Hands cramping

1628 Views 21 Replies 19 Participants Last post by ghostwho, Nov 13, 2006

Luismave55

Discussion Starter · Nov 11, 2006

:

Couple of months ago got my first Ducati (695), I can not be more happy but After about 20 minutes riding my hands start cramping and also on both hands the index finger and the finger next to it goes numb. I tray risers, Shortened the handle bars about 1.5 inches, i have tray changing position on the handlebar. Still have the problem. I need help.

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

sconly

· #2 · Nov 11, 2006

I would start by adjusted your controls ie; brake and clutch levers so that they are at a natural reach. In other words, when your hands are on the controls in their most comfortable postion you should be able to just open your palm and the lever should be right there. You shouldnt have to raise or lower your wrist to go over the levers before you pull them in. I have found that most dealerships have the bike delivered where the levers you actually have to reach up and over which is forcing your wrist down.

Also take into consderation that this is a new bike to you and any new bike is going to take some time to get used to. My TL1000R took an entire season before my wrists stopped hurting. Also if you have ever raced they (instructors) teach you to try to use your entire body to stablize yourself not just your wrists, you should never "death grip" the controls, should be light to the touch on the controls for the best feedback and control.

Hickey

· #3 · Nov 11, 2006

Try to relax. You might be gripping the bars with more pressure than is required, causing your hands to cramp. Wear comfortable and properly fitted gloves. Perhaps swap the rubber grips on the bars to a different style.

Malevolent Monster

· #4 · Nov 11, 2006

Hickey said:
Try to relax. You might be gripping the bars with more pressure than is required, causing your hands to cramp. Wear comfortable and properly fitted gloves. Perhaps swap the rubber grips on the bars to a different style.

I'd have to agree. How relaxed are you when riding?

Aguacate

· #5 · Nov 11, 2006

Yeah, I found that it helps a lot to try to support all your weight with your lower body (gripping the bike with your knees) and try to keep your back straight. What I learned from bicycling is to keep your back straight you have to stick your butt out while keeping the rest of you basically in the same place.

If you get tired, it helps to lay down a bit on the tank. And keeping your arms bent is usually good.

le_katZ

· #6 · Nov 11, 2006

Luismave55 said:
After about 20 minutes riding my hands start cramping and also on both hands the index finger and the finger next to it goes numb. I tray risers, Shortened the handle bars about 1.5 inches, i have tray changing position on the handlebar. Still have the problem. I need help.

Luis,
how is your circulation in general? have you noticed same symptoms off the bike?

le

ebrparish

· #7 · Nov 11, 2006

I had similar problems when I first started riding my m620. I bought some Psyclegrips and installed them. They really helped me with the numbness and occassional cramping I was experiencing.

http://www.motorpsycle.com/psycle_grips.asp

Ducandcover

· #8 · Nov 11, 2006

Luis...
Same problem... though not so much the cramping you describe..
...on my throttle hand my index finger and thumb goes numb after 30 minutes, about my average commute...
I've owned a bunch o' bikes bikes with similar handlebars or clip-ons without this problem...
I'm wondering if this is particular to the Duc, or possibly the narrow grips on this bike? (This is my first Ducati)
Insight from the group is invaluable... Help!
Ducandcover

stik

· #9 · Nov 11, 2006

use knees to hold tank
straighten back
light / relaxed grip
time (get used to the bike)

It's just like writing with your left hand (if you are righty), or using a chopstick for the first time. It is unnatural at first, and it take time before your muscles get used to it

ghostwho

· #10 · Nov 11, 2006

Just need to relax thats all I had the same issue on my s2r hands cramping lost of circulation to hands, hand going numb. I just started relaxing more instead of holding on to the handle bars with the human death grip. Good luck

-ghost

test-reg

· #11 · Nov 11, 2006

+ 1 on adjusting the controls to be lower.

Luismave55

Discussion Starter · #12 · Nov 11, 2006

Thank you to everybody. This is the first time this happened, I also have a V-Star 650 and I do not have this problem. I will tray your suggestions.

HyperM3

· #13 · Nov 11, 2006

I would check your gloves too. I found that one pair of gloves I had was a tiny bit small in the index finger and would make it numb during the ride. Had to keep stretching it out. Ive been using a different pair since and no effects.

Industrial_Grrrl

· #14 · Nov 11, 2006

Luismave55 said:
Thank you to everybody. This is the first time this happened, I also have a V-Star 650 and I do not have this problem. I will tray your suggestions.

I would agree with all the previous replies then. You're probably just not used to the position on the monster in comparison to your cruiser. Check your levers as suggested, this was my problem when I first put clip-ons on my bike. Your wrists should NOT make any angle upwards, your hands should just rest in a complete relaxed state on the bars. I would also hold the bike (gas tank) with your knees to relive stress and weight on the bars. Practice by releasing your grip entirely on the bars, just rest your hands barely on them, (just enough pressure on the throttle of course), but don't grip them. Then you can learn how to properly hold on to the bike.

hope that helps
sucks to have numb hands

my $.02
-michelle

baadaaboo

· #15 · Nov 11, 2006

Do some yoga dude... your CHI is f'd up.

s4girl

· #16 · Nov 11, 2006

disclaimer: i am not a doctor, but i did stay at a holiday inn express last night. ;D actually my husband and i do a lot of custom bicycle fittings-the fingers that are numb tells some of the story. typically if the numbness is occuring in the thumb and/or first two fingers this is a distinct nerve from the pinky and ring finger. several things could be happening: the obvious too much weight on your wrist means you are collapsing the carpal tunnel which houses the nerves to the hand, in this cave it is the median nerve (if i am correct) that affects those specific fingers. if this is not the case ie. too much weight on the hands, the problem could actually lie in your arms or back. this nerve radiates up your arm around your back to your spine/neck so the other possibility is that you are rounding you shoulders/scrunching your neck as you ride so that your shoulder blade is compressing the nerve across your back. also if you are locking out your elbows instead of having a break you could also be compressing this same nerve. similarly, in any of these cases you are constricting blood flow so that can be part of what is causing the numbness. relaxing is key and core strength helps a ton, but if your position doesn't allow for bent elbows, neutral spine position and dropped shoulders then you will have to work on changing that too.

try this:if you are sitting on the bike-take a neutral spine position (ie. stand erect in a relaxed position) arms and shoulders dropped and relaxed at your sides. now raise your arms with elbows bent to about 90 degrees or less from your body. with elbows bent you you should be able to rotate from your pelvis without rounding your back down to the bars. shoulders should at this point be dropped and relaxed. the key is the hip rotation-don't bend your back to reach the bars. if you have to round over to reach that points to the problem. odds are that it is a combination of all these things. it gets complicated-if you can not rotate your pelvis-then your hamstrings are too tight, which is causing you to round your shoulders, which means you are reaching to far to the bar, yada yada, yada.

hope this helps-i'm sure mc'ing positioning varies overall, but this is a good strarting point and helped me to find a comfort zone on the duc.

julie

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C Fresh

· #17 · Nov 11, 2006

I had the exact same problem when I first got my bike and a very similar post. All this advice is definately what you need. Follow it and you will be fine. One other trick to help your posture is just shake your arms a bit every once in a while. It will remind you to bend your arms and relax them a bit. As you ride this bike more you will become more comfortable with it and loosen up and this will go away. SO

1. support sself with legs and body not arms and hands
2. check gloves too tight in fingers or on wrist
3. check wrist posture, too low or high
4. release death grip or signs thereof
5. relax arms (shake method or similar)
6. give it a bit of time and keep riding

chopperbill

· #18 · Nov 11, 2006

I think al vento has it right. I have a bad vertebrae in my neck, my hands go numb no matter what bike i ride. I do neck, shoulder and upper back stretches and it helps a lot. Also try to brace your body with more then just your wrists......works for me.

Luismave55

Discussion Starter · #19 · Nov 12, 2006

Thank you to everybody, it is cold today but I went out to tray your suggestions. I do believe that is the riding position that was the problem, I was putting my weight on my hands. With proper position today my fingers did not go numb because position, they went numb because of cold. Need to get good winter gloves. Again thanks.

NuTTs

· #20 · Nov 13, 2006

When I put this question up 6months or so ago folks were calling me a fairy!

Anywhoo, my radial nerve seems to be working as normal again and I can feel my fingers again!! My cure was the DP Clutch Slave cylinder - reduced the clutch effort and cured me!

I'm glad that you've sorted the problem by changing riding style.

Good luck,
NuTTs

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