Pain between shoulder blades

[DaWadd]

Are you too tense while riding maybe? Try relaxing and sitting straight up. I have a neck injury that haunts me but HeliBars worked for me. Very adjustable.

[willtill]

Are you too tense while riding maybe? Try relaxing and sitting straight up. I have a neck injury that haunts me but HeliBars worked for me. Very adjustable.

I was going to suggest that as well to him DaWadd. It's a new bike for him, he may be unknowingly gripping the handlebars too tightly for long periods.

I normally get the pain between the shoulder blades myself in the late winter/early spring when I start riding often again. Pain seems to go away after a few months of riding; then I get pains elsewhere because of just plain old age.

[maxrider]

So if the physical adjustment is not in your reach, and or not desired, you should at least try the more prudent inexpensive options offered here on the board, which just about cover all known remedies known to mankind.

All the posters above have touched on the known fixes from multiple years of experience, one I would suggest is to reevaluate your grip constantly, think and act like you are playing the piano, sit upright, relaxed, and just have your fingers on the handlebars, you won't crash, no worries there.

Now kinda let your arms flop a bit, like doing the chicken dance movement, this will assure you that you are going to relax that arm on purpose, do this exercise as much as you can to start.

Once you start feeling better, you will do this routine less, because you become a more relaxed rider.

You will get rid of that extra exertion on the bar.

I'm going to use some other suggestions for you from my LD pals with their inputs

For that between the shoulder blades pinch, try slouching. Well known as the 'Sport-Touring Slouch' among distance riders on bikes like the FJR and ST1100/1300. Others find this a symptom of the bar sweep or rise being off for them. Play with the ergos if you can.



It is somewhat dependent on-bike position. Roll your hips back, shoulders forward, and relax instead of sitting up straight. Doesn't really work on an ADV bike or full Sportbike since the natural seating positions are in opposite directions of the neutral Sport-touring body position. But works great on a F6B.

Good luck, practice it, and you will get results.

[SeaSteve]

I had the same issue, sharp pain between the shoulder blades, but went with a set of "Grip Puppies" for under $20.00. I think the small diameter OEM grips were causing me to grip too tightly. As soon as I added these I noticed the pain went away.

I hadn't considered the grip size being a possible cause. or at least making me grip tighter.

All the posters above have touched on the known fixes from multiple years of experience, one I would suggest is to reevaluate your grip constantly, think and act like you are playing the piano, sit upright, relaxed, and just have your fingers on the handlebars, you won't crash, no worries there.

This is a GREAT description of what I meant when I posted, "Focusing on pushing my elbows are far down as possible."

Since we're here I'll add that, I don't get any "aches or pains" anywhere else and I did a 1500 mile Iron Butt on the stock seat. The bikes too perfect for that.

[stevenolts]

I bought the better forks which are 1" lower but I have not installed them yet.
I have had them for 3 years. I need to install them.

Stevenolts

[stevenolts]

My problem is how wide the F6B seat is even with the Mustang 1" lower and narrower seat.

stevenolts

[Eternalydamd]

So if the physical adjustment is not in your reach, and or not desired, you should at least try the more prudent inexpensive options offered here on the board, which just about cover all known remedies known to mankind.

All the posters above have touched on the known fixes from multiple years of experience, one I would suggest is to reevaluate your grip constantly, think and act like you are playing the piano, sit upright, relaxed, and just have your fingers on the handlebars, you won't crash, no worries there.

Now kinda let your arms flop a bit, like doing the chicken dance movement, this will assure you that you are going to relax that arm on purpose, do this exercise as much as you can to start.

Once you start feeling better, you will do this routine less, because you become a more relaxed rider.

You will get rid of that extra exertion on the bar.

I'm going to use some other suggestions for you from my LD pals with their inputs

For that between the shoulder blades pinch, try slouching. Well known as the 'Sport-Touring Slouch' among distance riders on bikes like the FJR and ST1100/1300. Others find this a symptom of the bar sweep or rise being off for them. Play with the ergos if you can.



It is somewhat dependent on-bike position. Roll your hips back, shoulders forward, and relax instead of sitting up straight. Doesn't really work on an ADV bike or full Sportbike since the natural seating positions are in opposite directions of the neutral Sport-touring body position. But works great on a F6B.

Good luck, practice it, and you will get results.

Thank you, yeah, there are a lot of great ideas here and from others.

I'll try these things first, the grips are actually wide as hell, probably over double diameter than stock, I'm thinking the previous owner installed there, I thought it was just the grip warmers before.

I do have a problem with relaxing in my all day every day life. I'll give that "chicken movement" a try. Although I've put well over 100k miles on bikes in the last 5 years and this is the only one I've had this particular issue with.

[Eternalydamd]

So if the physical adjustment is not in your reach, and or not desired, you should at least try the more prudent inexpensive options offered here on the board, which just about cover all known remedies known to mankind.

All the posters above have touched on the known fixes from multiple years of experience, one I would suggest is to reevaluate your grip constantly, think and act like you are playing the piano, sit upright, relaxed, and just have your fingers on the handlebars, you won't crash, no worries there.

Now kinda let your arms flop a bit, like doing the chicken dance movement, this will assure you that you are going to relax that arm on purpose, do this exercise as much as you can to start.

Once you start feeling better, you will do this routine less, because you become a more relaxed rider.

You will get rid of that extra exertion on the bar.

I'm going to use some other suggestions for you from my LD pals with their inputs

For that between the shoulder blades pinch, try slouching. Well known as the 'Sport-Touring Slouch' among distance riders on bikes like the FJR and ST1100/1300. Others find this a symptom of the bar sweep or rise being off for them. Play with the ergos if you can.



It is somewhat dependent on-bike position. Roll your hips back, shoulders forward, and relax instead of sitting up straight. Doesn't really work on an ADV bike or full Sportbike since the natural seating positions are in opposite directions of the neutral Sport-touring body position. But works great on a F6B.

Good luck, practice it, and you will get results.

I tried these suggestions on multiple 400+ mile days over a 4 day ride, happy to say no pain! Thank you so much!