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Advice Needed

6K views 28 replies 24 participants last post by  SteveYacht 
#1 ·
Hello All, I purchased a 2012 CC in May which is my first motorcycle! I usually ride around town, but hit the highway this past weekend riding about 150 miles! After 10-15 minutes of riding both hands were tingling and falling asleep! Then about 50 miles into the ride my lower back was hurting! I could go to the dealer for advice, but figured I would ask for ideas/suggestions from here before I start handing the dealer my money for stuff that may or may not work! I really look forward to your responses, since if I have to look forward to that every ride, there may not be any more long ones!
 
#2 ·
If this is ur first motorcycle then it's not really uncommon for u to be a little sore after a long ride to help with the tingling need to get a pair of good gloves that will help mine has done that for years and on different bikes as for the back a backrest helps a lot
 
#3 ·
I find a rider backrest to be a must for me. Getting one from Victory is difficult right now because they are in the middle of changing the vendor who makes them for Vic. An alternative is Utopia Backrests.

Like mentioned a pair good full finger gloves with some padding will help with any handlebar vibration and maybe for some reason you are prone to it more than others or maybe there's something going on with the bike to cause an excessive amount of vibration in the bars. No way to know without riding it.

There are vibration dampening devices. Most people seem to be happy with the Vibranators.
 
#11 ·
What is the OD and ID of 2012 CC bars, I would like to try this Vibenator?
 
#13 ·
#5 ·
I agree, its your first bike, take it easy, maybe go on a couple 50 mile trips to get use to the bike, then work your way up. Figure out then what you like and don't like and make adjustments. My right shoulder gets sore on my 2012 xc after a while because the bars sit to low for me, but I don't really want apes either because my hands sit behind the fairing, out of the wind.
 
#6 ·
I found myself squeezing the right grip too hard in a subconscious effort to kept it from slipping. I realized after a while that there was no need, and my hand no longer gets numb. As for the back pain, if you're under 5'10", you may need some longer bars as you may be leaning too forward.
 
#7 ·
If your bike fits you like mine did, you will need to have someone make your seat to move you forward an inch or two. Yea the "Cool" feet and arms streched out is not condusive to long rides. You should be sitting straighter and arms comfortably bent. Can you reach the locks without streching? If so, do you have any room. Try it turning, not sitting, it will tell you more. You'll find you have more control too. Scoot up on the seat and you might be amazed.

+1 on the Utopia. Lots of adjustment and that may help you decide how much you need to move.

I bought mine to replace a Wing that I never got cozy with. A seat moving me forward and into a correct position has made this something I can not only live with, I don't think about my back hurting any more. I knew a seat was in my future because I have never had a stock seat of any kind work well for me.

Best wishes
 
#8 · (Edited)
+1 to what everybody said.

You need to relax and be comfortable for maximum long-distance riding ability. To help in that respect, these are some options:

- Try pullback handlebars. You need to be able to have some bend in your elbows, so you're not stretching to reach the grips.

- Try the Utopia backrest. I don't find the need for one (yet?) on my XCT, but I had a Utopia on my Valkyrie Interstate for seven years. Good company, quality stuff. (And if you search here, you'll come across a lot of people getting the Utopia with the smaller "police" pad, which doesn't seem to be advertised.)

- You might also want to try a pair of overpants. There are a lot of these pants; I wear the First Gear HT Overpants ( http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/firstgear/ht-overpants/ ), but any will do. I find it much easier to do 500-, 600-mile days with overpants. They add cushioning, and also let you slide around in the seat more easily; anything that tends to trap you into one position is going to get in the way of comfort after a couple of hours.

- No "death grip" on the grips. In my first few years of riding, I would remind myself of this by making a circle with my right thumb and forefinger, and just holding the throttle for a while with that circle.This is a reminder that just a little effort will get the job done when just cruising along. (And don't forget the cruise control. And don't forget that your left hand, especially, can be rested on your thigh, with or without the cruise on.)

