Kawasaki Concours Forum
Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: CrashKLRtoConnie on May 15, 2011, 09:31:48 AM
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For those that may suffer from hand numbness on the C14: (I do on the Connie as well as the Snapper Riding Lawn mower)
What product do you use?
What gave the biggest improvement?
Any other suggestions
e.g.
1. Grip Puppies ( http://www.ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=76265&gclid=CJCjp8-i6qgCFQUDbAod13uYDw (http://www.ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=76265&gclid=CJCjp8-i6qgCFQUDbAod13uYDw)
2. Murphs' Great Grips ( http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=35 (http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=35)
3. Bar Risers ( too many brands - types to list )
4. Gel Gloves ( http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/SportMotorcycleGlove.html (http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/SportMotorcycleGlove.html) and many others
5. Do the following exercises and stretching before you ride and every few hours while you ride
6. Drive your cage you loser :D
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I found that a Throttle Rocker made a difference in my throttle hand. I've got to get one of the clutch side ones as well.
I also use Murph's grips and risers.
If I'm on the highway, I just set the cruise control and alternate which hand is on the bars.
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Murphs Reverse Nubby Grips
Gel Palm Gloves
Throttle Rocker
Throttle Meister Heavy Throttle Lock
I use all of the above as each one helps in their own right.
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For Murph's Reverse Nubby Grips
1. Do they fit over the stock OEM grips? (non heated OEM 2008 c14)
2. The photo seems to show a wire wrap to hold them on? (not sure)
For Grip Puppies I understand they just are placed over the OEM?
Brent
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Are you doing anything else with that hand that may be making it numb? Maybe it just seems like the motorcycle, riding mower, opening doors, etc. is making it uncomfortable but you really did all the damage earlier? Hmmmmmm?
:D
Cruise control will end the problem. A throttle lock will help and <may> be enough but a true cruise control will allow you to release all pressure on your hand for long periods of time and really will solve the problem.
Brian
For those that may suffer from hand numbness on the C14: (I do on the Connie as well as the Snapper Riding Lawn mower)
What product do you use?
What gave the biggest improvement?
Any other suggestions
e.g.
<snip>
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ride the bike more, and stop squeezing the grip.
it's a common issue when you are riding this bike, and just relaxing and placing your hands ON the bars, without a death grip will cure it.
it comes with time and trust in the bike, relief that is...
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I am not in the best shape .... after 40 + years of street riding.
I have already had one CT surgery on the right hand. (was so bad I could not ride more than 30 minutes before I could not hold the throttle open.)
Also one shoulder surgery, also on the right side. (1.5 cm bone shaved)
Over the years I have had ~ 36 (Counted them up many years ago) street motorcycle crashes / dumps between the ages of 15 1/2 and 23 years. (...no broken bones ...lucky me...)
No significant crashes in the last 20 years, but DR has shown me many X-rays that show various locations that have trauma induced arthritis. (bone spurs)
I did get a throttle lock that helps. Will try to relax the grip more and notice the OEM grips are small so thought the grip puppies would help.
Not sure about a cruise control (due to cost) may go that way ...
Thanks
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Do some hand stretchs. Just sit cross legged on the floor and with your arms straight and hands flat on floor have your finger tips pointed away from your body. Do it for as long as it's comfortable... half second or a minute. Relax shake hands and then do it again. Try it three times at least once before and after riding. Hope this helps.
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Those gel gloves look good. Do they work? Anybody have some?
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The grip puppies have helped me a bit. I usually just drop a couple or three Aleves before setting off on a long ride, cuts down the inflamation that causes the numbness.
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I'm in the same boat. I move about shifting weight here then there. I am waiting for B.D.F.s cruise control effort to come about. Hint Hint. :)
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Do some hand stretchs. Just sit cross legged on the floor and with your arms straight and hands flat on floor have your finger tips pointed away from your body. Do it for as long as it's comfortable... half second or a minute. Relax shake hands and then do it again. Try it three times at least once before and after riding. Hope this helps.
Most of us are way past sitting cross legged. ;)
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For Murph's Reverse Nubby Grips
1. Do they fit over the stock OEM grips? (non heated OEM 2008 c14)
2. The photo seems to show a wire wrap to hold them on? (not sure)
1. No they fit in place of the stock grips; many riders fit them over their grip heaters.
2. The grips sold by Murph are indeed an old dirt bike pattern that simply works very well and yes you could wire them on but I've never seen a reason to do so; just install as you would any other grip.
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Those gel gloves look good. Do they work? Anybody have some?
I have been using the Olympia 410 Sport Gel Glove for the past eleven years; I've gone through several pairs. They do help and are a great basic long cuff 3 season glove. The gel palm helps isolate your palm from any vibration without making you feel disconnected from the bike like the oversized grips can do.
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I had it bad in 1997 on my throttle hand. It was numb and painful after only 5 min on the bike. Got Carpel Tunnel surgery done and it has not re-occurred since.
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I had it bad in 1997 on my throttle hand. It was numb and painful after only 5 min on the bike. Got Carpel Tunnel surgery done and it has not re-occurred since.
Had the surgery on the right hand done back in 90 I think it was and it was a major relief but my work ranges from the use of a pen, to a keyboard, to a 48" pipe wrench every day so my hands have damage that further surgery may or may not help anymore I can feel the pain flowing into and out of my hands like water fills a glass simply by changing their position. To which I was just about ready to sell my Concours a few years ago as I was getting killer pain within just a few miles; I decided to spend the money on set set of Heli-Bars and I've never been so bloody happy with any money I've ever spent on my bikes as that. As otherwise I was going to be stuck riding my Ural Tourist was it causes me absolutely no hand pain whatsoever or worse yet going out a buying an HD or some other big cruiser to copy the hand position.
