Numb Fingers!

[adstone]

Hi everyone hope ur all enjoying the fantastic riding weather this weekend!

Anyway, the reason for this post - after about 30 miles my fingers on my right hand go numb. I've ruled out my jacket cutting off my circulation to my hand at the wrist and I've pretty much ruled out that my gloves are too tight. This just leaves the obvious...no not masturbation, but vibration through the handlebars....Inspector Cleuseau n'est pas?

Does this affect all Monster owners (only had mine for a month)? If so, how did you resolve the problem? Did you change handlebars? change bar-ends? what?

I really need to resolve this, cos I loose all feeling in my right fingers and that doesn't help with braking!
All comments welcome.

Regards
Andy

[singletrack]

Do you wear your watch on your right hand? If so, try without it.

Some good, stainless steel bar ends might help to reduce bar vibration. I have Oberon ones which look good too.

http://www.oberon-performance.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

[DesmoDom]

It could be your riding position, as I noticed this happening to me, after owning various Ducati sports bikes and not having any problems, to having the same symptoms as yourself, when I got my S4.
These symptoms were reduced, when I fitted an S4R handlebar conversion, as these are slightly wider and higher than the standard S4 ones, but this will not be of any help to you as you already have them.
Do your fingers go numb when at cruising speeds or when giving it some ???,
or is there no difference ???

Baz

[nik_the_brief]

It does affect a lot of us yep.

I found that gripping with my knees more and my hands less made a heap of difference. Hope this helps.

[adstone]

Thanks to all posts so far...

Do you wear your watch on your right hand? If so, try without it.
Some good, stainless steel bar ends might help to reduce bar vibration. I have Oberon ones which look good too.
http://www.oberon-performance.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

Singletrack - I don't wear a watch at all, can't read it when I'm riding! I'll look at the Oberons though, thanks.

It could be your riding position, as I noticed this happening to me, after owning various Ducati sports bikes and not having any problems, to having the same symptoms as yourself, when I got my S4.
These symptoms were reduced, when I fitted an S4R handlebar conversion, as these are slightly wider and higher than the standard S4 ones, but this will not be of any help to you as you already have them.
Do your fingers go numb when at cruising speeds or when giving it some ???,
or is there no difference ???

Baz


DesmoDom/Baz - I have an S4R, so the bars make no difference. My right thumb and peter pointer allways go numb, if I ride longer my whole hand goes numb.:mad:


I'm starting to think that it maybe my gloves after all - when I take them off my hands and badly indented with the inside seams. I may try some different gloves and see if it still happens...:dunce:

Thanks all and keep the advice coming, always appreciated! :thumbsup:

Regards
Andy

[Meteor]

When I first got my monster the very same problem was occurring. After a bit of trial and error, plus some input from a friend who races; it turned out that I was gripping the twistgrip too tightly. I had to work really hard to deliberatly reduce my grip and (as the earlier post suggests ) use my knees to grip.

I now ride with my first finger pointing straight out and resting on top of the brake lever to help relax the grip, it also covers the brakes if/when someone pulls out without looking.


cheers,

Darren

[adstone]

When I first got my monster the very same problem was occurring. After a bit of trial and error, plus some input from a friend who races; it turned out that I was gripping the twistgrip too tightly. I had to work really hard to deliberatly reduce my grip and (as the earlier post suggests ) use my knees to grip.

I now ride with my first finger pointing straight out and resting on top of the brake lever to help relax the grip, it also covers the brakes if/when someone pulls out without looking.


cheers,

Darren

Thanks for that Darren. I've only just returned to bikes (mid-life crisis and all that), so maybe I need to relax a bit and not cling on so...
Thx
Andy

[Starter Sprag]

Numb Fingers

It's a combination of the two - poor gloves + poor grip

Get some new gloves with plenty of palm padding, then just rest your hand on the twistgrip

[bod]

Do watches realy do this I get it only on my right hand(where I wear my watch) only after a decent ride though?

