

This drives the safety nuts crazy-they insist that the head must be held up to see properly, but it works for me

 

[PGlaves]

I have struggled with neck pain since a car accident in 1987. I've learned to ride with my head tilted down slightly, rotating my eyes upward to look where I want to go.

This drives the safety nuts crazy-they insist that the head must be held up to see properly, but it works for me

You gotta do what you gotta do. If I am late in a long day and getting a stiff neck I'll do the same thing. It drives me a little nuts, especially looking through curves, but it beats the stinger in the neck!