Learning Curve –Numb Hands, Throttle Control. Body Position

[Guest bubbaadams]

It’s been about 7 years since I rode a motorcycle (Honda VTX 1800) and decided at 59 to buy a sport bike. VFR1200F….WOW bought my bike on a Wednesday got my 5 minute how to operate by the salesman and ready to take off. I remember looking down at the tank and fussing who put smudge spots on my new bike. Took my shirt and wiped it clean. Now I’m ready to roll. Took off and thought what the hell is with the throttle can’t hardly control it in low gears. The Honda dealership is about 45 miles from my house little short ride home. After about 20 miles my right hand was tingling and my hips were starting to hurt. Most of the riding was on the interstate so by the time I came to the exit my right hand was really numb and controlling the throttle in 1^st and 2^nd gear was really tough and wondered what was going to happen when I tried to put my leg down with my hips hurting so bad. Made it home and thought what the heck I have bought. Well first thing I did was look up on the internet how to ride a sport bike. These are some of the things that made a tremendous difference in my riding ability.

1. Grip the bars like you are holding an egg. Whenever my hands start to tingle I think of this and #2 and the tingle goes away.

2. Keep your arms bent. You should be able to flap them like a bird.

3. To control the throttle I keep my index finger and middle finger on the clutch lever and barley grip the throttle. The difference was incredible and very easy to do. I also do this on the brake and find it helps me keep a light grip on the bars.

4. TWIST OF THE WRIST 2 Video----So far I have watched it about 10 times and I will watch it another 10 times.

Been riding about 45 days and ready for wheelies

[Monk]

Welcome,

There's been a lot of post about hands hurting, and it always boils down to loosen the grip. I'll wiggle my fingers to remind me, they usually tighten up when I'm involved in something that makes me uneasy(which is a good warning sign that I'm riding at somepoint beyond my comfort zone).

Also arch your back to support yourself and that will take the weight off your hands/arms.

[Conedodger]

Sounds like you are figuring it out. Like Monk said, arch your back. I started doing sit ups after I bought mine to improve my core strength and found it helped.

[realistdreamer]

Returning to riding after many years and know it will take a month or so to get used to the specific actions of riding. I learned a long time ago without books and videos and really appreciate the new resources available to get better.

[Guest]

You'll find it a lot more comfortable at about 100mph. ;)

[Cam2]

I've had one of those VTX1800's. Cool bike but boy is it a pig to ride in comparison to these VFRs! Totally different style of riding. If you are like me, at some point you will be more comfortable on your new bike than you ever were on that VTX. I still say both the VFRs I own are more comfortable than my Goldwing.

[mello dude]

Hi - get yourself one of these - big help to let go of the death grip on the bars.

http://throttlerocker.com/

[Guest]

It's a different body balance deal your weight is more on the foot pegs and seat not on the handle bars, never should your arms be rigged, grip should be firm but loose not squizing the grips. I took a little while for me to get used the position of the foot pegs but after time now I like it just fine.

[Guest]

I've been riding for a lot of years (I do get off occasionally). Over the past couple I've discovered the benefits of riding with the balls of my feet on the footrests as opposed to my instep.

Weight transfer off the seat is easier and quicker. Gearchanging and rear braking is no more effected than it is with the hands not covering the brake clutch (in itself a bad thing anyway).

I notice what seems to be a modern/US migration to higher bars, lower footrests and more weight on your butt. I think it's detrimental move in terms of both comfort (too much weight of the aforesaid butt) and bike handling.

Arms bent, gentle grip and plenty of weight on the legs (that also lowers the bike's effective centre of gravity) all help imo but may need some core stability and practice. Soft inside shoulder in bends and looking for the exit are other pointers.

Just my thoughts.

Peter

[realistdreamer]

I've been riding for a lot of years (I do get off occasionally). Over the past couple I've discovered the benefits of riding with the balls of my feet on the footrests as opposed to my instep.

I thought everyone did that. Absolutely makes a difference. Instep is passive, balls of feet is active. Everything is quicker

[Guest]

I've been riding for a lot of years (I do get off occasionally). Over the past couple I've discovered the benefits of riding with the balls of my feet on the footrests as opposed to my instep.

I thought everyone did that. Absolutely makes a difference. Instep is passive, balls of feet is active. Everything is quicker

Poll time? There's a lot of people that don't in my experience :)

[Guest]

Always use the balls of my feet. Except when 2 up as my boots interfere with my wifes

[Beck]

Always use the balls of my feet. Except when 2 up as my boots interfere with my wifes

Tell her to do the same with her feet on the pegs........Her feet do have balls....right??

Beck 95 VFR

[Guest]

Always use the balls of my feet. Except when 2 up as my boots interfere with my wifes

Tell her to do the same with her feet on the pegs........Her feet do have balls....right??

Beck 95 VFR

I did a poll on the Oracle VFR forum and so far it's about 2/3 balls and 1/3 instep.

Peter

[Guest Recalcitrance]

Riding a motorcycle is physically demanding. Exercise helps - sit ups, push ups, pull downs, squats.

I rode for 7 years before actually learning how to do it right. Worlds different. Your body also needs to learn again how to be comfortable on a bike as opposed to slouching in a car.

Stability exercises will help with body positioning and your hips will loosen up if you do a few squats.

Welcome to the forum and welcome back to riding. =D There's a wealth of information here so pull up a seat and get comfortable. You're in good hands.

