Saying Goodbye

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

stose85

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 4, 2016
Messages
251
Reaction score
129
Location
Oklahoma
Well guys, the FJR was officially sold on Saturday and it pains me to say this, but it looks like my days of riding are done. Some of you that know me and have been riding with me recently know that I've had more and more difficulty not only maneuvering the FJR at slow speeds and getting it parked, but also getting on and off the bike.

Without making this a sad sob story, (hoping I may get some good advice at the end of this) at 35 years old my body has taken a beating. I spent over a decade in law enforcement as well as having spastic cerebral palsy. My case was mild enough that unless I was very tired, I could adjust for minor issues with balance and gait. As I've aged the ability to hide my impairment has become less and less and the pain has continued to tick upward. I didn't think it would affect my riding abilities until I got much older, that unfortunately didn't happen.

When I attempted to get on the bike last October I had instant and extreme pain in my right hip. I thought nothing of it and rode the 1700 or so miles to Alabama (SFO meet) and back to Oklahoma. I enjoyed myself, but when I got back home it took a full week to recover. From that point on, anytime I got on the bike that pain returned, even when I only got on it  to move it around the garage. The pain lasted days, and made it unbearable to put any weight on my right leg (which is my dominant leg) Due to the C.P. I do not feel comfortable with only one foot down, and definitely not my weak leg.

After reading several medical studies and talking with doctors the culprit appears to be osteoarthritis in my hip. This was caused by hip dysplasia and wearing things out early (kind of like my shoes). I talked to my wife and she knew that something was wrong when I didn't feel comfortable riding two up anymore. I told her the situation and she brought up an instance where I look like a noob just moving the bike in the driveway for the tree trimmer. She hates to see blue go but understands that motorcycle riding isn't enjoyable if you're in constant pain.

Anyways I've milled over the idea of looking for very low slung bikes with an upright riding position or a trike (after retirement of course). Any thoughts from you all, and anyone else with hip arthritis that would like to chime in, I'd be more than grateful to get some input.

Other than that you guys have been a lot of help, I've met some great people along the way and I'll continue being on Facebook  (Abel Stose). You all had some very kind and helpful words of wisdom when my dad was killed on his Harley almost three years ago too. Please ride safe, wear your gear, and keep your head on a swivel!

Throwing out one last pick of the kiddos. I bought the 06 right around the time my boy was born. He just turned five yesterday. My daughter is 2 and a half.
93853273_3485388631487562_8172785760232013824_o.jpg


 
Sorry to see you sell but if your not comfy then you can't be safe.

I went to a Spyder for a while to see if it helped with the arthritis eating me up. It really did help but I never got comfortable with the handling. If I only rode in town ,the spyder would be the one. Not having to hold it up and the sissy shift trans was Great. On the highway it fell short for me and I went back to a wing but lots of people love it. Still have significant pain but I'm stupid and just put up with it.

Try renting a Spyder for a weekend and see what you think. Anything that keeps your knee's in the breeze is good.

 
Great picture of the kids on the bike.  One for framing!

Sorry to hear about your physical difficulties. Is hip replacement surgery in the cards or do you have underlying medical issues that precludes this possibility? 

Trikes are a possibility if the main limitation is supporting the bike upright.  Lots of people love the CanAm Spyder.  Even a scooter could be easier to mount and dismount and easier on the hip.  Honda Silverwing or Suzuki Bergman can provide a decent riding experience.

Whatever direction life takes you, best of luck.  You are always welcome here.

 
Great picture of the kids on the bike.  One for framing!

Is hip replacement surgery in the cards or do you have underlying medical issues that precludes this possibility? 
Yes it is! 

I'd prefer not to go the route of surgery but if the outlook was good, I'd at least consider it. Thanks for the input and ideas. 

 
My sister had hip replacement surgery at age 60 and it made a huge difference in her life. Said she should have done it 5 years earlier. It is a lot to consider and may not be right for your situation but it is worth looking into the possibility. 

Used to be that they waited as long as possible before doing the replacement because the implants had a finite lifespan. Much better now and it is worth at least talking to a specialist. 

 
Replacement hip recipient here, left side.  I understand you have a more advanced case but I too am one of the "lucky" 1/10 of 1% of American males with extremely early onset of bone and joint degeneration.

I was in constant pain, almost to the point of giving up riding completely.  Anything beyond 70 or 80 miles and it took me days to recover.  Eating Rx painkillers like candy with no relief.  All the drs naturally assumed  it was sciatic nerve problems due to damaged discs and vertebrae, a continuation of mid-'90s surgical repair.

