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First decent ride with my bad back....

  • Hidiho
    Hidiho
    16 years ago

    Hi all,

    Well, I bit the bullet the other day and finally transfered the rego over and re-registered the bike.

    I had spoken to my physiotherapist the day before and she commented that riding the bike could be easier on my back rather than driving the car but I should take it easy at first and ride for 10 minutes and then progress to longer rides till i  can get up to 30 minutes...

    So yesterday I donned my gear and off I went. I took all the back streets while riding around as there would be less traffic and no problems with anyone else being stuck behind a "slower" moving vehicle.

    So here I am puttering along without a care in the world and looked down at the speedo...OOOOPPPPPPSSSS!!!!!!! better slow down.

    Then I glanced at the fuel gauge and thinks to myself  "I best get some juice" started off heading towards the servo and thinks again, " Hmmmmm payday, servo will be busy, best ride to a quieter servo" so I turned around and headed in the opposite direction and grabbed some fuel at a different servo. After the 2 minute struggle getting the gear off and finally putting fuel in the tank I was intterupted by an old guy spitting chips about the price of fuel, finished filling the tank and trotted inside to pay and the old guy was then having a go at the counter attendant about the fuel prices. Paid for my 17 litres of fuel and even had change from the $25 I handed over and then went back to spending another 5 minutes putting the gear back on and off I went..

    I thought to myself  "Where to now? ......Hmmmmm, I'll ride out to Hall" (Hall is one of Canberra's oldest suburbs which resembles an old country town) once I got to my destination I pulled over, removed the gear and had a ciggy, made a phone call and said to a friend I'll pop over on the way home. Threw the gear back on and off I trot along the Barton Highway  (note to one's self, eyes water at 120kph, better use my other sunnies next time" stopped off at my friends for a while and had a natter, then the sun was starting to settle so I headed off home and "ooooppppsss" I again had to slow my speed down..

    So I left here at 1:00pm for my 10 minute ride and got home at 6:30pm..... I think i need a new watch!!!

    Back was as sore as last night, but I woke as happy as Larry and as soon as I hit the "submit button" I'm throwing the gear on and off to the Harley dealer to ask if they did the first service before the bike was delivered, I could pick up the phone and call but the phone number seems to be misplaced

    Happy riding times..

  • LOFTYBOB
    LOFTYBOB
    16 years ago

    Did you end up getting a back brace / support ?

    Good to get back on the road aint it

  • rkc07
    rkc07
    16 years ago
    Hidiho

    I am envious ... am stuck in the office all day, get to ride to and from work which is a blessing but all I can say is:

    good on you ..dont let anything stop you from riding
  • 91FXR
    91FXR
    16 years ago
    Congradulations Hidiho,
    Bad Backs suck, I had a herniated disk that required surgery a few years ago, Doctor said it would be 12 months before I could ride again. Bugger that 6 months and I was riding to my doctors appointments.
    Anyhow well done, I am glad to here you are out and about. Keep on riding mate.
  • Hoodaman
    Hoodaman
    16 years ago
    Its not easy is it...great your getting back out there......
  • SuperGlide
    SuperGlide
    16 years ago


    Good onya'
    Racking up the K's in no time!!

    I did over 250klms yesterday you wouldnt just casually knock that off on a CBR I tell ya!

    (I've gone from wondering how I'd get enough k's to do a 1st service to being 600klms over the limit already! ha!)

  • robert65
    robert65
    16 years ago

    good one hidiho

    I also have a back problem , can go on me anytime,but you can't let it stop you doing the good things hey,when i get on the bike you seem to forget about every thing else and just keep ridin,it's a shame the next day hurts but.

    I know just ride every day and then i won't have a sore back day.

  • Hidiho
    Hidiho
    16 years ago
    Well, as I mentioned earlier I trotted off to the harley dealers this morning, a rather uneventful ride there except for the cement truck coming down an off ramp whose speed matched mine so a little twist of the throttle and I was out of harms way.
     
    So I made it to the Harley dealer and plodded inside and had a natter with the salesman who sold me the bike and yeap, first service was done, so that's one less burden I have to worry about for a while. So I then went to check up on a price for a luggage rack and while I was helping out the person behind the counter (he's only new) the salesman calls out " Want a coffee, I'll shout ya!"....."Sure" I replied and went back to figuring out what was the right rack for the bike and having a natter with the counter guy over the lack of available racks for my model.. Oh well, just have to save up a few bikkies.
     