[tamtbam@hotmail]

Hi everyone hope ur all enjoying the fantastic riding weather this weekend!

Anyway, the reason for this post - after about 30 miles my fingers on my right hand go numb. I've ruled out my jacket cutting off my circulation to my hand at the wrist and I've pretty much ruled out that my gloves are too tight. This just leaves the obvious...no not masturbation, but vibration through the handlebars....Inspector Cleuseau n'est pas?

Does this affect all Monster owners (only had mine for a month)? If so, how did you resolve the problem? Did you change handlebars? change bar-ends? what?

I really need to resolve this, cos I loose all feeling in my right fingers and that doesn't help with braking!
All comments welcome.

Regards
Andy

Same answer as the rest Andy. Relax your grip and get a decent pair of gloves. I think we all go through it at first untill we get the right riding position if you've not had a monster before and the s4 does try to pull you off as you accell. Hang in there bud you'll get the hang of it.:mand:
By the way where did you get the Ago helmet as i've been tryin to get one for a month now.
Tam.

[Gilps]

My wife's hands would go white and numb after only 30 minutes riding. Then they would get cold and tingle. It turned out to be her gloves. They were a tight-ish fit and her fingers were touching the end of the gloves. She went up a size and the problem has gone away.

[adstone]

Same answer as the rest Andy. Relax your grip and get a decent pair of gloves. I think we all go through it at first untill we get the right riding position if you've not had a monster before and the s4 does try to pull you off as you accell. Hang in there bud you'll get the hang of it.:mand:
By the way where did you get the Ago helmet as i've been tryin to get one for a month now.
Tam.

Hi Tam,
Got the helmet from lincs-moto-gear. Speak to Andy - a nice guy to do business with. Send him my regards.
Here's the URL: http://www.lincs-moto-gear.co.uk/details.asp?CatID=3&CatName=Helmets&SubCatID=&SubCatName=&paging=1&ID=17

Now to find some larger gloves...

Regards
Andy

[tamtbam@hotmail]

Hi Tam,
Got the helmet from lincs-moto-gear. Speak to Andy - a nice guy to do business with. Send him my regards.
Here's the URL: http://www.lincs-moto-gear.co.uk/details.asp?CatID=3&CatName=Helmets&SubCatID=&SubCatName=&paging=1&ID=17

Now to find some larger gloves...

Regards
Andy

Cheers Andy, i'll give them a bell the mora.

[Matt Black]

Check the angle of your hand to your forearm when you ride. If you have a tendency to bend the wrist, ie wrist down and fingers up this can cut off circulation - More common when leaning forward but can occur if clothing too tight at the wrist. Pressure of glove against sleeve against arm etc etc

or as said could be just holding on too tight

Worst case scenario is carpal tunnel syndrome but you don't want that so forget I mentioned it!!

[singletrack]

Do watches realy do this I get it only on my right hand(where I wear my watch) only after a decent ride though?


Yes they do bod! It can have as much effect as the wrong gloves. I used to get numb fingers in my left hand. I stopped wearing a watch and the numb fingers stopped. I suppose it has the same effect as if your gloves are too tight. Also, a heavy watch may ratle about whilst riding.

[adstone]

Thanks for all the advice members! I knew posting on here would diagnose the problem.

Here's what I found out about myself:

1. I should stop wearing a watch as this could cut circulation at the wrist. :banghead:
2. If I do wear a watch, don't a big heavy one, as it will cause bruising to the bones in my wrist. :banghead:
3. Don't grip the handlebars too tightly - relax my grip (masturbate less).
4. Hold onto the bike by gripping the tank with my knees. :dunce:
5. Rest my fingers on the levers as necessary.
6. Get some good gloves (I already use Texport Racing gloves) - I'm now going for some of these:
http://www.dainese.com/eng/articolo.asp?cat=1,2,3,7&nome=SHORT_TRACKS&articolo=1815442
7. Watch the angle of my forearm to my wrist as this can also cut circulation.
8. I may have carpal tunnel syndrome! :cry:

