He's had it for 17 years since he was a kid. I'm pretty sure doctors more qualified than any of you have been through his pie hole thoroughly and given him their diagnoses and recommendations.

He's looking for something else now.

 

Why a softail?

If you want comfort I would go with a touring frame. They are built for touring.

 

Yes, he saw doctors. Were they qualified? Sometimes it takes work to find a good doctor. He stopped taking his medication and isn't doing any stretching or physical therapy. There could be a lot of room for improvement if he learned about his condition and found a qualified doctor.

As an optometrist I know there are great doctors, but there are many that practice outside of their proper scope and misdiagnose and treat incorrectly. If you have a chronic condition, you should see a specialist.

He is asking for superficial solutions, and not dealing with the underlying problem. That's not going to end well.

 

The Softail is lower and not as heavy as a touring bike. It would be a bit easier to move around considering the arthritis and presently having a Sportster I didn't imagine that he did all that much cross country touring. Plus I was speaking from experience.

When I could no longer ride my choppers due to arthritic pain from top to bottom I considered a touring bike but seeing as how my 600 miles a day long hauls are over and to eliminate the extra few hundred pounds to push around, back up and God forbid ever have to pick up, I tried a Softail and bought it. The stock seat provides adequate comfort and the Progressive shocks offer a smooth ride. If it wasn't for the Softail my riding days would probably have come to an end.

I'm just saying what worked for me.

 

A kid with rheumatoid arthritis by the age of 11? Qualified physicians line up to examine something that oddball.

He's looking for bike solutions, not arthritis solutions.

 

Did not watch video.

OP, not stated is where your pain is.
I could guess your pain is hip related.

Look to the "rider triangle". Do a search.
Perhaps start with seat height to foot peg relationship.
Angle of your knee to hip.

Handle bars next to align spine and shoulders with attention to lower back and hip position.

This disease can be very painful.
Riding masseuse to masseuse is better than bar hopping (joke).

Good luck.

 

I think Kenny hit the nail on the head - I'd concentrate on the comfort of the riders box rather than worry about the bike geometry - All suspension is going to transfer energy into the frame. Id best shield myself from it. A thin seat aint gonna cut it..

 

Hey guys thanks for the ideas and comments. To clarify a few thigns

I was diagnosed at 11 MONTHS with arthritis in 18 joints and I am currently 28 years old.

I spent 12 years with the best doctors Canada had to offer, spent 12 years on prednisone, cortisone injections, I took every experiment they could think of and at 12 my doctor fired me as a patient because I did not want to keep experimenting his way and I was taking some natural herbs and vitamins via a natural path. Long story short I was never supposed to walk, or live past 20 because my organs were shutting down but I am still here. The Canadian government has spent millions on this guy and I'm work everyday to improve my life.

Soft tails are out of budget and I find them to big, I am 5' 6" tall with a 26" inseam and one leg is 2" short then the other, my primary pain is my right hip, and YES I stretch myself out AS MUCH AS possible, I have worked with great personal trainers and I work extremely diligently on my health, do not take medication or pain killers, I just grit and bear it, I find smooth or good condition roads for times up to 2 hours on my stock seat no issue. Its the hard pot holes or poorly built curbs, I just need the initial impact sorted out.

Spring seat vs progressive shocks. I found the front forks are decent and a tad soft but they seem to compensate for the rear under a lot of scenarios.

ps the video has nothing to do with my health or suspension, its a lot of beauty shots of my bike.

 

Indeed!

 

Still, take a look at a used Fat Boy Lo.