    Anyway, finished my coffee and went outside for a ciggie and this 883 sporty rocks up, he jumps off his bike and in the distance he hears a car alarm going and comments " Gee, my pipes are working well, I love it when it sets off the car alarms"  and went inside, so here I am outside and next  minute a workmate rolls up and we end up talking about bikes and back injuries ( he's was off work with a back injury also) and he was mentioning that he has to have a Gel pillow to sit on other wise his back becomes too unbearable, he actually stopped off to buy a open face visor for his helmet ( he can't wear a full face helmet because of a neck injury) as was going down the coast for the weekend (300k+ trip there).
     
    When my workmate left I decided to sit down on the concrete ledge and that was a mistake as I had to stand back up again after 2 minutes sitting on the ledge as it was starting to stir my back up so i just walked around for a few minutes before hopping on the bike and headed for home.
     
    So here I am, enjoying my ride home and come to a "form one lane" and next minute this jap bike tries racing to get ahead of me and then backs of at the last minute as he wouldn't have made it. As soon as we get past he flicks the bike into the left lane and starts weaving through the traffic and off he goes. About a kilometer down the road he's pulled over to the side of the road, Bike trouble perhaps???????
     
    So, I ended up following a fuel tanker down the road and what happens, he's going through a sweeping bend and manages to get the tralier off to the left shoulder and I got pelted with gravel for a few seconds, good job I was wearing my elcheapo sunnies and my eBay leather face mask other wise I would have copped a face full. Anyway, I passed the tanker as soon as I could and went on my way and lo and behold "Granny" decides to do a quick lane change right where I am but at least she did have the decency to indicate while she was changing so I could react in time with a squeeze of the front brake, eventually I made it home without any further incidents and sat down to have some lunch and now my bloody back is sore....frigging chair!
     
    Oh well, back out riding tomorrow for some more therapy...
     
     
    LOFTYBOB - I don't think a back brace will help me much here, I'm fine sitting on the bike or standing but the moment my back is in contact with a car seat/chair it starts to go down hill. Also, because my legs don't quite reach the pegs (I'm a short ass) I'm sitting a little forward on the seat so no part of my lower back is in contact with the seat, just my butt...
     
    91FXR - I know how if feels, I have to have pain managment sessions 2-3 times a week and once I get to the end of the driveway my back has already started to stir and then it's 30 minutes driving pain, 30 minutes Gym pain, 1 hour sitting in a chair pain talking to the pyscologist about my pain and then another 30 minutes driving pain and now some silly buggers have planted some Tulip and Daffoldil bulbs, called it "Floriade" and now I can't park the car where I have my sessions as there are now no available parking spaces in the car park... Me thinks the Bike is a more attractive option for reducing my pain and "Free" bike parking which is a 2 minute walk from the bike parking to the pain managment centre..
     
    SuperGlide - I've only notched up 100k's in 2 days, don't wanna push myself too hard..
  • SuperGlide
    SuperGlide
    16 years ago

    You left out what you had for lunch mate!?
  • Cuzzybro
    Cuzzybro
    16 years ago
    hope the back improves mate....and enjoy the riding you lucky barstard....
  • johno1
    johno1
    16 years ago
    Hey Hidiho,

    good story..........the bit about the luggage rack. Try here..................

    http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=494511&store=Main&catId=205&productId=p494511&leafCatId=20501&mmyId=11800124#fitment

    may be a bit cheaper than the dealer??

    cheers
    Johno
  • Hidiho
    Hidiho
    16 years ago

    SuperGlide - Darn it!!... I knew I left something important out.

    Flan - Sorry Flan, I've been couped up for the past 3 months and managed to escape and I just can't help myself with being excited when seeing people..... Hmmmmm, I've now just worked out why the pyschologist keeps asking to go for walks all the time...She thinks I'm a bloody dog.

    Jonno1 - Thanks for that link, I was quoted $219 for the rack and installation Kit which seems a little steep.

  • Uncle Ho
    Uncle Ho
    16 years ago

    I can understand how you feel Hidiho... I get like that when I go away for a few weeks... or like the last week when the bike was in at the stealer..

  • hazy
    hazy
    16 years ago
    Good on'ya Hidiho.
    Bad backs are a shit,had three Op's on mine.
    Went riding yesterday for three hours hours using back support.
    Also use my back pegs on the open road.
    Keep up the good work.
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