Hand going numb cure?

[maxtog]

(Is there a secret to removing those plastic plugs without marring them?)

Yes, a dental pick.

But don't worry about their condition, because they won't go back after the wedges are installed    Well, not unless you cut them up some.

[Barry]

I've found several things that make my hands go numb.  This may or may not help the original poster.

1.  Grip too tight.

2.  Jacket closed too tight on wrists.

3.  Gloves closed too tight on wrists.

4.  Not supporting body with trunk, putting weight on hands, or locking elbows.  Elbows should always be bent to keep weight off hands/wrists.

5.  Carpal tunnel, in which case 1-4 will make the issue worse.

Even without having carpal tunnel, 1-4 can make your hands go numb.  As can vibration.  I found it is more pressure/grip, vice vibration.

Good luck,
Barry

[Conrad]

Red,

My apology for either miss-reading or miss-understanding your original post. Somehow I missed the fact that you were modifying the actual bar 6-8 degrees and thought you were indeed cutting and re welding the alloy upright. 

Possibly due to the three Stella Artois lagers I procured after an exceptionally difficult day at work.

Let's resume our previously interesting thread, now that I've got that vision of someone trying to successfully Tig-weld an alloy upright out of my sobering mind

JJ

Good choice on the beer JJ.   

[basmntdweller]

I have seen several mentions of BMW grips. I haven't been happy with my grips so far and I figure they are worth a shot. I have a BMW shop about 10 minutes away. Is there a specific part number or from a particular bike and year?

Thanks, Matt

[PH14]

I have seen several mentions of BMW grips. I haven't been happy with my grips so far and I figure they are worth a shot. I have a BMW shop about 10 minutes away. Is there a specific part number or from a particular bike and year?

Thanks, Matt

I have tried the BMW grips and they didn't work for me. I wanted something larger in diameter than the stock grips. The BMW grips are larger in diameter at the outside end, but taper to a diameter similar to that of the stock grips on the other end. I found them to be as uncomfortable for me as the stock grips. The grips I found I liked are the ones Murph sells. http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=130_133&products_id=35&osCsid=80c3583789ab2c1a11166bbe47b4c06a  They are larger in diameter than the stock grips and feel nice, for me. Others love the BMW grips. The BMW grips are very well made of course, they just didn't work for me.

[B.D.F.]

32721458395 (left)
32721458396 (right)

I use these grips and like them a lot but if you ride bare- handed they will leave black lines on your hands. With gloves it is not a problem.

Brian

I have seen several mentions of BMW grips. I haven't been happy with my grips so far and I figure they are worth a shot. I have a BMW shop about 10 minutes away. Is there a specific part number or from a particular bike and year?

Thanks, Matt

[stlheadake]

I had the numb hand problem.  I installed the thickest grip puppies, and haven't had a numb hand since.  I installed them right over the stock grips.  Interestingly enough, I also installed them over my factory BMW grips for EXACTLY the same reason!  Less than 30 bucks and I'm tickled!

[redbarber]

Well, my welded aluminum bars are ready for pick up in the morning.  I also got a price quote (rough) for making a set from steel, and I was very pleased.  Chances are, if the angle feels right, I'm going to go ahead and get the steel ones made up for the long haul.  More to come...

[wally_games]

Only one problem with Murph's grips ... ... ...

His website says they "are not for intended for use on C14's with factory heated grips".   

[martin_14]

Jim Jim Jim, Life begins at 85.

may be, on YOUR area. In the land of the Autobahn, at 85 you get run over by old little ladies going to church. Or Russian au pairs. Or German business men. Whatever. If can't make at least 100 mph, don't even think of leaving the right lane.

[gPink]

may be, on YOUR area. In the land of the Autobahn, at 85 you get run over by old little ladies going to church. Or Russian au pairs. Or German business men. Whatever. If can't make at least 100 mph, don't even think of leaving the right lane.

Yeah, but I can drive 3000 miles in a straight line, speak the same language and not leave the country.

[wally_games]

Yeah, but I can drive 3000 miles in a straight line, speak the same language and not leave the country.

From my house, I can drive over 400 miles NW or SE, over 500 miles W or S, and nearly 300 miles E without even leaving my state!!

In case you weren't aware, Texas is a really big place. It's ~895 miles from El Paso to Orange (W to E) and ~931 from Texline to Brownsville (N to S).

[Tremainiac]

If 1 drive more than 150 miles in any direction I'll be in another state.
 

[PilgrimsDad]

If you Dare try this, It's right out of the 2010 to 2012 Big Fat Book. I took the balancers out of my Modified 08 ZX14 for snapier revs, But put them back, I was worried about the main bearings. It's not hard to do, Plastic removal is the hardest.

[B.D.F.]

From my house, I cannot go 30 miles in any given direction without ending up in another state or the Atlantic ocean, so I know just how you feel.

Brian

From my house, I can drive over 400 miles NW or SE, over 500 miles W or S, and nearly 300 miles E without even leaving my state!!

In case you weren't aware, Texas is a really big place. It's ~895 miles from El Paso to Orange (W to E) and ~931 from Texline to Brownsville (N to S).

[B.D.F.]

You really should not have any trouble with welded handlebars on a C-14 as they are 7/8" diameter (22 mm) and should weld fine.

As for your idea about solid steel, I think that is way past what is required and going to be very heavy, three times what the aluminum bars weigh. A slightly different idea would be to use steel tubing with a short stub welded in each end to provide the threads for the handlebar retaining screw and the weight retaining screw. You could bend the tubing as well and even easier than you could bend a solid piece of steel. You could also cut the tubing at a slight angle and weld it together to form any angle you wanted between the handlebar stanchions and the grip area of the bars. Strength will not be an issue either as steel tubing handlebars have been used for years. Just an idea for you to consider.

Brian

JamminJerre,
I am touched by your level of concern.  I'll surely take your thoughts into mind.  That being said, the handlebars are not cast aluminum, they are forged 6061 alloy and very strong.  Much stronger than the cast aluminum uprights they are connected to.  The fabrication shop I'm using is very capable of welding (2 or 3 beads), stronger than I personally can push or pull.    Still, I'm cognizant of the possibility of weakness, which is why I am already in negotiations to have them duplicated in solid steel.  Until I try riding the bike for a few hours with the modified angle, I'll have no idea whether or not it's something I want to spend additional funds to make stronger.  If the change doesn't help, I'm out less than $90.  If it works, I'll decide what to do next.  The $469 and $700 options are just not in my price range.

[Kiwi Graham]

15 mins East or West and I'm in the sea/ocean 6hrs North or 7hrs south the same thing. Not too worried about numb hands 

[gPink]

No worries. Our island is just bigger than your island.

[redbarber]

Got the 8 degree welded aluminum bars back from the fab shop today, got them installed and took a short (30 minute) ride.  My first impression is that I got the angle right for me.  Close my eyes and let my hands drop onto the grips, and they fall in exactly the right position.  Comfort was much improved, despite the fact that I did not even put on any gloves.   Now that I have seen them and handled them, I am pretty well confident that they exceed the strength requirement by a wide margin.  Hope I get a chance to put a few hundred miles on them before too long. 
I agree that steel would be heavy, but the simplicity of using a single piece of 7/8 round bar, versus welding caps onto tubing, keeps the cost reasonable.   I think the C14 could probably pull the extra 4-5 lbs.  Fab shop plan is to cut the length of bar required, bore and tap the end threads on a lathe, then heat and bend it to the proper angle.  Pretty simple, and cost would be under $160 for both bars.   As mentioned here earlier, talk about extreme anti-vibration bar weights! 
I'm on the fence for now, I may give it a few weeks to decide whether or not I can learn to trust the welds. 

[wally_games]

Got the 8 degree welded aluminum bars back from the fab shop today, got them installed and took a short (30 minute) ride.  My first impression is that I got the angle right for me.  Close my eyes and let my hands drop onto the grips, and they fall in exactly the right position.  Comfort was much improved, despite the fact that I did not even put on any gloves.   Now that I have seen them and handled them, I am pretty well confident that they exceed the strength requirement by a wide margin.  Hope I get a chance to put a few hundred miles on them before too long. 
I agree that steel would be heavy, but the simplicity of using a single piece of 7/8 round bar, versus welding caps onto tubing, keeps the cost reasonable.   I think the C14 could probably pull the extra 4-5 lbs.  Fab shop plan is to cut the length of bar required, bore and tap the end threads on a lathe, then heat and bend it to the proper angle.  Pretty simple, and cost would be under $160 for both bars.   As mentioned here earlier, talk about extreme anti-vibration bar weights! 
I'm on the fence for now, I may give it a few weeks to decide whether or not I can learn to trust the welds.

I'm anxious to hear a follow up report after putting a few hours on the bike with the "bent" bars. I'm sure the Concours can pull the extra weight of steel bars, just drop the potato launcher for an after marker and you lose 10 pounds.