I get a Leg pain after riding the RT for more than half an hour - anyone else? Any solutions?

[olegeezer]

After riding I get pain in the top of my thighs that is taking all the joy out of riding my new Spyder. I don’t have this pain when riding my two wheel Yamaha Eluder.
I’m strongly suspicious that the cause is the changed ergonomics of the new riding position. I’m looking for anyone who has experienced this problem and what might be done to solve it. Thank you in advance, any advice or experiences could help me solve this.

 

[Peter Aawen]

Is that pain occurring WHILE you're riding, or AFTER you ride??

Just to start with, Spyders require a LOT more physical involvement to ride spiritedly, waaaay more than just about any 2 wheeled bike, simply because they don't have the 2 dirty great big gyroscopes (wheels) to help things stay upright, lean thru a corner, etc - and all of those forces need to be counteracted by the Spyder Ryder, so unless you're just sitting astride and tootling around the place, you're very likely gonna be working muscles that you forgot you had decades ago!!!

Beyond that, a Spyder really IS a completely different animal to any 2 wheeled bike, and you WILL be using different muscles and skills to ride it, even if you aren't yet showing a clean pair of heels to all the wannabe racers thru the twisty stuff, so some differences and tired muscles etc are to be expected; but if you're getting shooting pains or nerve glitches etc, there could be something that needs to be addressed pdq! Generally, most 'new Spyder Ryder' pains & aches come from being too tense, hanging on too tight, and fighting the Spyder instead of gently guiding it and letting it wander a bit!! Those sorts of pains generally ease over time as the new Ryder learns to relax, and in many instances, effectively UNLEARNS many of the muscle memory responses and skills that years of 2 wheel riding have developed.

Besides, on a Spyder, you have something more than 3 times the contact patch that a 2 wheeled bike has, AND it's spread out in a wide line ACROSS your direction of travel instead of a very small and narrow contact patch that's in line with your direction of travel, so instead of being able to avoid most of it and only react to a tiny bit of it anyway, every little bump or twitch will result in some reaction/response in the bike - and you need to learn to let that happen, don't fight the reaction, don't tense up at the bumps & twitches or try to dodge things by forcing the bike to avoid, just accept that it's a different ride, look waaaaayyy out ahead, and gently ride and guide your Spyder along your chosen path without trying to force it to be exactly on track to the millimetre.

Over to you.

 

[NoTyme]

I have noticed I get more leg cramping on the Spyder than I do on my 2 Wheeler. I would luv to stretch out my legs more while riding, but I'm 6'2" and don't think the RT is built for people my height.

 

[djh3]

Seating position is my first thought. The way you sit on a "regular" motorcycle vs the RT especially is quite different. Possibly you have something out of position joint wise and its aggravated more on one machine vs the other. Try a chiropractor and see if they can relieve it. I visit mine before a long road trip to make sure stuff is in line.

 

[jjc54]

My pain quit after I installed my highway pegs. I use mine 99.5% of the time. I can now ride fill up to fill up with no pain.

 

[FWSpyder]

I am 6'2". A thick seat pad helps me a lot.

I have a chair pad and I cover that with a sheepskin and attach it to the seat with a strap that I screw to the underneath side of the seat pan. It boosts me up a couple inches almost.

Like this:

 

[JohnRtl]

Two thoughts:

I sat on an earlier 2019? Model RT of a friend and the riding position was really cramped. Getting to the brake pedal made the Tryke an impossible option for me. I was really disappointed. Then I sat on a '21 model, which was a lot better. I’m 6’4 with 33inch I/leg. I bought the 2021 RTL.

Having had my first long ride, ie. >15 miles, last week, I discovered that weighting my outside leg on the foot platform got rid of the sensation of the bike about to tip over at every slight change in road camber. But it did mean that my legs got more of a workout than they ever did on the ST1300. And by the end of the day, 80 miles, I could certainly feel it.

But I have been recovering from a snapped calf muscle, and during that 6 months, my other muscles have gone to sleep, so I have been slowly building up strength. Walking, stretching, a few slow squats, leg swings, and stretches. Nothing too arduous. I can do a 3 mile walk just once a week now, which is big progress. And I have to have a couple of days rest afterwards with only mild stretches and ‘keep it moving’ exercises. But yes, I certainly felt it after 80 miles on the Spyder, and my legs ached the following morning. A couple of months ago, I was in tears with the pain around my hip and thigh after walking a quarter mile.