- You may want more cushioned gloves. I mostly wore an Olympia "gel pad" pair for a couple of years; other brands make gel pads, too. My current three main pairs go one step further, with special placement of padding, for better cushioning and carpal-tunnel-syndrome prevention. I have a summer and a cooler weather pair from Qwi ( http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/MotorcycleGlove.html ) and a summer pair from Bionic ( http://www.bionicgloves.com/shop/?cat=35&id=35 , which is the pair I wear most often).

- The Vibranator keeps getting sterling reviews in the various motorcycle magazines (I subscribe to Rider, Cycle World, Motorcyclist, Motorcycle Consumer News, and get the AMA monthly as part of membership, and several of these have reviewed it in the last few months). There were devices with similar function in earlier years - Bar Snake, lead shot, etc. - but the Vibranator is more sophisticated and weighs less.

- To make sure your XCT doesn't have a personal problem that should be addressed by the dealer, it'd be nice if you could ride someone else's bike, or maybe your dealer has a demo available; another XC or XCT would be nice.

- It's possible you may need a custom seat, but that's a last resort, after trying some or all of the above. That will be the most expensive option, and also might entail your losing the heated capability.

[EDIT addition: Another thing came to mind. What RPM do you cruise at? IMHO - and others may disagree, of course - you should be tooling along somewhere between, oh, 2,200 and 2,900, in general. At any rate, if you typically cruise at, say, 4,000 RPM, you're going to subject yourself (and the bike) to unnecessary vibration. I'm not talking about rolling-it-on periods - for fun, passing, just upshifting, etc. - I'm talking about steady-state cruising.]

- And, as mentioned, you have to work up to long rides, just so your body gets used to the position(s), and maybe you develop a little more muscle tone in the areas that get taxed by just sitting straight and (lightly) holding the bars.

How 'bout you help us out, by providing your height, inseam, sleeve length, and age, if you don't mind?

That's a mighty big bike to start out with. Have you been riding other bikes before, e.g., that you didn't own?
 
#26 ·
Handlebars probably too far away. Stretching your arms forward will make you have poor blood flow and give you back aches so I would maybe try pullback bars before a back rest.
 
#9 ·
join a gym

if your to lazy to do that then

buy a pair of nice leather gloves, this will eliminate the slight vibration felt and eliminate the numbing sensation..
 
#10 ·
I recommend making a conscious effort to ride with good posture. Poor posture throws everything off and can cause the problems you are describing. A backrest can help but if you use/develop your core muscles instead it will help with controlling the bike also.

Ride safe.
 
#12 ·
What is the OD and ID of the bars on a 2012 Ness CC?
 
#15 ·
same problem

I have the same problem and I have been riding for almost 20 years. I never had this problem then I bought a 2001 nomad had it for 2 years. I agree about the pull back bars my arms are straight out not bent at all. I have had everything from honda harley to kawasaki did not have that problem with them but my elbows were bent. If I was not planning on getting a new xct this spring I would get some pull backs for the nomad.
 
#16 ·
I can't believe this has not been suggested more. Adjust your bars. I had the same problem with the factory set position on my Kingpin and so did a buddy who rode it. Costs nothing but a little time and effort. Lower the bars until your hands are comfortable. They hurt because not enough blood is circulating and your back because your are reaching too far forward. Again, I had the same problem. Let me know how it works out.
 
#17 ·
4 Inch: certainly a good suggestion. However, on my XCT - at least as put together at the factory, or by the dealer (not sure whether the handlebars are on, in the crate) - the bars are already as low as they can go. There's maybe an inch of clearance over the top of the tank, especially given the sound-system and cruise-control brackets. Just sayin', is all.
 
#18 ·
Sorry I couldn't be of help. On my KP mine barely clears the top of the tank. My first ride of 30 miles got the same result as you described. My hands went numb and the wind pushing me back in the seat had me feeling like I was working hard just to hang on to the bike to keep from being blown off. (The kite effect. With hands up in the air my body was acting like a sail on a boat and it wore me out)
 
#19 ·
This whole thread is full of great advice!

