Hands Keep Falling Asleep/Tingling

[n30r3l0ad3d]

The NC is my first bike and I currently have 1,200 trouble-free miles on it. The only problem I have is my hands (mainly throttle hand) keeps falling asleep/gets a tingling sensation. I've tried gripping barely hard enough to keep the throttle turned, I've tried gripping with my last 2 fingers and straightening out my others, etc. The ergonomics feel fine such as length away from bars, etc. I was wondering if there were any products you recommend or something else I should try.

Thanks

You think it's bad on the NC? Try doing a 122 mile ride on my CB750

The best thing I can tell you is just take short breaks. They also sell a "cruise control" wrist strap that you can try for those longer rides. Looks something like this:

 

[dlee6413]

I had the same issue with my first 2 fingers and my thumb going numb after about 10 minutes of continuous riding at highway speeds. I have a 120 mile daily round-trip ride to work so this was really sucking the enjoyment out of my commute. I purchased foam grips and it didn't help. Finally I loosened my grip to the point that it's merely resting on the throttle enough so to maintain my speed and the numbness went away. I didn't think my grip was tight either but if you loosen your grip to match that of your clutch-hand you may have better luck.

 

[tooblekain]

I actually work doing a lot of tying and I make sure to stretch my wrists to prevent carpel tunnel and use this ring I bought from REI that rock climbers use.

http://www.rei.com/product/496308/black-diamond-forearm-trainer

 

[radiotinnitus]

Let's hope you don't have carpal tunnel. I've had it since I was around 19 and got it from long distance bicycle riding. It's a big bummer and set off by gripping things. Lawn mowers are the worst, but I definitely start tingling and losing hand strength on motorcycle rides longer than half an hour or so. On an hour and a half ride last week I started to cramp up on the highway and it got kind of scary. Long rides for me are out of the question.

This is the main reason I purchased the DCT. Not having to pull the clutch makes a huge difference. Also, I take frequent breaks and take some advil prior to a long ride and wear padded gloves. The advil has an anti-inflammatory effect that helps a lot too, altho they say it's bad for your liver. My main riding is short in-town commuting so normally I don't need to do anything special and I don't have a problem.

Don't ignore the tingling because it's telling you something.

 

[Monterey10]

+1 on the risers. Try changing the angles your arms and hand hit the bars. Generally, people move the bars up and back towards the rider to reduce hand numbness.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Install cramp buster and friction lock cruise control.

 

[calbigbird]

I am a retired motorcycle cop and instructor for new motorcycle officers. I have a couple of suggestions you might try for tingling in the hands if you haven't already found a solution.

One thing we train our cops is positioning of the hand controls. Make sure there is as little bend in the wrist as possible. Many people swivel the levers up or down until there is a bend in the wrist. This can cause a problem like you described.

Another issue can be the grip you have on the bars. I have found new riders have a death grip on the bars and don't even realize it. We trained officers to ride with their fingers over the clutch lever. You have to be careful not to pull in the lever and put a drag on the clutch. By resting your fingers on top of the lever you automatically relax the muscles in your forearm causing you to relax your grip. As a bonus, this reduces the lag time in an emergency to pull in the clutch lever and remove power to the rear wheel. That makes braking more efficient since you are not fighting rear wheel power as well as momentum.

If you can make yourself ride with a relaxed grip and keep the wrists straight I think you might find at least a partial solution to your issue.

Good luck and be safe

Craig