See a physiotherapist. Tell them exactly where it hurts and what you are trying to do. It is worth spending the money - they will sort out any knots in your muscle fibres and give you exercises to do to build up a little more strength.

 

[Mikey]

Some of your problem is that you're using muscles you haven't used in a while, and you are tensing up most likely when turning! Try to relax and just hug the tank with your legs more.

 

[olegeezer]

Is that pain occurring WHILE you're riding, or AFTER you ride??

Just to start with, Spyders require a LOT more physical involvement to ride spiritedly, waaaay more than just about any 2 wheeled bike, simply because they don't have the 2 dirty great big gyroscopes (wheels) to help things stay upright, lean thru a corner, etc - and all of those forces need to be counteracted by the Spyder Ryder, so unless you're just sitting astride and tootling around the place, you're very likely gonna be working muscles that you forgot you had decades ago!!!

Beyond that, a Spyder really IS a completely different animal to any 2 wheeled bike, and you WILL be using different muscles and skills to ride it, even if you aren't yet showing a clean pair of heels to all the wannabe racers thru the twisty stuff, so some differences and tired muscles etc are to be expected; but if you're getting shooting pains or nerve glitches etc, there could be something that needs to be addressed pdq! Generally, most 'new Spyder Ryder' pains & aches come from being too tense, hanging on too tight, and fighting the Spyder instead of gently guiding it and letting it wander a bit!! Those sorts of pains generally ease over time as the new Ryder learns to relax, and in many instances, effectively UNLEARNS many of the muscle memory responses and skills that years of 2 wheel riding have developed.

Besides, on a Spyder, you have something more than 3 times the contact patch that a 2 wheeled bike has, AND it's spread out in a wide line ACROSS your direction of travel instead of a very small and narrow contact patch that's in line with your direction of travel, so instead of being able to avoid most of it and only react to a tiny bit of it anyway, every little bump or twitch will result in some reaction/response in the bike - and you need to learn to let that happen, don't fight the reaction, don't tense up at the bumps & twitches or try to dodge things by forcing the bike to avoid, just accept that it's a different ride, look waaaaayyy out ahead, and gently ride and guide your Spyder along your chosen path without trying to force it to be exactly on track to the millimetre.

Over to you.

Thanks for your reply. The pain goes away very quickly as soon as I get off the Spyder.

 

[Kromm]

I have noticed I get more leg cramping on the Spyder than I do on my 2 Wheeler. I would luv to stretch out my legs more while riding, but I'm 6'2" and don't think the RT is built for people my height.

I am also 6'2". I felt that the leg room was a bit "tight" so I had a custom seat made. You can read my review of it here. I had them add a little to the seat so I sit a touch higher. which gave me the added leg room I needed. I also still love riding my FJR, but the arthritis in my hip prevents me from spending more than a couple of hours on it at a time. I find that I have no issues on the RTL. It's the most comfortable "bike" I have ever owned.

 

[JayBros]

Possible low/no cost solution: yoga stretching exercises, both before and after riding. Yoga isn't competitive exercise, just individual practice with one's own bones, muscles and joints.

 

[olegeezer]

I certainly don’t see how it (yoga) could hurt. Thanks.

I’ve tried the Airhawk seat cushion, it didn’t help much if any. I have a 29” inseam and I’m currently looking at floorboard risers and highway pegs as possible solutions. I think I can mimic the floorboard risers before ordering them? BRP, Lamonster, and Slingmods have them for sale.
If “We” get this figured out, I promise to post a summary of the solution for my problem. In the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions (other than surgery), by all means please offer it up. Thanks again for all the input, this is a great place to go for Spyder advice!

 

[Knizar]

After riding I get pain in the top of my thighs that is taking all the joy out of riding my new Spyder. I don’t have this pain when riding my two wheel Yamaha Eluder.
I’m strongly suspicious that the cause is the changed ergonomics of the new riding position. I’m looking for anyone who has experienced this problem and what might be done to solve it. Thank you in advance, any advice or experiences could help me solve this.