Until I finally had enough and went to a neuro guy.  Through more xrays and a 1-shot needle he found it was a hip.  Had it replaced on Jan 25, 2019.  Up a-walking that day.  Exercises twice per day.  Within a week- no more walker, skipped the crutches and went to the cane.  At 3 weeks- no more painkillers.  No Rx, no Tylenol, nothing.  Back to work in 6 weeks.  Back on the bike in late April.  Back on the golf course in May.  Now I'm back to riding 350-400 mile days easy.  And no more recovery time after.

Might be worth a look for you, certainly worked  for me.  Best thing since my back surgery when I got all the feeling back in my leg and foot.  Good luck, I feel your pain.

 
Able I've been wondering why you were selling now it makes sense. Good luck to ya. I agree maybe a silver wing, Bergman or a can am spider if none of those work for ya my wife and I have a miata and I'll tell ya it's the closest thing to riding a bike that has 4 wheels.

 
   Sorry to see you leave bikes, but a trike is not a substitute for a bike.  Completely different handling dynamics.  Plus, you would still have to straddle the seat, which is a painful thing when your hips are bad.

   Maybe a Mazda Miata, a Mustang GT, something along that line?

   Good luck.  I hope it gets better.

 
Not sure this will be of any help.  As for the hip replacement.  About 12 years ago I met a lady that was at that time about 65.  She had both hips replaced several years earlier.  After meeting me and riding a few time 2-up she decided to attend the MSF Basic, got her M endorsement and started riding.  Her first bike was a Katana 750 no less!  She did pretty well on it.

Recently, while at a motorcycle demo ride event, the sme dealer also sold SlingShots.  While there I test rode on.  I was surprised I liked it as much as I did.  It is a sporty ride, with only getting in and out be a bother to my old worn out body.

I'm 74 and this past year it looked like I was on my last year of riding 2 wheels.  The pain was getting to the point I could only ride for about an hour and even driving I could only make about 30 minutes before the hip pain forced me to stop and take a break.  The breaks were getting longer and the drive/ride time was getting shorter.  I do have osteoarthritis in my hips, shoulders, back and other joints.  I have suffered with it for many years, but always managed to get past it.  This past year, it got much worse and seemed to attack every joint to the point life wasn't looking so good, I was getting crippled up.  In my case it turns out I have PMR and they put me on a light does of oral steroids.  Now I have little pain and I'm back close to being normal.  Steroids come with their side effects (which aren't necessarily good) and they aren't for everyone.  They may be an option for you, maybe not.  Good Luck with it, the choices are great, but we do what we can with what we have.

 
Stose,

Can't help much on the specific medical options, but for riding, take a look at (and maybe a ride on) the Burgman scoots.  Not a Vespa, but almost as easy.  It doesn't need to be a 650, unless you want that, because they do come smaller.  To me, it seems a better option than three wheels.  A better custom-fit saddle can make or break any vehicle, so consider that option, as well.

Medically, I'd like to suggest getting some (many) second opinions.  Doctors can get tunnel vision too, such that if they can't help you, they think that nobody else can.  Don't fall for that arrogance; this is your life, your body, and you need to live in it.  Hang tough.

Best wishes.

 
   Sorry to see you leave bikes, but a trike is not a substitute for a bike.  Completely different handling dynamics.  Plus, you would still have to straddle the seat, which is a painful thing when your hips are bad.

   Maybe a Mazda Miata, a Mustang GT, something along that line?

   Good luck.  I hope it gets better.
Sitting on the bike is definitely not comfortable anymore, I'd agree that the straddle is the big problem. Riding horses is out too!

 
Anyways I've milled over the idea of looking for very low slung bikes with an upright riding position or a trike (after retirement of course). Any thoughts from you all, and anyone else with hip arthritis that would like to chime in, I'd be more than grateful to get some input.
DON'T SAY GOODBYE, YET! Look for a GoldWing with a Tilting Motor Works kit with TiltLock.  Two front wheels, leans like a normal bike when at speed, and locks vertical (to the horizon, not the road!) as you approach 0mph.  Not cheap, but as close as you'll want to get to "normal" motorcycle behavior.  Harley and Indian versions, too.




 
DON'T SAY GOODBYE, YET! Look for a GoldWing with a Tilting Motor Works kit with TiltLock.  Two front wheels, leans like a normal bike when at speed, and locks vertical (to the horizon, not the road!) as you approach 0mph.  Not cheap, but as close as you'll want to get to "normal" motorcycle behavior.  Harley and Indian versions, too.
Ludwig I saw one of those at a shop in Springfield Missouri. Pretty cool idea, but they are NOT cheap.

 

Latest posts

Top