As others have said, back rest and bars but I'll toss in another idea. Ditch the forward controls. Your foot/let position determines the tilt of your pelvis and that can really affect your back pain.

 

i have an 08 road glide and also am missing disc in my bak. i try 2 differant air shocks spent a lot of $$ and chaned over to progressive 440 coils, , and i ride two up and there great,. they have 2 kinds, 1 for rider under 220lbs and 1 for a rider over 220lbs..

 

I had/have the same problem and whenI had my wide glide I did the following: mustang seat with back rest, new bars with added rise andpull back. Leave the forward controls but put the mid control brackets back on (or buy cheap on e-bay) and put stock pegs on them. Give you options for leg/foot placement. A windshield will help as well for highway speeds (you aren't tensed up fighting the wind)

I ride a road glide now and hadto make similar changesto get comfortable. Once mods weredoneI could ride 700 miles a daywithout to much discomfort. Hopethis helps.

Rich

 

I'm 50 and have been rear ended twice on bikes , so I know where you're at with the pain.
A quick fix (for me anyway) was a heavy duty kidney support belt.
The FXRG textile jacket comes with one that works pretty well , and stores in the jacket itself.
If you're thinking of a touring bike , I can't argue a better way to get comfortable while riding.
I now run a rider backrest , and probably will till I quite riding someday.
The backrest is worth it's weight in gold for comfort for us "older" riders.....
Mick

 

Just a little older and I've had a bad back for 25 years now (herniated disks). I did have a roadking but switched over to the Streetglide back in 08 and the first thing I did was get a different seat and have it sent off to MCC for some different foam. Made a big difference. I would also suggest making sure the handlebars are at the best and most comfortable position for you and a lot of people are looking at the apes or mini apes as they are about shoulder high (see pic below). I just bought a chubby 12.5" bar and I am going to put it on sometime next week. I keep hearing that will help with back problems so I hope other are correct. Final item might be to get a riders backrest.

 

I'm 53, 2 fused vertebrae and 1 herniated disc. I've also have several surgeries on both shoulders. The touring frame is the only thing I can ride for any duration of time. I can ride 8 hr a day rides. Backrest and handlebars setup is the key. The setup that works for me is a Mustang solo w/backrest and the 2" reach bars. When I had a Roadking, I had the same Mustang solo with WO 518 bars. You gotta find the combo that works for you.

 

backrest made a huge difference for me... had an fxdc and upgraded to touring.... go for a touring bike with a rider backrest!

 

Pullback bars, seat with backrest, If you want for long rides get a good Valeo back belt but as soon as you get off the bike loosen it...

 

I have 3 vertabrae in lower back fused (L3, 4, and 5) and had 3 in my neck fused in Oct. last year. I log around 15,000 miles a year in Ohio, so about 6 months or so of riding. All I can say is stop and walk around often. The touring bike is probably your best best, with the air suspension. I had to change my bar position a little and I play around with a few differn't seat and am always playing with the air shocks.

 

Used to have a back problem, still do if I let my exercise program lapse. Agree with most of what has been said. Add or emphasise the following: 1) loose weight, 2) get good wide seat, 3) backrest or deeply sculptured seat, 4) kidney belt - weightlifters dont use them for nothing, 5) get a bike with a good windshield, 6) check out the best riding position for you. For me it was one where I placed a balance of weight on my butt, my feet and - most important - my arms. In fact I (and others with lower back issues) found that riding the bike was actually more comfortable than driving the car.