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The stretching works while going down the highway. The arm stretching part not the crossing leg part.
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Just echoing what others have said here. The Throttle Rocker helped my right hand a lot. I have some gel gloves, but have been wearing the protective gloves lately. I have a second pair of cloth gloves (the cheap brown jersey ones you use for gardening, etc.) inside the leather ones, and that seems to help slightly. I also have some gel grips on the bike.
On the C10, putting some ballast in the handlebars (such as tiny shotgun pellets) helps reduce the buzz. I thought C14's didn't buzz nearly as much though, and I don't know if the handlebars are 'hollow', like they are on the C10.
Getting away from the death grip helps (which is why a throttle rocker is so nice). When commuting, I rest my hands around the grips but don't grip. It only takes a fraction of a second to grab, which is what you are going to do anyways if something causes you to pucker up...
What I found worked really well was duct taping bubble wrap around my grips for a long trip, but the bubbles break down. Someday, I may get the foam grips, but the buzzing has been tolerable of late (it lessened as I broke the bike in over the last 35,000 miles). I feel almost no buzz at all with my ski gloves (with insulated 'foam' gloves inserted), but that's a LOT of thickness. Plus, it's warmer now, so the ski gloves stay home.
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I fine when mine are numb it helps to just open my hand flat and lay it on top of the grip. Drape my fingers over the levers.
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Working on it.... still.
Brian
I'm in the same boat. I move about shifting weight here then there. I am waiting for B.D.F.s cruise control effort to come about. Hint Hint. :)
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I don't mean any insult, and I hope you take this the right way but I have a mental image I just cannot shake of what you describe and it is hilarious. Bubble wrap duct taped to the grip.... TOO GOOD! ;D You know I bet if you parked the bike set up like that and put a tin cup on the top of the tank people would throw change into it out of sympathy. ;D ;D ;D
And yes, I can see where the bubble wrap breaking down would be the downfall of that idea. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Brian
<snip>
What I found worked really well was duct taping bubble wrap around my grips for a long trip....
<snip>
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They were smaller (1/2" or so) bubbles in a sheet I got from Murph with a shipment, so he might sell ya a sheet...
;D
You couldn't see the bubbles though. The Gaff tape (basically black duct tape) was wrapped in such a way that you couldn't see the bubble wrap, and I wrapped the bubble wrap in the direction of the throttle twisting, so it wouldn't unravel as I applied throttle. Actually worked quite well for a few weeks, until I removed it to install the gel grips.
These days, though, my Connie is rather bruised from a few falls, so the cup idea may be in order...
:-[
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What I found worked really well was duct taping bubble wrap around my grips for a long trip, but the bubbles break down.
hehehe long boring straight streches.... pop pop pop pop
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hehehe long boring straight streches.... pop pop pop pop
:rotflmao:
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Olympia gel gloves are excellent.......throttle locker is excellent.......Pro Grip 714's "Murphs Grips" are excellent.....grip puppies are excellent "absorb water though"......might try a bit heavier bar ends too.
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Thank you, everyone, that posted your thoughts ;D
Just got rained on heavy, for the first time on the connie. I guess been lucky so far, just forgot to check the internet ...
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Crash
try our buzzless bar wieghts, if they don't help I'll take the them back. We've had a hard time keeping them in stock this year! 8)
Murph
COG 3769
Industry Member
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Thanks again. I am working on the wife to let me send more on the bike, but for the next month things are tight. .... Yosemite Camping and Vegas Trip (Car Camping With Friends) and need a tent ... etc
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ride the bike more, and stop squeezing the grip.
it's a common issue when you are riding this bike, and just relaxing and placing your hands ON the bars, without a death grip will cure it.
it comes with time and trust in the bike, relief that is...
this is what I had to learn. Relax and let loose of the bars. Bike rides better anyway. I had to release the spring one wind on the FJR to accomplish this though. It took a death grip to keep the throttle on.
Squeeze when using the clutch and the brake. Relax the rest of the time.
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I realized I also had anger issues toward handlebars and steering wheels. Learning to grip the handlebars gently (like squeezing a grape) made a huge change. I do wear gloves with padded palms. Attempt to carry your weight in your core and legs.
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On another front....
My doctor suggested taking vitamin B6 for my hand numbness. There's been some research that indicates that B6 may help some people. Google it and do some reading and judge for yourself. I've been taking 100mg a day for a couple of years now. It can't hurt.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41pC-3C97vL._SL500_AA300_PIbundle-6,TopRight,0,0_AA300_SH20_.jpg)
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Wife got me some B-Complex & B12 supplements.
I looked at the label and found out B Complex does not contain B6 ......
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This idea was brought up in another forum and I tried it with great success, and it does not cost anything. Remove the end weights (6mm allen) and install a washer about .060" thick between the end weight and the bar end. Then retorque to 8 lb/ft. Changing the torque by as little as .5 lb/ft can change the RPM range that the vibrations are felt at. I played with different torques until I found 8 was best for me. Sounds strange, but it does not cost anything to try and it really helped me.
I also have 2" risers and a set of grip puppies.
Good luck
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Seriously? I was thinking about buying heavier weights, but thought I will just strap the extra weight to the existing ones to see if it matters. Now I will try this too. Not that the buzz is bad by any stretch, but it's there.
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Wife got me some B-Complex & B12 supplements.
I looked at the label and found out B Complex does not contain B6 ......
No B6 in there at all?
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B-1, B-2, Niacin, Protease = B-Complex from CVS. Wife got me some B-6. So trying it out.
Thanks
Brent
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B-1, B-2, Niacin, Protease = B-Complex from CVS. Wife got me some B-6. So trying it out.
Thanks
Brent
Did you do some reading on this? They were recommending 100 - 200 mg per day. I took the low side of the dosage.