wtf i been riding my f4i for 10 months now 145 miles round trip to work and just now started to experiance lower back pain, im 37 6' 225lbs id think by now my back would be used to it, id have to admit I dont stretch after each ride, but when i started to notice tightness in my back i stretched it out before my ride to work, put 21 thousand miles on the bike bought it new in november, I did adjust the rear damping to 3 after i got my new tires.. any suggestions?

 

Back pain is generally a cumulative problem, which is why it took so long to affect you. Back pain, like neck pain in situations on a bike is generally caused by your posture, hunched over you are exerting extra pressure on the inside section of the pads (discs) between your vertebrae. They become inflamed and over time start to swell and cause pain.

Corrective action: resolve your posture on the bike. On an F4i you can sit nearly fully upright, try that for a few days with an NSAID (Tylenol or similar) early on to bring down the pain. It will work.

 

Yea ok i do crouch alot to keep the wind off, im going to take the truck into work for a week until my back feels better, thanks for the reality check pal!

 

Damn, I thought I had a long commute to work! Well I'm in the same boat as you. I'm 37 and have a 05 f4i as well. And yeah, my lower back pain is bad. Mine is due to several things but mainly all the years of snowboarding and basketball that ran it's course on me. I've got several cracked vertebrae but I still ride as much as I can. I've been to so many doctors/chiropractors but one small thing that really helps is stretching out before you head out. Your hamstrings and quads (everything that's attached to your lower back) is the key. Try it, 10 minutes before a long commute like that will help. I survived a 300 mile trip yesterday and the back is ok. Trust me I feel it but I made it!

 

Try to get some acupuncture. I had your same problem... but with a couple sessions of acupunture the pain never came back and that was 4 months ago!!!! I still have my 60 mile commute everyday and it never came back. Just something to think about if it doesnt go away. I tried everything but the only thing that worked was the acupuncture....

 

Really you have one of two choices:

1. Sit as upright as possible. The wind will help support your body and take stress off your back. It will place more on your abs and arms.
2. Get a tankbag and lay on it. This will take all the stress of your back. Practice this on an empty highway before you use it in traffic. The bike is a lot less maneuverable if you take the "body english" out of riding.

I prefer to use strength training to maintian the core muscles. Some back and abdominal weight training will help enormously. As with anything make sure you get your doctor's OK if you have any health issues.

Some excellent comfort mods:
1. Corbin Saddle
2. Heli Bars
3. Double Bubble (or touring) windscreen

 

+1 on strength training... I 've been training for several years now and don't seem to have any of the problems my buddies who don't workout have... I can ride longer with and with less discomfort then they can...

 

+1 on core strength! It seems by your size description, that weight is not an issue. I am overweight (25-30#s) and I have back pain mostly because of that. However, I adjust my posture as I ride, and try to sit more upright occasionally. Fortunately, the CBR affords a more upright experience that other sportbikes.