What you're describing is pretty common, especially for riders over 40... Here's what i do to combat it...

1 Work out regularly if you can, 2 move around on the seat and move your feet around a few times an hour when you're on long rides, 3 Take your left hand off the bars and rest it in your lap for a couple minutes every 20 min or so (it changes your entire upper position and forces you to relax your shoulders). 4 Make a conscious effort to relax your grip on the bars and through your shoulders...5 Make sure you stop, walk around a bit and stretch every hour or so while on your trip--especially in the beginning of the trip when you don't feel like you need it. 6 Never ride without gloves...

Also, when getting ready for a multi hour ride, try to ride a lot in the days leading up to your trip. You have a very comfortable bike--even in stock form--I wouldn't go modding it for comfort until I put more hours in the saddle...

Good luck!!
 
#20 ·
I sure appreciate all the ideas/suggestions!! I am 43y/o and I'm 5' 11"! I do wear gloves and have to rest my hands on my leg they go to sleep so bad! I have ridden other people's motorcycles, but only down the street and back! This is my first bike and do not have any riding experience! I will try some of the easier ideas and then work my way up to the harder (expensive) ones later!
 
#21 ·
Try a Crampbuster

I was having issues with cramps in my right hand. I got a Crampbuster for ten or twelve bucks. It works well. Also, after using it a few times I found I grip less hard even without it.

I picked up the Vic drivers backrest a couple weeks ago. I have not had much seat time since then due to crappy weather, but it felt promising.
 
#22 ·
Make certain your wrists are straight, that's very important. You may need to raise or lower the bars to attain that. Have you adjusted the foot controls for a comfortable reach? There's 3 fore and aft settings. As previously stated, good posture is critical - its too easy to slump. Good physical condition definitely helps, not only for long rides, but life in general. Shed those extra pounds, if you've got 'em.
 
#23 ·
From your symptoms - hand issues as well as back pain - I think you have two different things going on, both of which have been commented on before:
#1 you have to reach too far to the handlebar which gives you lower back pain.
#2 your wrists are not used to this and put into an unnatural angle.

I'm same height as you, and I replaced my handlebars pretty much immediately because of the reach issue. I got the HMD520 pullback bars. Did a 400 mile day with them and it felt much better, but not great. Adjusted them as low as they could go, and it is much better now. However I would still like another inch or so (keep it clean here, please...), so I might still have to have the seat modified as another poster suggested. For now I am trying a backrest to see how that improves things.

As for problem #2 Victory also offers pullback bars, however HMD claims their wrist angle is better/more natural. Bars for these bikes are expensive (and a royal pain to swap), so if you have anyone with these bars in your area, it might be very worthwile to meet up with them and check out the wrist position for yourself.
 
#24 ·
I have to commend you for starting out on a XC - I have ridden for many years and still had to adjust quite a bit to the heft of the Vic.

Not sure if you took a class like the MSF class to obtain your license, but even if so, these classes are taught on small bikes that have very different handling characteristics from our bikes.

I think you would benefit immensely from some rider training that is targeted specifically at bigger bikes, the 'ride like a pro' program.

They sell DVDs but also do classes in various parts of the country.
I took their class in Atlanta and it helped me a lot with bike handling - and being more relaxed while riding.

https://www.ridelikeapro.com/locations
 
#27 ·
For me I do exercises program. Spending some time with weights and a good walk run makes a difference in how long and far I can ride.
I learned from others and watching them the healthier you are makes a difference.
Yes bars grips can help but stretching our body's before riding really makes a difference.
 
#29 ·
I have ridden many bikes on long distance trips. I recommend relaxing the best you can. Dod two and a half hours on my XC last Sunday with no problems.. Posture and getting the bars and seat position is key to not having the problems you mentioned.
 
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