With time you will build confidence and start to relax on you rides. You need to be alert but relaxed at the same time. Just keep riding and before you know it you will have the confidence. I do where gloves for protection when I ride. Just find a pair that feel good and use them. I have a throttle buddy (google for options) that helps on long rides.

 

With time you will build confidence and start to relax on you rides..

So, you think my hand is just too tight on the grip? I'll take notice next time I ride.

 

Hi Aunttudie, lb is right. Once your confidence increases, you'll learn to relax more. I was experiencing similar issues and raised my handlebars about an inch higher and it helped. Just a suggestion though. Keep us updated with your progress.

 

Another thing is you can rotate your bars back or forward to make the reach just right. Don't forget to tighten back really good. They will rotate while riding if you don't. And yes that's experience talking.

 

I have the same issue and I've been riding for quite a number of years. Didn't have this issue with my 1100 because I swapped out the grips for Kuriyakin iso grips with a throttle boss. I'm doing the same with my liner tomorrow and hopefully this cures my numb right hand.

 

I had the same cramping/pain issue on every bike I've ever had. I thought it was just 'the price of riding'... Last year I got the Kuryakin throttle boss, and never had another issue.

 

Just got back from riding about 30 miles. I took your advise and tried to relax my body a bit. I'm a little sore, but no where near the cramping I had earlier this AM when I only rode about 3 miles. I have a total of 50 miles on my bike now. My ride to work is about 22 miles one way and I am going to attempt that on Sunday since it is supposed to be about 80 degrees here. Thanks for the help.
Once I get more comfortable with riding, I think I will look at adjusting things to my liking. Right now I don't really know what I like about the bike and what I don't. We don't know each other that well yet.

 

You're already making progress, one ride at a time.

 

I will second what everyone else has advised. Yes they make different grips to isolate vibration and they make little gadgets to help alleviate hand and wrist cramps but at this stage I would suggest all you need is more seat time. Being nervous will not only increase the grip on the handles your whole body is probably tensed up to a certain degree. Your body also needs to get adjusted to the demands of riding as well. My first few trips had my butt hurting after 15 - 20 minutes. Now it's normally well after an hour before I even think about it. As you become more confident you will naturally relax. Just don't ever forget you are on a motorcycle and get so relaxed that you get careless.
I also agree with your thinking of not making any adjustments on the bike just yet. Time will tell you what you need and want.

 

Remember to move your fingers...especially on the throttle hand. Just wiggling one at a time will make a big difference.

 

I deal with it myself, relaxing is a big part of it, wrist position also helps.
The more I ride the better mine gets.

 

You'll get used to it I'd say..
I remember my right hip flexor used to tighten up, I havent noticed since the first few months of riding

 

When you get a bit more comfortable on the bike, add a Crampbuster to the throttle grip. You can control the throttle with the heal of your hand so you don't have to grip tightly. I have a Crampbuster on both right and left grips for relaxed riding. (I've been using a Crampbuster on various bikes since the early 1980s"

Dave

 

A lot of this will get better as you get comfortable riding and start to relax. There's no need to have a "death grip" on your controls.

Because you are new, I would recommend getting about 500 miles under your belt before making mass adjustments to fit the bike to you. After you have bonded with your bike, adjusting the handlebars or swapping out controls to customize it to you will be the next thing. First thing is calm, confident control.

Also, if you are getting a numb sensation in your throttle hand when riding and directly after, but then it goes away, pay attention to what you are doing with your elbows when riding. if you are tensing your shoulders, you could be putting your elbows in a strain, and causing a chain reaction holding your wrist (and carpel tunnel) at a bad angle.

HTH

 

One word of caution...the cramp busters and throttle rockers are GREAT. But I wouldn't use one right away. It's easy to catch your jacket on them and not realize it. Proceed with caution when you have a little more experience under your belt.

And, check your ergonomics once your early nerves start to wear off. A small adjustment to the bars, and adding risers can make BIG positive differences.

 

One word of caution...the cramp busters and throttle rockers are GREAT. But I wouldn't use one right away. It's easy to catch your jacket on them and not realize it. Proceed with caution when you have a little more experience under your belt.

Wearing gauntlet gloves eliminates that issue.

Dave

 

I agree with Casyjones. Throttle boss is e very comfortable accessory.
A new rider has to get use to his bike. In the beginning you sometimes want to squeeze your handlebar. That will pass.
There are some technical modifications, that you could try later.
I don,t now what bike you,re riding. By the Roadstar you can get some less tension on the spring of the carburetor, so that your throttle runs lighter. I did also put a counterweight inside the bar-ends to avoid the vibrations. Normally the risers are seated in rubber, but I put different risers on the bike.

In worst-case you can put a Cruise control on the throttle. Than you can relieve your throttle hand. Buy one ore make one your self.

 

Squeeze the grips as you would an egg. Your problem is you are white knuckling as you ride...relax your hands and that relaxes your arms. Soon you will be able to ride for hours without cramping.

 

use gloves and keep your hand relaxed. use the heel part of your hand to roll the grip, don,t twist it. holding on tightly will only lessen your control. new riders have to force themselves to relax, in time it comes naturally.also don't hook your thumb completely around the grip.

 

Relax

It's hard when you're new to riding... There's a lot to remember and a lot to watch out for.

On my sport touring bike, over the last three years, I was averaging 10k - 12k per year riding here in Montana (30k over the last three riding seasons). For me, the riding season is a little longer than most (in Montana) because I don't mind the cold. So I basically ride from when the snow clears up on the roads (March or April) to when it starts snowing again (November - December). The first year I rode up here, I was getting terrible pain and numbness in my throttle hand, and almost none in my left hand. This was more perplexing because I have carpal tunnel in my left hand. I found that I was gripping the throttle way to tightly, without ever really even thinking about it. I noticed that I had a death grip on the throttle most of the time. I had to continually remind myself that I didn't need to grip like that, and loosen my grip. Eventually I finally got myself gripping correctly. After I learned to do that, I bought a cramp buster for the longer trips. Even with carpal tunnel in both wrists/hands, I have pretty close to zero pain and/or numbness now. My last long trip of the year last season was 2100 miles over a three day weekend, and only my legs were sore (bum knee).

I agree with what was previously mentioned, hold the grip like you would an egg. Get used to your machine, don't make any changes until you get to know the bike. Rushing into a cramp buster or throttle boss can have some serious consequences, I learned that the "hard way" as someone else mentioned. Lets just say I now tuck my jacket sleeves into my gloves.

Congrats on the getting the bike, and taking the course. Safe riding...

Jason

 

I don't have this problem anymore. Not sure why. I am guessing it is because I am more relaxed and I don't have a death grip on the bars anymore.