Hurting hands

[HayabusaHarry]

Why are my hands hurting when riding. It feels like my arms and hands are taking all the weight. I don’t like this. I’m only 41. Am I too old to be riding this kind of bike. ? Damn my hands hurt.

 

[c10]

what is your overall health ? Overweight , and poor core muscles ? Are you locking your elbows when riding ?

 

[Walris]

I'm 71 and still ride and race (road course).
You're probably not use to the lean angle and need to develop muscle tone in your arms.
Had a similar problem with neck/shoulder pain when I switched from a cruiser to a reply-racer in the 1980s. Gone in about two weeks.
Per hands. Do you have a death grip on the bars? Are you secretly afraid of the bike and hanging on for dear life? What kind of grips do you have? What's the angle/rise of the bars?
All these impact your hands and arms and the weight you put on them.
From you're question, I take it you are new to the bike. Relax, schooch up on the seat and see how it works for a couple weeks.
Or you could be developing arthritis. Which sucks - from experience

 

[Klutch556]

Your posture is bad. You’re leaning in your bars too much and you’re gripping them too tight.
I had the same issue when I first started riding. Once I started holding my body up with my core it all went away. Took about two weeks to acclimate.
I dunno your riding experience or what type you've ridden but that would be my guess.

 

[HayaWakened]

Sit ups ... to start

 

[rubbersidedown]

If you go fast enuff...the wind will hit you in the chest almost uplifting you in some spiritual way,relieving all pressure from your neck to your shoulders to your arms to your hands.
Pain free riding no matter what your health.
'Course you could always do what they ^^^^ said. They have givin' great answers to your problem.
I gave you "The Fast Fix" to your problem.
Ride on brother...
Rubb.

 

[twotonevert]

As stated above, I agree with bad posture being most likely the cause. Scoot forward to the tank and use your core to hold yourself up. Your hands should grip enough to control the bike and use the controls, but you should not be leaning on them.

 

[HayabusaHarry]

what is your overall health ? Overweight , and poor core muscles ? Are you locking your elbows when riding ?

Health is good (so the dr says). I feel over weight but dr says I’m where I should be. I feel better at 200 lbs not 225. And yes I lock my elbows some times. Probably a lot. I’ll pay attention to this next time.

 

[HayabusaHarry]

I'm 71 and still ride and race (road course).
You're probably not use to the lean angle and need to develop muscle tone in your arms.
Had a similar problem with neck/shoulder pain when I switched from a cruiser to a reply-racer in the 1980s. Gone in about two weeks.
Per hands. Do you have a death grip on the bars? Are you secretly afraid of the bike and hanging on for dear life? What kind of grips do you have? What's the angle/rise of the bars?
All these impact your hands and arms and the weight you put on them.
From you're question, I take it you are new to the bike. Relax, schooch up on the seat and see how it works for a couple weeks.
Or you could be developing arthritis. Which sucks - from experience

Kinda guilty on your reply. I do catch myself with a death grip on those handlebars. The bike is stock. And yes, this bike is new to me. My first bike “I’ve” bought. I’ve rode plenty but nothing like this. As far as being afraid of the bike, yes. A little. I’m not an experienced rider but I do know how to ride. Never rode a sport bike this long. But when I did I don’t remember it hurting like this.

 

[Bumblebee]

Try a set of Heli bars and drop pegs to adjust your riding position slightly...also this might help so you can rest your throttle hand once in a while.

Get a set of gel grips too.

 

[HayabusaHarry]

Your posture is bad. You’re leaning in your bars too much and you’re gripping them too tight.
I had the same issue when I first started riding. Once I started holding my body up with my core it all went away. Took about two weeks to acclimate.
I dunno your riding experience or what type you've ridden but that would be my guess.

Yes sir. My core really sucks. I lean into it quite a bit. I was thinking my lack of riding experience and weak core was making the ride shitty. When I sit up and loosen up and don’t grab the handle bars so hard it seems to feel better. But on long rides I find myself not being able to hold that position and go back to leaning in and “resting” on the handle bars while I ride

 

[Klutch556]

The more comfortable you get with the bike you’ll eventually start usin the “elbow” position lol. Left elbow on the tank right hand on the throttle with just enough grip to keep pressure on the twist. Honestly it’s bad, but the only reason I wear gloves is because they are grippy and I can pretty much completely take all pressure off the grip and just let the rubber of the grip bite into the rubber on the glove to hold it in position.
Another super helpful tool is a throttle lock. If you on a long trip, open road and not on an off the throttle they are hella nice.
Also, I’m 280lbs. If my fat ass can keep myself upright and off my hands, you can do it to! I believe in ya!

 

[michael parris heuberger]

I'm 71 and still ride and race (road course).
You're probably not use to the lean angle and need to develop muscle tone in your arms.
Had a similar problem with neck/shoulder pain when I switched from a cruiser to a reply-racer in the 1980s. Gone in about two weeks.
Per hands. Do you have a death grip on the bars? Are you secretly afraid of the bike and hanging on for dear life? What kind of grips do you have? What's the angle/rise of the bars?
All these impact your hands and arms and the weight you put on them.
From you're question, I take it you are new to the bike. Relax, schooch up on the seat and see how it works for a couple weeks.
Or you could be developing arthritis. Which sucks - from experience

Hi. A tank bag helps to lean in to. It takes pressure off your weists. And I see we have another young at hart racer with us. I am 70 and building an 800HP + LSR bike. at about 65 to 71 inch wheel base it would not go around curves very well, but it would make the straight very short.

 

[HayaWakened]

@HayabusaHarry
I'm just a rookie myself, but I admire your humble attitude
Once I got some time in the seat my body figured the rest out.
Looks like there's some good riding out your way:
thru the Jefferson Memorial Forest?? Bear Camp Road?
I'm about 1,800 Mi due W else I'd ride with you

 

[Hayabusa Wannabe]

Sit ups ... to start

Please everyone stop performing sit-ups. This is coming from a guy who did 84 in a minute throughout his youth. Even military branches are stopping this exercise. For one the sit-up motion does not replicate any motion the body otherwise performs in life. That should be a hint for you on how unnatural sit-ups are. Number two, sit-ups wear out the joins in the back. The compression force of a sit-up is excessive with regards to the forces the back can withstand. The back is designed for x-number of similar motions to last our entire life. A large number of sit-ups will cut the back life short and contributes to back problems far earlier in life.

Instead of sit-ups perform any of the large variety of leg lifts. One just needs something to put the arms on to lift the body. Your core will get significantly stronger, significantly stiffer, and do so significantly faster with leg lifts than with sit-ups.

If your kids are doing sit-ups for gym and the Presidential Physical Fitness program, get educated, get a doctor's note, go down to the school, and get your kid an exception. While you are there teach the gym teacher about it, although they should know already from their recent formal training credits. Unfortunately American schools are typically decades behind in knowledge compared to real life. I see articles of kids setting sit-up records and such in school, so that is what I expect with this topic as well.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Kinda guilty on your reply. I do catch myself with a death grip on those handlebars. The bike is stock. And yes, this bike is new to me. My first bike “I’ve” bought. I’ve rode plenty but nothing like this. As far as being afraid of the bike, yes. A little. I’m not an experienced rider but I do know how to ride. Never rode a sport bike this long. But when I did I don’t remember it hurting like this.

Sounds as though you have short arms, 30-32” sleeves maybe? Your arms should never have locked elbows. Even with my ape arms, 37” sleeves, going slow and especially slowly downhill, causes me to lean forward too much as well. At speed the wind helps to keep your hands and wrists feeling much better. Describe your pain? Is it actually pain from soreness and overuse or possibly numbness and tingling pain?

 

[HayaWakened]

Please everyone stop performing sit-ups. This is coming from a guy who did 84 in a minute throughout his youth. Even military branches are stopping this exercise. For one the sit-up motion does not replicate any motion the body otherwise performs in life. That should be a hint for you on how unnatural sit-ups are. Number two, sit-ups wear out the joins in the back. The compression force of a sit-up is excessive with regards to the forces the back can withstand. The back is designed for x-number of similar motions to last our entire life. A large number of sit-ups will cut the back life short and contributes to back problems far earlier in life.

Instead of sit-ups perform any of the large variety of leg lifts. One just needs something to put the arms on to lift the body. Your core will get significantly stronger, significantly stiffer, and do so significantly faster with leg lifts than with sit-ups.

If your kids are doing sit-ups for gym and the Presidential Physical Fitness program, get educated, get a doctor's note, go down to the school, and get your kid an exception. While you are there teach the gym teacher about it, although they should know already from their recent formal training credits. Unfortunately American schools are typically decades behind in knowledge compared to real life. I see articles of kids setting sit-up records and such in school, so that is what I expect with this topic as well.

I agree with this

 

[08BusaKY]

Try a set of Heli bars and drop pegs to adjust your riding position slightly...also this might help so you can rest your throttle hand once in a while.

Get a set of gel grips too.

View attachment 1620609

I had those on my old busa and it put me up in the wind more so I took them off. I am used to the stock position now and use my legs and core so the weight isn't on my arms. It depends on height I guess. I am 6-1. I have lowering pegs too.

 

[Bumblebee]

I had those on my old busa and it put me up in the wind more so I took them off. I am used to the stock position now and use my legs and core so the weight isn't on my arms. It depends on height I guess. I am 6-1. I have lowering pegs too.

Talking about Heli Bars I take it? Did you try a taller windshield?

I don't find the Heli Bars are that extreme, they help a little tiny bit but aren't that radical as to change too much.

A bar set up like @SSGT_B or @c10 will put you in the wind much more but they have changed out their windshields to adjust.

If my hands keep hurting, I will be going with a set up like these two have myself...either that or face what SSGTB faced and give it up altogether...

So far this season, so good..(knock on wood).

 

[08BusaKY]

Talking about Heli Bars I take it? Did you try a taller windshield?

I don't find the Heli Bars are that extreme, they help a little tiny bit but aren't that radical as to change too much.

A bar set up like @SSGT_B or @c10 will put you in the wind much more but they have changed out their windshields to adjust.

If my hands keep hurting, I will be going with a set up like these two have myself...either that or face what SSGTB faced and give it up altogether...

So far this season, so good..(knock on wood).

Yes talking about Heli Bars. I do have a taller touring windshield but it did not help much plus I did not like the looks. I do have grip puppies which do help. I am now used to the stock set up. It works for me since like you I do not take really long rides.