[Moto]

I have a 2010 GL1800
My hips cramp when I put my feet down to do low-speed u-turns or maybe back the bike up, even using the reverse gear my hips still cramp up severely. Pretty much anytime I have to put my feet down on the ground when I've been riding my Goldwing my hips will cramp up severely. 9 years ago I had a brand new 2009 Goldwing with the same results although not as bad because I was only 47 years old. Now that I'm 58 it seems that it's much worse. 8 years ago when I got rid of my other Goldwing I went to a Harley Red King in a V-Strom dl1000 with no problems at all I still have both of us bikes and my Goldwing but when I ride my Goldwing my hips cramp up severely to the point that I don't know if I can keep riding this bike. Took the Goldwing I like 200 mile run this weekend hips cramping up so bad halfway through that I wasn't sure if I would be able to ride back home and they act all night long as I lay in bed hard to sleep, I woke up the next day. On my Harley Road it everything was fine then I put up my Harley got on my V-Strom everything was fine, it appears the narrower V-Twin configuration doesn't make my legs spread out so bad and I don't get the pain.
I was wondering if other people have experienced this problem and if they have were they able to fix the problem possibly with a different receipt I've tried the regular stock seat, a Corbin seat, and now the Ultimate seat, they all do it.
I'm hoping that I don't have to get rid of this bike, and it doesn't do it as bad on short trips, like if I'm just going to town, just running around local,not as bad. One reason I got the Goldwing was to take longer rides on. I'm afraid that just isn't going to work out for me unless I can come up with a cure, any help would be appreciated.

 

[Moto]

Sorry about the spelling and punctuation, as I was speaking into the microphone and it did not interpret me very well.
I'm not able to edit unless I'd change to a different format on my smartphone.
So once again I apologize if my first post was a difficult read.

 

[UNCLEJOHN]

SOMETIMES MINE DO AND STAND UP ON PEGS AND USUALLY GOES AWAY. TRY STRETCHING AND TRY SOME POTASSIUM ! ARE YOU STAYING HYDRATED ENOUGH ? AS YOU STATED DIFF RIDING POSITION SO SUGGEST YOU EXERSIZE HIPS THIGH MUSCLES. MITE JUST BE OUT OF SHAPE ? GOOD LUCK. GOLDEN YEARS AINT WHAT ALL CRACKED UP TO BE :serious::grin2:

 

[h8ster]

I find stretching works really well before during and after a ride! My hips occasionally get cramps, especially in early season! If you have a chiropractor, they may be able to recommend specific stretchs! I do the same ones I do if I’m going on a rigorous walk.... similar to what runners do!

 

[JoeHall]

Recently returning from Glockjock's shindig, I took a scenic route home, about 1450 miles. I rode 750 miles on the last day, and arrived home about 10PM. That night, for the first time in my life, I woke up in the middle of the night with extreme cramping in both legs. I got out of bed and tried to walk it off, but with limited success. As soon as I'd lay back down, the cramps would return. It went on for the next day or so, but gradually got better. I never made the link with the 2008 GW, but perhaps there is. I was not dehydrated, and drank a magnesium/potassium supplement once per day on the trip. Now you got me wondering. Thanks for posting this thread.

 

[rayjoe]

goldwing

Funny I should see this post. Just yesterday I took one of my goldwings for a ride. Got cramps just as you described. This is the first time I have had this problem also. I'm 67.

On a side note I have been playing Pickleball several times a week and that maybe a contributing factor also. Magnesium/potassium is a good idea. It's suppose to help with cramping.

Don't give up yet, talk to your Doc and see If they have any suggestions.


