Kawasaki Concours Forum
Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: Deziner on June 10, 2018, 10:16:43 AM
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I will try to make a long story as short as possible.
Health, employment, and relationship issues have kept me from riding very much for an extended period of time. All of those things are relatively squared away now so I got back on the road. Now I find that the arthritis in my hands gets really painful after only about 2 hours of seat time. Riding tank to tank is currently out of the question. This situation must be remedied.
Are Helibars and cruise control the answer or am I going to have to get another bike with different ergonomics? I hate the thought of getting rid of my C14 with the only viable option being a Goldwing.
Adding weight and losing 50 HP is not a pleasant thought. Neither is becoming the "Old Guy on the Goldwing". Performance mods on a Wing are non-existent, just do-dads. The up side is that I would still be in the wind, but it is just not the same. Getting old sucks.
Any suggestions are surely welcome.
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I'm going to answer this with the expectation of being laughed at.....have you looked at Indian?
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Honestly, I'm not really feeling the V-Twin thing. If I were, Indian would be at the top of the list.
I'm really hoping that Helibars and cruise control on my Concours does the trick. I hate to think that the expended time, effort and money will all be for naught.
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For me, cruise control allowed me to ride long distances; without it, fatigue, hand numbness from vibration and the constant need to hold the throttle would become too much after a few (maybe several) hours. What CC did for me was allow each hand to take a rest, although not removed from each handgrip. But with CC I can lay one hand at a time over the handlebar without having to grip it, and switch the one that is being used as the 'grip' as often as needed.
Not looking to start a pi$$ing contest about how one should ride, what is safe, etc., etc., merely pointing out that the ability to [not] have to maintain a firm grip (Boys!) and using fine motor control of my right hand has allowed me to ride as far as I want to can.
I would assume the arthritis is your hands is greatly exasperated by having to hold onto the grips of the handlebars? If so, then CC might very well extend your ability to ride both at all, and for longer times when you do ride.
Brian
I will try to make a long story as short as possible.
Health, employment, and relationship issues have kept me from riding very much for an extended period of time. All of those things are relatively squared away now so I got back on the road. Now I find that the arthritis in my hands gets really painful after only about 2 hours of seat time. Riding tank to tank is currently out of the question. This situation must be remedied.
Are Helibars and cruise control the answer or am I going to have to get another bike with different ergonomics? I hate the thought of getting rid of my C14 with the only viable option being a Goldwing.
Adding weight and losing 50 HP is not a pleasant thought. Neither is becoming the "Old Guy on the Goldwing". Performance mods on a Wing are non-existent, just do-dads. The up side is that I would still be in the wind, but it is just not the same. Getting old sucks.
Any suggestions are surely welcome.
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You hit the nail right on the head, BDF. That is exactly what I am looking for. I haven't had a bike with cruise control for nearly 13 years, and I rarely used it on that one.
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My hand problems have never improved. Nerve issues in my arms and wrists do make it difficult to ride long distances (more than a few hours). I have the C14 set as "tolerable" with risers and Phil's wedges, and no cruise. If my problems were worse, I would do exactly what you propose- Horizons and cruise. It gets tiring shaking the feeling back into my right hand. Cruise would allow some relief from that. And positioning- well, that is a pot-shot. The HUGE amount of adjustability with the Horizons could very well offer even more relief by allowing fine-tuning.
Me- I would probably stop riding completely if my choice were a 2 cylinder cruiser vs. something like the C14. So I would jump on whatever ergonomic options were available. Just my take...
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I had shoulder issues on the C14 among other complaints. The Indian is so comfortable to ride. Cruise control is phenomenal on that bike. Course heated seats and grips are nice too. I never thought that I would go for a v-twin but I'm totally loving it.
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I put several hundred thousand miles on V-TWINs over the years, traded my last one for my Concours. Periodically I still get to ride the Indians and Harleys. And while they are nice, I have seriously grown accustomed to the performance of my current bike. I think I am pretty much done putting long distances on that type of bike. I still own 2 Harleys, I just don't ride them.
