Prolly cause of a death grip. Practice riding with your hands open on the grips and no weight on your hands. hold the throttle open with your thumb and forefinger. I'll rest my fingers on the controls. Helps to have a throttle lock or palm rest. But don't use them in traffic or in the twisties.

Also make sure your gloves fit well. Learn to use neutral at the stoplights and while waiting for your friends!

Vashes sponge example is pretty good. I think of a golf grip but that's another story.

Your body will adjust. Lifting weights, areobics, and balance will help with your riding.

 

There are two different cramps you are most likely to expirience. One is on your left hand, from working the clutch, which is something your hand isnt used to. There isnt much you can do about that one, just get used to it.
The right hand, or either wrist, is a case of bad body positioning. You are most likely gripping the bars too tight. Try to maintain a very loose grip. The same you would holding a sponge without squeezing the water out. Your elbows should not be locked. Try to carry your weight with your abs/back muscles, squize the tank with your knees if you gotta. You arms should not carry any weight. Its hard to get used to at first, but once you figure it out, it will be worth it.

 

Also make sure your gloves fit well. Learn to use neutral at the stoplights and while waiting for your friends!

.

Just curious as to why you would want to rest at a stop light in neutrel as opposed to first gear?

 

If your gonna be at the light for more than a couple seconds, theres no reason to wait in first. Not sure of the exact way a bike clutch setup works vs a car, but when i used to go to the racetrack for vintage days, these old rich guys would sit in there vintage racers at the starting gate with the clutch in. It would heat up ALOT and in some cases almost fry the clutch up.

 

Holding the clutch in with the bike in gear for more than a couple of seconds is senseless. Just pop the bike in neutral. I have never seen a bike clutch get damaged from holding it in, but on cars the release bearing will wear quickly if you often hold in the clutch while in gear for extended periods of time. The release bearing on a wet clutch is constantly bathed with oil so that's why motorcycles won't have a similar problem. Holding in the clutch a lot is a good reason to get a hand cramp. My hands used to cramp from wearing too small of gloves. -Just my :2cents:

 

Just curious as to why you would want to rest at a stop light in neutrel as opposed to first gear?

I think MSF course teaches to leave in gear for a quick getaway Not sure if some of them have ever ridden a Ducati. Holding the clutch for more than a few seconds can tear ya up.

 

In all my yrs of riding I have never, bar probably my first year, held onto the grips with thump & forefinger.

It is actually the wrap of the thumb & hand to only the pinky & next finger that grip to some extent. ALWAYS when in town/city or amongst traffic on the hwys I will cover the clutch & front brake levers with my fore-finger & next finger.

A habit I picked up when in many forms of dirt comp & especially Observed Trials plus when 2-strokes were brought onto road racing & if you were slip-streaming behind one (no fairings in those days) you were darn close & they might have the piston(s) start to try & weld inside the bbl so the 4-stroke rider was facing a locked up rear wheel & the same with the 2-stroke racer so when flat out be you on a 2-stroke or 4-stroke racer we tended to cover the levers.

In honestly I have never had cramps in my hands or any numbing. Still so many yrs of riding tells one a lot.

Another factor is you are riding a slight lean forward riding position bike SO use the muscles of your legs, abs & back to reduce all the weight you are putting on your wrists & hands.

 

When you get as old as me, you will try anything to relive stress on body! You think of 3 wheels with automatic transmission...

 

In all my yrs of riding I have never, bar probably my first year, held onto the grips with thump & forefinger.

Actually meant the thumb and palm!

 

ALWAYS when in town/city or amongst traffic on the hwys I will cover the clutch & front brake levers with my fore-finger & next finger.

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Same here man, ALWAYS ready to make a move!

 

I just started riding about 2 weeks ago, and I absolutly love it. The only real problem I'm experiancing is hand cramps. Mostly in my right hand but a little in my left also. Pain is localized to right where the thumb meets the rest of the hand. Just wondering if this is just newbee pain and my hands just have to get stronger, or if mabe my hand position is incorect. My right hand is usualy just my index and thumb on the grip with thte rest of my fingers on the brake.

1. Yes, it's mostly likely because you're new. If it doesn't go away shortly, see a Dr., as it could be something more serious that could benefit from early detection.

2. I don't think your throttle hand configuration is too good. At least, in the context of it being the configuration for most of the time. IMO, if you ride like that often, and being new, it's going to be waaaay too easy to "jam" on your front brake, and quite possibly, lock up your front wheel, by accident or not. I can see someone doing that during a leisurely ride on the highway, where all you have to do is keep minimal pressure on the throttle, but aside from that, I don't think it's the best way.

Durning my MSF course, the instructor frowned upon me covering the brake with simply my index and middle finger, or at times, just my index finger. He did insist upon using all three to cover, even so, I don't think that's the best thing to do for the majority of the time, thus, I do what smitty does.



:2cents:

 

Same here

 

Loosen up your grip and try to adjust your riding posture (not leaning forward too much). If the cramps are in your left hand because of the clutch, you can adjust the clutch lever too to a more comforting position. It will definitely while riding during rush hours.