Rayjoe

 

[slolane]

Ok, this is my story on hip trouble. I was getting severe pain in my thighs when I rode and it was getting worse to the point I could not ride anymore. I was telling my daughter about as she is a athletic trainer. She said I needed hip x-rays to see what the problem was. I kept telling her the pain was not in my hips but my thighs. After a year of not riding I went and got x-rays and sure enough my hips were shot. The doctor said the pain can show up different places for different people. To make a long story short I had both hips replaced and can ride pain free now. I am back to putting in 800 mile days with no problem. I was 61 when I had the surgeries 66 now and has really given me my life back! Like you I was doing all kinds of stretches, exercises and workouts nothing helped. I know its not what you want to hear but see a doctor just to be sure and an x-ray will tell the tale. I suffered for over a year before I went and am glad I did go. If you want more info pm me I would be glad to talk to you about it. Get the x-rays to know for sure and if you do need the replacement don't wait the younger you are the easier it is to recover.

 

[SteelTraveler]

Moto, I think you have analyzed the problem correctly. This is a wide motorcycle. It really comes down to the distance between your knees and how long you are in that position. As a rider on the Goldwing, the distance between my knees is about 15 inches (probably varies depending on the height/weight of rider). The passenger has it even worse. Distance between the passenger's knees is over 20 inches. This is a wide motorcycle and, as you have already learned, a new seat won't fix that.

Last year, my wife (as a passenger) developed the same symptoms that you describe. Her hips hurt so bad that she couldn't sleep at night. She stopped riding the Goldwing for 3 months and the hip pain went away. When she began riding with me again, the hip pain returned.

We were able to eliminate her hip pain entirely by doing three things: adding passenger footboard risers; she's trained herself to keep her knees as close together as possible while riding; and, probably most important, we don't take long trips on the Goldwing anymore.

I understand that you are the rider and not the passenger, but I think you are suffering from exactly the same problem.

Old hips + wide motorcycle + 15K miles a yr = hip pain. I know this is not the advice that you want to hear, but in my opinion, you have to change one of those three things. I know what I'd do. Buying a new motorcycle is always exciting!

(Of course replacing those "old hips" is also an option.)

 

[Danl]

Do you drink lots caffeine free drinks(water) as you ride? Sounds like you are dehydrating as you ride. I get mean cramps if I don't drink enough as I ride. Why you have no problem when riding the other bikes may be you do not ride as long as you do on a "real" bike. A good check is to notice the color of your pee, More yellow, More dehydrated you are. It does not need to be hot for dehydrating your body. Wind blowing on your skin can speed the process. Start hydrating at least 24 hours before the ride. You ae only 58, wait until you reach 65, it does not get better.

I went to the doctor, complaining about my joint pain, her comment was well you are not 30 anymore, my response was that may be true, but I don't feel a day older then 31. I changed doctors that day.

 

[Big_Bird]

So far we've got drink more water, take some pills, get new hips, exercise, farkle, get a new bike.

I'm going to chime in with aliens, eat a banana, pray, stop smoking.

We're pretty helpful here!

I get occasional weird hip cramps like you're talking about and they are a bother. As chronic as yours are, I think there's something structural going on with how you and the bike get along. Hopefully, one or the other or both of you can figure out how to mix it up and get along.

 

[awingnut105]

I have had the same problem from time to time. It’s not necessarily age related, nor is it necessarily related to the 1800 since the first time it happened was when I was younger and long before the 1800 came along. It never happened often and I never discovered exactly what was causing it since it just happens now and then. Not being properly hydrated is definitely a possibility because I have always seemed to have a hard time staying properly hydrated.

 

[oldbikerbill]

I've had both hips replaced, and I can tell you, it's in the width of the seat and how it's built. I can ride 200 miles or so, I don't get the cramps, but my hips are sore. For the cramps, you might try eating some pickles before the ride, sounds silly, but it works for some cyclist. As some comments say, age is not your friend, it's just not a normal position to sit for that period of time.

 

[greyhound]

I've experienced this problem in varying degrees for many years. Only when I put feet down perhaps at a somewhat awkward angle during a stop. I'm currently 72 and it doesn't seem to have gotten worse as the years pass. I consider myself to be in good physical condition, go to a gym 3x/wk and walk several miles on the other days; not overweight. Can occur either early in a ride or late. I can get it to subside by standing on pegs or otherwise stretching my legs. Don't have an answer as to why it's happening.