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Yeah, I hear you...not riding the C14 much at all these days.
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OK, then I believe you would find a CC beneficial. I know I cannot ride, say, 10 hours comfortably without it.
Just to continue the conversation a bit, I believe you have three choices:
1) a throttle lock. The easiest and usually least expensive to buy and install. NOT a true CC, they will still give the right hand a rest at least for a minute or two at a steady speed.
2) Rostra. Relatively inexpensive (> $200) but does require some skills and effort to install. Most 'mechanicy' people seem to be able to install one in a weekend. There are also a few people out there installing them for a fee, and the few I have seen are pretty reasonable IMO.
3) McCruise. Easier to install although certainly not what I would call 'easy' or 'no skill required'. Expensive at ~ $1,000 but by all reports, a high quality product that works very well, and the controls look very nice as compared to, say, the Rostra, which are a bit shoddy looking.
There is also the Audiovox vacuum system that <may> still be available but personally, I would recommend they not be used. As difficult to install as a Rostra and then some, they run on vacuum and have some attending problems because of it.
In my opinion, the C-14 is a great bike and more than worth the time, effort and cost to strap a CC onto. Even when figuring the cost of installing a CC, it beats the competition in value when all is done, again IMO of course.
Brian
You hit the nail right on the head, BDF. That is exactly what I am looking for. I haven't had a bike with cruise control for nearly 13 years, and I rarely used it on that one.
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Get Steve's flash, no more buzzing in the throttle hand and the performance increase makes it feel like a new bike.
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i have bad arthritis in my right thumb from an old fracture and surgical repair. i use a simple throttle paddle on all four bikes. cramp buster or variation.
of course cc would be better but the paddle allows me to cruise without gripping the throttle. maybe a good first step for you.
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Thanks for the suggestions, Gents. I replied to a post yesterday about some Helibars for sale here on the forum, haven't heard back yet.
I am going to opt for the Rosta cruise control and one way or another, I will get Helibars.
I've been running 2 Cramp Busters on my bikes for the last 5 years or so, they helped for a while no longer help enough.
Brian has a Rosta unit and swears by cruise control, that's reason enough for me to go the same route.
I believe that less "twist" in the bars will make a positive difference. I have been contemplating that for a long time. I have the solution but at this point, my free time is at a premium and is better spent on other projects.
A lifetime of hardcore, blue collar, 10 hour days has caught up with me in a large way.
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Take a deep breath, step back and look into the future a bit. Then go buy the Goldwing and be happy and comfortable as you can continue to ride for much longer distance and years.
Pretty big investment to put cc and helibars on the C14 and possibly get limited (lasting) results.
.02 given.
I'm getting there also. Still riding my ST1300 but when occasionally riding two-up I find myself looking at Wings on Craigslist more and more. I know I'm not going to get any younger and more aches/pains surface every all too often.
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You’re right. You are between a rock and a hard place. I have the Horizons and they made a world of difference. Still, though, my hands go numb (just not as bad as before and easier to relieve). The Horizons also helped to relieve my back pain tremendously.
I have a Throttlemeister and that helps a lot as well. If you dial the tension just right, you can give your throttle hand some relief. I find that just relaxing my grip, something the Horizons allow me to do with little back effort, takes the pressure off and gets circulation/feeling back immediately. I haven’t tried to fine tune the Horizons, because they made such a huge difference after my initial set up.
Even if you add cruise and Horizons, the bottom line is that the C14 is still a harsher ride than a Goldwing. That takes a toll on you as well. In my opinion, I would try the Horizons and install a CC/Throttle lock. That will probably have the most immediate relief for the least amount of money. It should give you more years on the C14 and if that’s not enough, there is no shame in riding a GW. They are fantastic machines.
