Kidney belts, are they any good?

[hInstance]

Hi all. I was wondering if anyone has experience of riding their GS while wearing a kidney belt. Are they helpful in preventing soreness and fatigue? I have a cushion for my GS to help prevent a sore backside on long rides but I am still getting sore in my back. Thanks for any advice offered.

[Janx101]

What handlebar setup do you have?

..

Sore back can be from being leaned too far forward. ..

Can also be how you are sitting, how much you grip/not grip the tank with your legs

How much weight you are taking/or not with your arms

How tense you are on the bike

How much you slump/sit up on the seat

Kidney belts are great!.. but designed to provide extra pressure and support to your kidneys and close surrounding muscles, to avoid bruising and shaking from rough terrain and roads... not so much to correct posture/soreness issues.

Sure you could tighten it up till it might hold you up a tiny bit but then you may risk numbness or other nerve pressure issues?

Some simple core strength exercises might help,  as well as noticing/noting your posture on the bike.

Even the pants you wear... if they let you slide around on the seat (when you don't mean to!) Then your back is doing a whole lot extra work!

More info on where/when/how your back is hurting?

[Jimbob]

We have the Dr in the house

[Janx101]

Aww hell no! ... just hurt my back in minor ways a lot in 25 years of moving furniture!, enough physio/chiropractor/ massage visits where I paid attention to what the experts said .. to relieve some of my own pain through following their instructions. ...

Well after I was 30 anyway! Before that I was invincible! Till I got hurt again!..

Even when I started riding my GS 3 or 4 years ago.. I had several bad rides where I was stiff and sore after an hour or so...  bad 'form'/posture. .

Driving trucks interstate too for way over 500k kms! I learned tough way a number of times about sitting poorly for extended periods..

By all means seek registered medical advice/get checked over! I just relate what I personally have experienced!

Your cushion hInstance. . What sort of cushion? .. lounge cushion?, simple foam square?, fancy eagle air seat?.. how secure is it? How high is it?

[Janx101]

..double post I know...

But the thing is..  I don't think a kidney belt is 'the simple solution' for back pain while riding! .. they have their usage for sure! And maybe you are chattering across corrugated surfaces a lot!, jiggling your kidneys and suffering pain from doing so..  I'm a teensy bit skeptical about that though!?

[Atesz792]

Have to agree with Janx here!
A bit about pants: I have two pairs, a mesh and a leather one. Love 'em both, but only wear the leathers when going to the twisties, 'cause they provide SO much better grip on the fuel tank. The mesh pants are great for summer high temp cruising, when the wind supports my chest, so I don't need that much grip with the knees.
Just some thoughts

[hInstance]

This is the cushion I bought off eBay. It's has loose velcro straps that go under the seat. Mainly it's the weight of the person that stops it moving about. It's filled with lot's of soft pellets, I don't know what they are. Possibly bean bag filler. I guess I'm looking for a magic pill that fixes all ills. I will say that it does reduce soreness in the bum after long rides.
As for my handlebars they are stock but do have risers on them to lift them up a little. And yes I do have a sneaking suspicion that I am too tense and am using my arm muscles too much to hold me up.

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[Suzuki Stevo]

I have been riding since 1968, stopping and standing for 5 minutes every hour on the hour at the bare minimum is the only thing that works for me on long rides.

The above will help your butt not your back 

[Janx101]

Mmm yeah, nice bum pad! .. but it needs to be strapped down tight!, if it moves/slides a little and then you (even unconsciously) are moving/shifting your bum around to counteract that movement. .. then your back is doing double duty! ...

Also,  even though it looks low, it gonna raise you a little, so you may then be leaned forward a little,  not as much as say with clubman bars! But with them you KNOW your are forward and consciously shift your body/bum to suit!

..  thinking... higher bum. .. bar raisers?! Doesn't need to be much! Just a little up and back?

[hInstance]

Unfortunately the weird Velcro arrangement of the cushion doesn't allow it to be tied down securely. I think you're right about the tense bit though. I'm going to have to try to relax more and keep the weight off the arms. Thanks for the advice though 

[Slack]

Unfortunately the weird Velcro arrangement of the cushion doesn't allow it to be tied down securely. I think you're right about the tense bit though. I'm going to have to try to relax more and keep the weight off the arms. Thanks for the advice though 

So get a pad that can be secured  Simple, lol
Try using your legs to grip the tank and support yourself that way, instead of using your arms to hold the weight. You should be able to slam on the brakes and hold all of your weight with your lower body,  such that if you didn't need to steer and hold the front brake you could let go of the bars without flipping over the front end of the bike.
You may also just need to get into better shape. Motorcycle riding is a physically demanding activity. Maybe some crunches in the morning? Don't mean to be at all rude. 

[mimikeni]

My GS has a stock seat and handlebars. I am middle-aged and have some lower back issues, but I think I'd feel sore after an hour of riding no matter what. I usually try to consciously change my riding position around on longer rides and a stretch every hour or hundred miles (whichever comes first) is a good practice. That said, I have given some thought to a kidney belt and maybe getting my stock seat foam upgraded.

[Janx101]

You can get a back support type belt setup. . Just a kidney belt isn't it!