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Adjusting to 2009 Ultra Classic

Geezerglide,
I am 5ft 11 inches too with a 29 inseam. Rode a '07 Road King Classic first then recently got my '09 Ultra Classic. I would highly recommend a back rest, it makes a world of difference. The second thing I am considering is a new seat to move me forward and one that is narrow at the front so my feet will be a litle flater at stops. I have to move up on my current factory seat to feel secure at a stop. I would feel more comfortable riding 2 up if I could pick up 1 inch.

Good luck with your new ride.
 
I'm 5'9" and have the same problem. Already have the reach seat but it's not enough, need to get the $700 bar set-up to fix it. I put over 1700 miles on my bike last weekend and my back was killing me afterwards because I was hunched forward. Bars are soooo expensive because of the ABS wire harness and clutch cable. I'm ordering the bars ASAP.
 
I'm 5'9" and have the same problem. Already have the reach seat but it's not enough, need to get the $700 bar set-up to fix it. I put over 1700 miles on my bike last weekend and my back was killing me afterwards because I was hunched forward. Bars are soooo expensive because of the ABS wire harness and clutch cable. I'm ordering the bars ASAP.


Just curious, was it your upper back?
 
Walleye,

I had a weird pinching feeling in between my shoulders and my lower back ached. I have a feeling I would have been sore even if I had the Pullback bars because I did 886 miles Sunday and it never got above 53 degrees but I'm still going to order the bars.
 
The dealer didn't tell me about an extra cost for the abs harness and clutch cable. Are you sure about that. The bars I order give me 2 extra inches.
 
One of the reasons that I ordered the new bars before trying to angle the existing ones back is that when I bought the bike I order heated handgrips. (Canada gets cold sometimes). They were not in stock so I am getting them put on at the first service. They have to do quite a bit to install them so I thought that it would make sense to switch the bars at the same time.

I will let you know how it works.

Save your money and don't get the heated grips, they complicate existing wiring in the bars and have their own long term reliability issues. Because the need is seasonal many riders opt for heated apparel including gloves to warm the back of the hand which actually do get cold, removable and with controls available to match conditions. JMO :s
 
For those that have installed the reach seat, I know you get moved lower and forward so does it affect your foot control and floor board positioning at all? Right now the gear shift and brake and floor boards seem good. By moving forward and down does it make a big difference?
 
Update: I went for an amazing ride tonight and the odometer passed 1,000. It was awesome. Some of my back issues are improving so I guess I am getting used to the Ultra Classic. I still haven't tested it during the break in period. I don't think I have been above 3,500 rpm. Even so it has lots of power. I am really impressed how well this bike handles. I had to do a hard stop yesterday and the abs kicked in a bit. It worked well. This is a long weekend in Canada so I hope to do a lot of riding.

Cheers
 
Geezer,

Being the saw'd off type (5'9"), I really found the reach seat to help me. I think the biggest plus was the narrower seat width, the reach seat didn't stretch my groin and helped me reach the ground flatfooted without stretching the groin area....:bigsmiley21: It also gives you more lower back support because it does lower your riding position. I think I'm more comfortable shifting/braking with the reach seat that I was with the stocker. I'm really curious about what Smitty and Merlynn have to say about using the stock cables with the pullback bars. I'm going to talk to my dealer tomorrow......you guys gonna back me up?
 
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