[ZenMoto]

It's funny, but you forget about it until you ride with someone who is freshly into the sport ...go for a leisurely, but reasonably long (300ish) mile ride in the mountains and be astonished at how thoroughly exhausted the newer rider is. It really is much more demanding than we usually give it credit for.

Welcome back to the sport! Take it slow, stay loose, and be alert! ...doing some parking lot drills is never a bad idea either. I've been riding pretty much non-stop for the last 25 years (street) and I still seek out empty parking lots just to practice low speed, tight U-Turns, and threshold braking, etc.; you're never too old / good to practice!!!

[deltazulu]

I have both a 6th Gen VFR800 and a 7th VFR1200 and I felt a noticeable difference in the vibration transmitted to the handlebars. I installed Vibranators on my 1200 and it has definitely made a difference for me. I regularly do 400 to 500 mile days on both bikes.

[Guest]

There's been a lot of post about hands hurting, and it always boils down to loosen the grip.

Well not always, my grip could not have been much lighter...

My problem had to be fixed with surgery

I was the poster child for Carpal Tunnel damage

[Guest]

Ok, if I missed it, I apologize, but I'm really surprised nobody mentioned the tank and their knees...

This was one of the very, very 1st things I was told to do, even before the arched back.

Grip that tank with your legs, build up your thigh muscles, use the tank squeeze for both weight transfer as well as stability on the bike and with it you can virtually remove all the load off your wrists.

I grew up on a farm, I grew up riding horses, and I just loved to ride bareback, the freedom and the feel was just awesome, and believe me, when you are a tiny kid, sitting on the back of a giant with no sturrups, you learn the knee squeeze really quickly.

This is what I was told to do, I was told to read it...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51oknCh1IAL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

[Guest]

I got back to riding about 3-1/2 years ago (after 25 years to get two kids through college).

Here in Houston (Land of the Gay Pirates) it's very rare to find anybody over 30 riding a sport bike.

For reasons that I'll never fully understand, the average Texas rider likes to putter down the road with his arms and legs splayed-open and thumping v-twin vibrations shooting up his spine. Forget about "sit-up and beg"; these folks are in Full Pelvic Exam position, reminiscent of a badly-made asian sex-doll. And that's not to mention the Riding Attire (all purchased from that Milwaukee S&M Clothing Company).

Fortunately, I grew up in New England admiring European road racing. Mike Hailwood was a particular favorite. I got to "ride around" Loudon a few times in Alphabet Racer vintage races. Between that exposure and a short-waisted/long legged physique (I look like a kindergartener's drawing of his Dad: tiny body, all leg) the ""sport bike" riding position comes natural to me. Besides, any feet-forward riding position hurts my lower back after about 100 miles.

What I don't understand is how "cruisers" (the feet-forward folks) can control a motorcycle effectively.

The long stiff-armed reach to the bars reduces leverage, your weight is too far back (reducing front wheel "bite"), and the Barcolounger seats completely eliminate ANY left-right weight transfer, let alone hooking a knee. It's like these folks have a motorcycle riding THEM.

I guess the answer is that crusiers DON'T really RIDE as I understand it should be done, considering that I consistently pass Hogs on the INSIDE of the most benign corners. Sad, really, but they don't seem to care.

Of course it helps that the Viffer is putting DOUBLE the HP to the ground, and is generally 200 lbs lighter than the average Hog. Never had one bother to chase me after that inital burst coming out of a corner. You know the one I mean.

(1) Balls of the Feet is the answer. Same as playing baseball or dancing or horseback riding. The alternative is called "flat-footed" and isn't a compliment.

(2) I make it a rule to always move at least a couple of inches left and right in corners, if only for consistency (and "muscle memory"). You never know when that extra couple of inches will come in handy, First, your weight is already biased in the right direction, and second, it means that you must be already "unweighted" (that is, carrying the weight on the pegs) which lowers the effective CG and makes emergency midcorner corrections much smoother. Remember, (a) ride like there's a Dead Horse in the middle of the road right around the next corner and (b) you can come off a motorbike on the high-side, the low-side, over the bars, or off the back. Only the low side is forgivable.

[Switchblade]

Get a bicycle and start riding every day and increase the time your on it. It really help me....

[VFRMille]

All good suggestions but the best is to keep your back straight & don't put any weight on your wrists. Use your back muscles to hold you up & just lay your wrists on the grips. Also keep your hands in line with your arms--put two fingers on the clutch & brake levers as a way to reinforce this until it is second nature. Bending your wrists or a death grip on the bars will put your hands to sleep in short order.

I just got back from a 5800+ mile ride to Moonshine IL on my VFR with no problems.

[Guest]

I'm trying tank grips so I don't slide up on the seat.

I like the stock seat. I just hate the slippery feeling when braking and highway riding when I don't need to change my riding position.

I'm trying to keep my hands light on the grips and that seat wasn't helping me!

I like gripping the tank but without some grip there I feel like I'm on a slip and slide!!

[motorman]

I'm trying tank grips so I don't slide up on the seat.

I like the stock seat. I just hate the slippery feeling when braking and highway riding when I don't need to change my riding position.

I'm trying to keep my hands light on the grips and that seat wasn't helping me!

I like gripping the tank but without some grip there I feel like I'm on a slip and slide!!

[motorman]

I just put on some Tech Spec pads and they really help keep the inner thigh/knee stay put and enhance my riding. Here in the flatland it makes highway ramps more enjoyable!