 

[trewm]

I'm the same age as the OP and have had the same problem for several years, although the pain goes away once I get off the bike and walk around a bit. I've found I can solve the pain if I move my feet from the regular pegs to the highway pegs and back periodically. It only flares up if I keep my feet on the regular pegs for an hour or longer and only when I then come to a stop and put my feet down.

 

[GOV5]

About eating pickles... my neighbor told me a trick to get rid of those leg cramps at night. He said to go downstairs and pull out the Dill Pickle jar and pour out a sip or two of pickle juice and drink it. Dang if those cramps didn't go away in just a few minutes. I couldn't believe it.

I just watched a show on the Cooking Channel and it said the same thing. It seems that there are two ingredients in the juice that help against cramps. I think they said potassium AND salt.

 

[PeteF1]

I had cramps in my right hip until I had it replaced. Even after replacement, I had cramps, but diligently walking and stretching over time solved it. I also checked my upper body position. I came from a Harley, and even on my new Wing with Helibar risers, I had my riding position set to straight up like a stick to tilting backward. I was getting pain in my left hip. It turns out this was the wrong position. It sounds counterintuitive, but of curiosity, I changed the Helibars so I'm sitting just slightly forward; not like a sport bike, but slightly, but I can still rest against the backrest. That solved my issues.

 

[tamathumper]

I have ****-O-Pegs installed, and they are spring-loaded so they're forward of the foot pegs and several inches higher as well. That means I have to pick up my legs and extend them forward to reach the ****-O-Pegs, then the weight of my legs pushes them down and forward where it's comfortable.

But that act of raising and extending my legs causes my hips to cramp early in the season, especially the left one, and it takes several minutes for it to go away completely. It helps to put my feet forward on the ****-O-Peg arms, close in to the engine and as far forward as I can get them.

It's in the tendon located at the very front/top of the thigh that is responsible for lifting your leg like that, and it hurts like @$!!~. If it was like that for more than a few minutes, I wouldn't be able to ride very far. Copious amounts of PowerAde and some conditioning makes it go away, but I'm only 51. At my current rate of decline, I'll be in real trouble in another decade.

I literally feel your pain.

 

[Trebor1978]

I too have hip pain occasionally. Never really thought about it as a cramp, felt more like joint pain. However, what I am reading is exactly what my doctor (also rides a Goldwing) told me to do - potassium, magnesium, stay hydrated when riding (I'm n FL, so that may be the root cause), and exercise.


One of the exercises he suggested were the ones where you open (spread) and close (squeeze) your legs with varying amounts of weight on the machine designed for such movement. According to him, those are muscles we rarely use anymore, unless we are still very physically active (re: sports, etc.). Yes, he position of your legs is spread out more than on narrower bikes; however, I have had the same issues when riding non-Wing. I have begun doing those as well as walking more frequently. Planet Fitness @ $10 per month is great.


My pain was not/is not consistent, so that's why I think hydration may be the primary cause. Usually goes away when I stop and walk around, at which time I usually drink some water. Rarely comes back after that.


People talking about 200, 400, and 800 mile rides must realize that takes time (re: 3, 6 or 10+ hours), without water, in the sun, with wind flying by sapping the moisture off of your skin (especially ATGATT causing more sweating), hydration and the loss of electrolytes will have those effects.

 

[JW.]

IMHO it is the Goldwing seating position. If I'm away riding for days night cramps, in feet particularly, bother me but I don't get any problem on my Spyder or Rocket. Both are equally wide but they have feet further forward riding position. I guess your Harley is similar with feet forward.

If you cramp up when on the bike, stress and anxiety may play a part. The more settled and relaxed you are, the better. No falling asleep though!

 

[WVMANDINGO]

Never really developed hip cramps, but do get leg cramps sometimes on longer rides. I think the key is staying hydrated and getting off the bike more frequently to stretch. I never had this problem on a V-twin where I had more freedom to move my legs.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk