I’m 6′ 2″ and started to experience lower back pain on rides over 50 miles. I spent hours researching solutions and even put my bike up for sale for a few weeks because I couldn’t find a remedy to my problem. I thought I’d write this blog since I know other riders must be experiencing this problem and are desperate for a solution. Here is my solution:

First, go to HarleyGoodies.com and grab a floorboard extension kit for about $50. They only kick the boards out 1″ but it makes a huuuge difference.

Secondly, the factory Softail Deluxe seat is VERY uncomfortable if you’re tall. It puts pressure on your lower back and pushes you forward as if you’re riding on the gas tank. I’ve always been told you should feel like you’re in the bike.. not on it. There are a lot of aftermarket options for seats on the softail but very few keep the vintage look. During my research I found that the Heritage Springer 1997-2003 seat fits the newer softail models and has massive cushion with almost no upward curvature at the rear. It even has a seat rail that fits a small or large back rest. They are no longer made and quite expensive because Harley discontinued these parts. I found mine on ebay by typing in “heritage springer seat” and “heritage springer seat rail”.

Finally, I swapped out my stock handlebar risers for 1.5″ inch risers. This pushed the handlebars forward a few inches letting my arms stretch out.

I have to tell you that I almost sold my bike because of this problem.. the above solutions will improve the look of your softail and add an enormous amount of comfort. I picked up about 4″ inches of leg stretch with the heritage springer seat and 1″ of leg stretch on the floorboard extensions and 3″ inches of arm stretch with the HD 1/5″ inch risers… putting me at a very comfortable riding position. I hope you found this blog useful… oh and 1 more thing if you own a printer checkout Inkgrabber.com and we’ll save you big money in comparison to what you pay now! Below are some cruddy before and after picks I took with my cell phone. Notice the curvature difference and massive padding.

Factory Softail Deluxe Seat above

The Kyocera Mita KM 4035 toner cartridge contains Laser precision technology for crisp and clear documents.  This workhorse of a printer can handle 120,000 printouts or copies per month ideal for the mid-sized to large workgroup or busy office. The printer also has Automatic Duplexing to create 2 sided printouts.  A large Status LCD Display allows users to simply navigate and select menu options.  The printer also has a Fast Ethernet options as well as Wireless capabilities enabling multiple users to print, set-up, and share projects from anywhere in the office.  This machine can also be upgraded to feature a finishing unit capable of stapling, hole-punching, and other formatting jobs.

The cost of printing can be lowered by replacing Original Equipment Manufactured cartridges with cheap Kyocera cartridges in Compatible form.  The best deal being offered is the Kyocera-Mita Compatible 370AB011 Black Toner cartridge.  Each Compatible cartridge will meet or exceed the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridges, yielding up to 34,000 printouts before needing replacement.

The Konica-Minolta MagiColor 3300 toner cartridges contain Thermal Pigments which give projects a rich, vibrant, and smooth finish to colors while providing resistance to water and smudging.  This machine can print onto different types of stationary including t labels, envelopes, and much more.  Being a workgroup printer, this device has a large 500 sheet Input Tray as well as a 100 sheet Multi-Purpose Tray, perfect for odd jobs and printing onto specialty paper.  The MagiColor printer will also be able to create 2 sided printouts with a convenient Duplexing option.  Another nice difference in the trays is the path the media takes, one is curved and the other is straight.

And to save money on the cost of printing, use Compatible toner cartridges for discounts on Konica-Minolta replacement cartridges.  For individual purchase you can get the Compatible Konica-Minolta 1710550-001 Black laser toner cartridge, the Compatible Konica-Minolta 1710550-002 Yellow laser toner cartridge, the Compatible Konica-Minolta 1710550-003 Magenta laser toner cartridge, and the Compatible Konica-Minolta 1710550-004 Cyan laser toner cartridge.  Each Compatible toner cartridge will meet or exceed the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridges, yielding up to 6,500 pages.

Xerox Phaser 790N Office Printer

The Xerox Phaser 790N is a durable and powerful workgroup laser printer ideal for the small business or office environment with multiple users printing on a regular basis.  This office printer will be able to produce up to 26 Monochrome pages per minute and up to 13.8 pages per minute for color printouts.  Projects will come out with good quality resolutions up to 600 x 600 dpi.  The Xerox Phaser comes standard with a Parallel interface and fast Ethernet capabilities for simple connectivity and set-up to multiple devices.  And with only individual Xerox Toner cartridges, you take control of toner usage, only replacing the color cartridge that runs low or out.

The Xerox Phaser 790n toner cartridges contain Thermal Pigments which give projects a rich, vibrant, and smooth finish to documents while providing resistance to water and smudging.  This machine can print onto different types of stationary including transparencies, labels, cardstock, and much more. This printer also contains two 250 sheet Input Trays as well as a additional 100 sheet Multi-Purpose Tray, perfect for odd jobs and printing onto specialty paper.  The Phaser 790N printer will also be able to create 2 sided printouts with a convenient Optional Duplexing option.  It can handle a hefty monthly load of 100,000 printouts, perfect for mid-sized to large offices and workgroups.

Remanufactured cartridges are offered at discount prices and can help save money on Xerox toner cartridges.  The best values being offered are the Remanufactured Xerox 006R01009 Black Toner cartridge, the Remanufactured Xerox 006R01010 Cyan Toner cartridge, the Remanufactured Xerox 006R01011 Magenta Toner cartridge, and the Remanufactured Xerox 006R01012 Yellow Toner cartridge. Each cartridge will meet or exceed the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridges, yielding up to 6,000 printouts for color cartridges and up to 5,000 pages for black cartridges.

Sharp AR 160 Multifunction Monochrome Printer

The Sharp AR M160 is a Monochrome Printer, Copier, and Scanner to assist around the office environment. This black and white printer can copy and print documents quickly and reliably.  It will create printouts at good speeds up to a notable 16 pages per minute.  The Sharp AR m160 printer produces adequate texts and graphics with a maximum resolution of 600 x 600 dpi. Having only one Sharp Laser Toner cartridge makes exchanging toner simple and straightforward with a sleek and fitting design.   This printer can also copy and scan multiple pages unassisted, with a handy 50 sheet Automatic Document Feeder. This printer comes with a Parallel interface and USB capabilities for versatile connectivity and simple set-up to computers.

The Sharp AR m160 toner cartridges will eject deep and vibrant shades with precise contours and tones for smooth graphics and crisp detail. This printer also contains two 250 sheet Input Trays as well as a additional 100 sheet Multi-Purpose Tray, perfect for odd jobs and printing onto specialty paper.  Specialty paper such as envelopes and transparencies and envelopes can be printed onto with the easily with the Multi-Purpose Tray.  The printer features a practical flatbed scanner which can directly scan documents.  This Energy Star printer will be able to fit any desktop or work area with its opportune design and compact shape.

Replacing Sharp toner cartridges with Remanufactured toner cartridges can help reduce the cost of printing.  Individually you can purchase the Compatible Sharp AR-200TD Black Laser Toner cartridge or the Compatible Sharp AR-200DR Drum Unit.  Each Remanufactured cartridge and Drum unit will meet or exceed OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridges, yielding up to 18,000 pages for toner cartridges and up to 30,000 pages for drum units.

Lexmark Optra S1625 Monochrome Printer

The Lexmark Optra S1625 is a Monochrome office machine for those looking to print multiple pages on a regular basis. This office assistant can print up to a notable 16 black and white pages per minute to help keep business productivity going.  It will also create printouts with resolutions up to 600 x 600 dpi, which can be enhanced to a professional quality on images to 1200 x 1200 dpi. Projects on the high quality settings will print with speeds up to 8 pages per minute.  The printer contains one Lexmark toner cartridge which is extremely easy to replace with its sleek and fitting design.  This workgroup printer features a Parallel interface for simple connectivity and set-up to computers.

The Lexmark Optra S1625 toner cartridges eject Thermal Monochrome pigments giving printouts more resistant to water and smudging.  Additionally, the laser toner for Lexmark also gives printouts a bold and smooth finish with laser precision and clarity. This Optra S1625 printer can also print onto specialty papers including Greeting cards, Transparencies, Envelopes, and Labels.  Being a workgroup printer, this device contains a 250 sheet paper tray and an additional 100 sheet Multi-Purpose Tray, perfect for odd jobs and printing onto specialty paper.  This printer will also be able to print 2 sided documents with an optional Duplex feature.

To save money on printing costs, affordable Lexmark toner is available in Remanufactured toner cartridges.  The best value being offered is the Lexmark 1382625 Remanufactured High Yield Black Laser Toner cartridge and the Lexmark Remanufactured 1382625 Black MICR Toner cartridge.  Each Remanufactured cartridge will meet or exceed the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridge being able to produce up to 17,600 printouts.

HP Photosmart A712 Portable Printer

The HP Photosmart A712 is a quality, compact Photograph printer ideal for the family or photo enthusiast looking to print borderless photographs at home.  This printer will be able to create enjoyable photos, images, and graphics with resolutions up to 4800 x 1200 dpi.  This is a sleek and stylish machine that will create high resolution photographs in 100 seconds on the highest settings.  This Photo printer features a USB interface as well as blue tooth capabilities for simple set-up and connectivity to computers anywhere in the home.  The PhotoSmart A712 also has a 20 sheet Input Tray for 4 x 6 Photo Paper. The printer only contains 1 easily replaceable HP ink cartridge, producing a tri-color pigment based ink. It also has a 2.5 in. preview color LCD Screen to easily edit and enhance photographs before printing.

The HP Photosmart A712 ink cartridges eject Thermal, Quick Drying Pigments which are highly resistant to water and smudging.  This device will also be able to print onto different types of media including cardstock and transparencies.  Another nice feature is the Direct Photo Printing, in which photos can be printed directly from your Camera’s Smart Card, Magic Gate, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Secure Digital/MultimediaCard, xD-Picture Card, and PictBridge enabled cameras.  This compact Photo Printer will easily be able to fit any desktop or work area, while complimenting and enhancing your personal photo albums. In addition to fitting desktops, this device is completely portable with its light weight frame and convenient carrying handle.

Replacing HP ink cartridges with Remanufactured inkjet cartridges can help reduce the cost of printing.  For individual purchase you can get the Remanufactured HP 110 Tri-Color Inkjet cartridge CB304AN.  Also offered are the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridges in the Genuine HP 110 Tri-Color Inkjet cartridge CB304AN.  Each Remanufactured cartridge will meet or exceed the OEM cartridges, yielding up to 55 high quality printouts.

HP DeskJet 648C Printer

The HP DeskJet 648C is a straightforward personal printer with reliability and simplicity in mind.  The compact design will allow you to easily fit this printer onto any desktop or work area.  It will produce good quality graphics, images, and texts with resolutions up to 600 x 600 dpi. It prints with speeds up to 6 pages per minute for black and white documents up to 3 pages per minute for color printouts.  It contains 2 easily replaceable Epson ink cartridges that will automatically realign when changed.  And when the printer shell is lifted, the cartridges will automatically align at the center for easy replacement.  This printer features a Parallel interface and USB port for simple set-up and connectivity to computers.

The HP DeskJet 648c ink cartridges eject Drop-on-Demand Thermal inkjets, giving projects resistance to smudging while maintaining bright color and good detail. This printer will also be able to print directly onto a wide range of specialty papers including envelopes, glossy photo paper, Labels, and more.  The Input Tray can hold up to 100 pages and is particularly easy to fill.  Simply lift the Output Tray and slide up to 100 sheets onto the bottom tray until they stop and you’re ready to print.  This also helps when trying to print onto specialty paper because you can actually see the paper that is about to be printed onto. This DeskJet printer produces good quality text and graphics, perfect for the home user or student looking to get the job done.

Remanufactured cartridges will provide discounts on HP ink cartridges and to lower the cost of printing.  The best deal being offered is the 5 Pack Combo of Remanufactured HP Inkjet cartridges consisting of 3 HP 20 Black C6614DN Inkjet Print cartridges and 2 HP 49 Tri-Color 51549A Inkjet Print cartridges.  Individually you can get the Remanufactured C6614DN Black HP 20 Inkjet cartridge, the Remanufactured 51549A Tri-Color HP 49 Inkjet cartridge, and the Remanufactured C1816A HP 16 Photo Inkjet Print cartridge.  Also available are the OEM cartridges in the Genuine HP 20 Black C6614DN Inkjet Print cartridge, the Genuine HP 49 Tri-color 51549A Inkjet Print cartridge, and the Genuine HP 16 Photo C1816A Inkjet Print cartridge.  Each Remanufactured cartridge will meet or exceed the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridges, yielding up to 500 pages for black print cartridges, up to 350 pages for tri-color print cartridges, and up to 210 pages for Photo cartridges.

