Hand numbness?

[k0m796]

Hey all,

I have steadily gotten more comfotable with riding my 796 so i have been taking it longer distances recently. The problem however is that the right 3 fingers on my right hand tend to go numb after about 15 min of straight riding to the point where i cant feel them. Does anyone else experience this? Is it because of the (what i think are alot) of vibrations coming from the throttle? I dont feel like i have a death grip when riding, in fact when i feel like i do i relax and ease up but it still tends to numb up. ideas?

[796andy]

Try gloves with a padded palm ? (I got a little carpel tunnel , works for me )

[vtwinryder]

Had the same problem. Someone on the forum advised to grip the tank a little tighter with your knees. Took the advice and the pressure on my hands eased and no longer have numbness.

[k0m796]

Originally Posted by vtwinryder

Had the same problem. Someone on the forum advised to grip the tank a little tighter with your knees. Took the advice and the pressure on my hands eased and no longer have numbness.

Originally Posted by 796andy

Try gloves with a padded palm ? (I got a little carpel tunnel , works for me )

I tried the tank trick yesterday for just a sec but didnt think that would help. Ill try it again for a more prolonged period to see if that helps.

I have some AlpineStars SMX-6 gloves, but they are not padded on the inside, just the outside.

[ScottJon]

Originally Posted by k0m796

Hey all,

I have steadily gotten more comfotable with riding my 796 so i have been taking it longer distances recently. The problem however is that the right 3 fingers on my right hand tend to go numb after about 15 min of straight riding to the point where i cant feel them. Does anyone else experience this? Is it because of the (what i think are alot) of vibrations coming from the throttle? I dont feel like i have a death grip when riding, in fact when i feel like i do i relax and ease up but it still tends to numb up. ideas?

I get the same exact sensation

i have changed my gloves two different times, i find that moving those fingers while riding helps a little but not enough.

i have been riding Harley's for decades and if you let off the throttle to stretch your fingers you dont seem to loose too much momentum, on my 796 if I roll off the throttle the bike slows rapidly, so this is not an option on the freeway. If i can put my right hand down by my side for 2-3 seconds the numbness goes away for a few minutes.

thanks for asking this question, im very curious to see how many other people feel this, i was thinking it was just me.

Good Luck

[puchika]

I've put on 25K miles, mostly long distance riding/touring, on my 696 in two years. I never had hand numbness until my long summer ride last year. I attribute it to the new gloves I bought. I should have broken them in sooner, but the thumb was way too tight.

So if it's not your gloves, you might need need to rethink the position you're sitting on your bike. I'm 6' 5" and I'm not putting ANY pressure on my wrists at all on long rides.

[DMonster1]

I used to have this problem on longer rides...A little more tank squeezing and keeping the weight off the wrists while staying relaxed did the trick.I dont even think about it anymore and I never have pain..

[shyam796]

I have the same problem. I tried to change the riding position but didn't help much. Will try to get a padded glove and see how that goes.
Thanks.

[redmonster900]

Same here but on both hands and with an S4RS. I think @puchika is right, it is not (only) about equipment, it is mostly about riding position *and*, I add, your body size. I am 5'8" and I am reaching forward since my arms are not as long. That does put pressure on my wrists, there is no way around it, it is just physics/ergonomics. Mind you that is what they intended to happen when they designed the bike, they need part of your weight on the front wheel or you will be looking at the sky every time you open the throttle. My old M900 had a much shorter reach because it had much less Hp so it needed less weight on the front. My S4Rs needs all the weight it can get on the front wheel and that is why it has a longer reach and taller seat. Even so, it is quite typical on the S4Rs to feel the "bump" of the front wheel touching back down after accelerating out of a slow speed turn. They are Ducs, they have torque, that's what they do :-)

Long story short, in my case I use a combination of legs/back (gripping the tank) and wind pressure. Obviously the latter only works on freeway speed. A better glove would certainly help too (my Teknics are old) but my expectations are limited as to how much that can help because of the geometry I explained earlier. I would consider bar raisers but one has to be aware of the consequences in term of weight distribution. If you do a lot of commuting or riding, that may be an option to consider. If you ride hard though, you need to be mindful of the reduced grip on the front and correct accordingly. I have the stock bars and when I ride hard, I already lean forward and into the tank to move the CG forward and low to help with acceleration and turns.
Hope this think out loud comment helps....

[philb]

I have had this problem on longer rides as well. My solution, which has been very effective, is to fit a CrampBuster. Costs about $12, and allows you to maintain throttle pressure and control with the palm of my hand, and thus relieve the pressure on my grip.

PhilB