1st, what year & model Spyder are you riding?
2nd, does it have a drivers back-rest?

I'm 75 and use a back-rest when riding alone, NO hip pain.
When riding 2-up I remove the back-rest, some times get hip cramps from not relaxing & leaning back against the rest.

Try a back-rest if you don't already have one!

 

[Baird4444]

After riding I get pain in the top of my thighs that is taking all the joy out of riding my new Spyder. I don’t have this pain when riding my two wheel Yamaha Eluder.
I’m strongly suspicious that the cause is the changed ergonomics of the new riding position. I’m looking for anyone who has experienced this problem and what might be done to solve it. Thank you in advance, any advice or experiences could help me solve this.

I'm working on a set of "floating floorboards" so I can stretch out....

 

[olegeezer]

1st, what year & model Spyder are you riding?
2nd, does it have a drivers back-rest?

I'm 75 and use a back-rest when riding alone, NO hip pain.
When riding 2-up I remove the back-rest, some times get hip cramps from not relaxing & leaning back against the rest.

Try a back-rest if you don't already have one!

It’s a 2024 S2S. I’m 75 and yes, I have the back rest in place.

 

[07PSDCREW]

I ended up with pain in my Groin after “upgrading” to an ultimate seat. It pushed me forward closer to the “tank” and therefore spreading the legs further apart causing groin pain after prolonged riding. I gave the seat 2-300 miles to try it out but had to go back to factory. Otherwise, no pain at all.

 

[Briorick]

I have noticed I get more leg cramping on the Spyder than I do on my 2 Wheeler. I would luv to stretch out my legs more while riding, but I'm 6'2" and don't think the RT is built for people my height.

Agree with you. I'm 6'2" as well, and at first, I experienced the same issues.

What I have found that helped me to enjoy more riding time was installing foot pegs that extended my feet a bit further forward, and swapping out the OEM seat for a Comfort Seat. Huge riding and comfort difference. At times, being taller definitely has it's disadvantages.

 

[Peter Aawen]

IIRC, the BRP supplied optional 'Comfort Seats' for the RT models from 2010 until 2019 provided a 2"/50mm further 'set-back' for the lumbar support bulge, effectively reducing the space available on the pillion seat by that much, but by doing so, allowing the rider to slide back a bit further on the seat and gain a bit of extra leg stretch space - space which helped many of us!

By then adding a/mkt Highway pegs, you'll get even more leg room.

However, none of this ^ 'Comfort Seat' info applies to the 2020+ RT models (the Highway pegs bit does, tho! ) all of the later RT's came with separate seats for the rider and the pillion from the factory, altho some of the upmarket A/mkt alternatives still provide seats for them on a single seat pan...

Maybe this won't help @olegeezer, but for anyone looking for something to suit the older model RT's, I don't know if you can still purchase the BRP supplied 'Comfort Seats' for these models from dealers, but they might be available from one or more of the various parts houses? Just be warned tho, if you're looking to get one of those, many of the 'other' seat variants, OEM/Original fittings, A/mkt alternatives, and others, were called 'Comfort Seats' despite not having that extra room, so you need to check that the seat you are looking at actually does have the smaller 'lumbar support' bulge that shows there's more space for the rider - it's very easy to get the caught out by these 'Comfort Seat' labels that don't always mean the same thing!

Just Sayin'

 

[greer]

I certainly don’t see how it (yoga) could hurt. Thanks.

I’ve tried the Airhawk seat cushion, it didn’t help much if any. I have a 29” inseam and I’m currently looking at floorboard risers and highway pegs as possible solutions. I think I can mimic the floorboard risers before ordering them? BRP, Lamonster, and Slingmods have them for sale.
If “We” get this figured out, I promise to post a summary of the solution for my problem. In the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions (other than surgery), by all means please offer it up. Thanks again for all the input, this is a great place to go for Spyder advice!

I’m betting the floorboard risers will be the ticket. I think the factory seating position may drop your legs down to an unnatural position that creates a strain in the thigh muscles. Good luck and keep us posted.

Sarah