HP Color LaserJet 3500N Printer

The HP Color LaserJet 3500N is a powerful and reliable workgroup printer ideal for the small business or office environment.  This is a substantial office machine that will be able to produce up to 12 pages per minute for black and white documents and matching up to 12 pages per minute for color projects.  Printouts will come out with respectable quality, in resolutions up to 600 x 600 dpi.  This durable HP printer comes equipped with a USB interface and fast Ethernet capabilities for simple set-up and connectivity to multiple computers.  And with individual HP Laser Toner cartridges, you take control of toner usage, only replacing the cartridge that runs low or out.

The HP Color LaserJet 3500N toner cartridges contain HP ImageRE technology 2400, which recognizes text and graphical page elements to ensure perfect printing every time by automatically adjusting settings.  This machine can print onto different types of presentation papers including transparencies, envelopes, and glossy Photo Paper.  Being a workgroup printer, this device has a 250 sheet Input Tray and an additional 100 sheet Multipurpose Tray, perfect for regularly printing onto different types of media quickly and efficiently.  Another nice feature is the optional Duplex capabilities this printer has, allowing your company the print 2 sided documents. For the frequent users, this office machine will be able to handle up to 45,000 printouts each month.

In addition, inexpensive toner for HP printers is available in Remanufactured Laser Toner cartridges. For individual purchase you can get the Remanufactured HP Q2670A Black Laser Toner cartridge, the Remanufactured HP Q2671A Cyan Laser Toner cartridge, the Remanufactured HP Q2672A Yellow Laser Toner cartridge, and the Remanufactured HP Q2673A Magenta Laser Toner cartridge.  Each Remanufactured toner cartridge will meet or exceed the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridges, yielding up to 4,000 pages for the color toner cartridges and up to 6,000 pages for the black toner cartridge.

Epson Stylus C88 Printer

The Epson Stylus C88 is a color printer with simplicity and user functionality in mind, perfect for the home or sole proprietor that will print documents and photographs on an occasional basis.  It will produce high quality graphics, images, and texts with impressive resolutions up to 5760 x 1440 dpi.  The compact and space-saving design will enable users to easily fit this printer onto any desktop or work area.  This Inkjet printer contains 4 individual and easily replaceable Epson ink cartridges that will automatically realign when changed.  And when the printer shell is lifted, the cartridges will automatically align at the center for easy replacement.  This printer features a Parallel Port and USB interface for set-up and connectivity to computers.

The Epson Stylus C88 ink cartridges eject DURABrite pigments through Micro Piezo inkjets giving projects bright color and good detail with resistance to water and smudging. It will also be able to print directly onto a wide range of specialty papers including envelopes, glossy photo paper, bond paper, and more. This machine will print with good speeds up to 22 pages per minute for black and white documents and up to 12 pages per minute for color projects.  The Input Tray can hold up to 120 pages and is particularly easy to fill.  Simply slide up to 120 sheets into the top slot until they stop and you’re ready to print.  This also helps when trying to print onto specialty paper because you can actually see the paper that is about to be printed onto.

Discount ink for Epson printers is available in Remanufactured cartridges and can significantly lower the cost of printing.  The best value being offered is the 10 Pack Combo of Remanufactured Epson T060 ink cartridges consisting of 4 Black T060120 Inkjet cartridges, 2 Cyan T060220 Inkjet cartridges, 2 Magenta T060320 Inkjet cartridges, and 2 Yellow T060420 Inkjet cartridges.  Also available are for individual purchase are the Remanufactured T060120 Black Inkjet cartridge, the Remanufactured Epson T060220 Cyan Inkjet cartridge, the Remanufactured Epson T060320 Magenta Inkjet cartridge, and the Remanufactured Epson T060420 Yellow Inkjet cartridge.  Also offered are the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridges in the Genuine Epson T060120 Black Inkjet cartridge, the Genuine Epson T060220 Cyan Inkjet cartridge, the Genuine Epson T060320 Magenta Inkjet cartridge, and the Genuine Epson T060420 Yellow Inkjet cartridge.