looking to pick up my first harley, I will use it for travel to work, and weekend trips, i travel 75km each way, i also have a bad back..

what should i look for in a harley, i think a nice cruiser would be good, the thought of having to bend over for hourse on end, makes my back tingle...

thanks

newbie
punch

 

Everyone is different. I went to the dealer and sat on the bikes I liked. I asked the salesman to hold it up so I could grab the bars. I bought what I felt the most comfortable on.

Good Luck!

 

buy a bagger, your back willl thamk you

 

If your dealer has some used bikes in stock they should let you take 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 of them out for a spin. My dealer did. It's not alot but you can get a feel of the different bike and howthey handle. That should be a good starting point.

 

No drag bars. Drag bars and bad backs are oil and water.

 

If you have a bad lower back, get a bagger and put a backrest on it. Don't ask how I know.

 

I would have said gas and lit matches, but that's close enough.

I'll bet I can guess, listen to the man he knows what he's saying.

 

Throwing the stock seat away was the best for my back. I bought a Mustang with a back rest and I don't get the pain that I did with the stock seat. There are many things you can do to help with the way you sit on the bike. Things like different seats, gel pads or inserts, handlebars, the height of your bike and so forth. If you have really bad back pain, you might be better off with a bike that has floor boards - then you'd be sitting up straight. I find myself slumping a bit when I'm tired with forward controls.

Your best bet is to sit on all the bikes that you like and then do a test ride. Good luck with your decision.



[IMG]local://upfiles/13603/057C8F9BE0CF4299BEA8364B949EE8A8.jpg[/IMG]

 

there's alot of stuff you can do to make it more comfortable for you. i started riding about a year ago and could only go about 30 miles then i had to get off and stand for a bit.

my first bike i added a backrest and seat pad. i also started wear a belt to support my lower back. i picked one up from home depot for 20 bucks. it's the type you wear when you lift stuff.

second bike i added pullback risers. i got a sundowner seat. i was thinking of the touring seat with the backrest but i prefer the look with out it. i have floor boards and highway pegs to allow me to stretch out as needed. i still wear the belt but i'm able to ride 2-2.5 hours with out stopping.

good luck

bill

 

You might want to take a look at this page on the Harley site. Accessorizing for Fit