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Not just yet. I am definitely getting older but I am fighting it tooth and nail. I plan to do whatever I can to NOT take the leap backwards to a Goldwing. It will probably happen someday but not today.
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Good luck with the bars, Dez. I’m sure they’ll make a world of difference. They are a little tough to install, mainly because of the hydraulic line extenders, but worth it.
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i have bad arthritis in my right thumb from an old fracture and surgical repair. i use a simple throttle paddle on all four bikes. cramp buster or variation.
I have tried one of those and for some reason it just scares the crap out of me. I feel out of control.
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Thanks for the suggestions, Gents. I replied to a post yesterday about some Helibars for sale here on the forum, haven't heard back yet.
Horizons? Helibars is just a company that makes lots of risers and accessories...
I am going to opt for the Rosta cruise control and one way or another
You are braver than I am :) I would want it, but too chicken to try and install it myself.
I've been running 2 Cramp Busters on my bikes for the last 5 years or so, they helped for a while no longer help enough.
Did you have problems with accidental throttle activation using them? Especially in a panic?
A lifetime of hardcore, blue collar, 10 hour days has caught up with me in a large way.
For me it is a lifetime of hardcore, white collar (computer/keyboard/mouse/phone/desk) crap. So it can catch you in many different ways.
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Take a deep breath, step back and look into the future a bit. Then go buy the Goldwing and be happy and comfortable as you can continue to ride for much longer distance and years.
Stock, the Goldwing isn't necessarily going to be any better with bar ergonomics than the C14. It will just have built-in cruise control and quite possibly some less vibration. But I have also found that no only does the C14 not have much vibration, that doesn't seem to be anywhere near the problem of hand positioning.
Pretty big investment to put cc and helibars on the C14 and possibly get limited (lasting) results.
Horizons, presumably.
And it will cost a whole lot less than a Goldwing, especially if new (and taxes, and insurance, and, and).
I am not saying it is a better choice for everyone, but modifying an existing bike that you already own and like isn't a horrible choice... especially if it is just a few grand.
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Horizons are enroute. Is any one source for a Rosta cruise better than others or is it simply search the web for the best deal? I'm not concerned about the actual installation of the Rosta unit, it's really more about making the time to do it. One thing leads to another and the next thing I know my bike has been apart for months. It's not that it needs that much work, in my world, whatever come up is more pressing than what I'm currently doing. :-\
Never had a problem with the Cramp Busters, like I mentioned previously, I've used them for years.
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And by the way, thanks for the feedback.
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Hey, this is how it is supposed to work, right? We 'gather' here for help, knowledge and mutual (and hopefully amusing) harassment. Everyone knows something that the next guy does not, and sharing this info. is the easiest way to proceed without having to try everything and newly- learn everything.
Brian
And by the way, thanks for the feedback.
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You can buy them from Murph's, who is an excellent vendor. You can also do a general search if shopping by price.
One thing I would caution you about though: there are two different types of switch from and for the Rostra: one uses klixon switches the other uses conductive buttons and a PC board. The klixon switches will corrode and fail. The PC type can be covered in grease and will last for many years, the klixon switches have not lasted over about 1 1/2 years for me although I do ride in the rain as required (on trips, rallys, riding IBA events, etc.). I always suggest buying a switch that has an 'engaged' light, and it might be worth a call to Rostra to find out what switches are of which type before buying the unit, and then get the actual CC either with the switch you want, or buy it without any switch and buy the one you want separately.
Brian
Horizons are enroute. Is any one source for a Rosta cruise better than others or is it simply search the web for the best deal? I'm not concerned about the actual installation of the Rosta unit, it's really more about making the time to do it. One thing leads to another and the next thing I know my bike has been apart for months. It's not that it needs that much work, in my world, whatever come up is more pressing than what I'm currently doing. :-\
Never had a problem with the Cramp Busters, like I mentioned previously, I've used them for years.
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Good thread title: the rock could be one bone and the hard place an adjacent bone, with less between them than used to be.