Thanks for all the advice, I try to follow some of it whilst keeping the bike on the island! :thumbsup:

Rgds
Andy

[Bodybag]

My wife's hands would go white and numb after only 30 minutes riding. Then they would get cold and tingle. It turned out to be her gloves. They were a tight-ish fit and her fingers were touching the end of the gloves. She went up a size and the problem has gone away.
This is called Vibration White Finger. Its caused by excessive vibration. When I worked at Airbus, all the guys who rivet panels together had to wear special padded gloves to prevent the same thing. It can have long term side effects so its worth thinking about getting some slightly more heavily padded gloves. Not ideal in the summer but the other option is to fit different bar end weights to see if this changes things.

HTH

Phil

[dean]

on where the numbness occurs. If the numbness is felt in the thumb and the next two fingers only, then that is a symptom of Carpal Tunnel syndrome (similar condition to VWF in terms of symtpoms, although not as serious). Do a google on CTS to find all you need to know about it. Because ducatis vibrate a lot and have heavy clutches then us riders are more prone to suffer with these type of conditions.

continue with the masturbation, it might not help the numbness, but it should take your mind off it.

hope this helps

[fluffy]

I suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists...particularly my right. It's worth checking if your hands go numb whether you're wearing gloves or whether the bike's actually running...although you might feel a bit of an idiot sat on your bike for half an hour.
When my CTS is good my hands go numb after about 15 mins. When it's bad 15 seconds is doing well.
Even cheerful masturbation is out of the question 'cos i can't get a good grip.

The first thing to determine is whether you're effecting your circulation, pins and needles, or trapping (usually) your median nerve, thumb and first 2 fingers.

[adstone]

Would CTS or VWF affect one hand or both?

It's mainly affects my right thumb only, but sometimes my peter pointer and toby tall are also slightly numb. Recently I went for 100 mile blast, relaxed, gripped the bars less tightly and rested my fingers on the brake lever and only my right thumb was affected - but much less than normal, say after a 30 mile ride. :fou:

Unfortunately my right hand is the one I use for personal satisfaction - though I'm willing to give the left ago...:rolleyes:

Thanks for the help/advice guys - I'll also Google for CTS. I must admit I'm getting a little worried now :worried:

Andy

[Bodybag]

...just understand what causes it and counter it. Another option might be to fit fatter grips so that your hands aren't so clenched as they are round normal grips. Try fitting Oxford handgrip heaters (You don't need to turn them on), cos these go over your normal ones, and will make the grip fatter. Might be worth trying to find somebody who has them fitted and trying their bike to see if it makes any difference.

Worth a go?

Phil

[crust]

Try fitting some foam grips

Try taking a bar end off and filling the bars with lead shot (or whatever the envoironmentally ( :confused:) friendly susbstitute is)

Is your jacket tight around the sleeves?

Try Moving the bars slightly forward to angle the brake lever own to straighten the line between your knuckles/wrist/elbow

:) Crust

[dean]

Would CTS or VWF affect one hand or both?

Thanks for the help/advice guys - I'll also Google for CTS. I must admit I'm getting a little worried now :worried:

Andy

CTS can affect either hand or both. I suffer mostly with my left hand, but on long trips develop symptoms on my right too.Do you get numbness and pins and needles at night?, if you do then it is surely to be CTS. In my experience it is unlikely to be VWF as that is a more serious condition that affects nerves and tissue. If it is CTS then it is treatable. It is basically a repetitive strain injury (RSI) and the symptoms are caused by inflammation in the carpal tunnel. Buy yourself a gel ice pack, when you get back from a ride whck it on for 20 minutes to ease the symptoms. In fact, even if you dont have symptoms it might be worth treating it with ice as there might be inflammation there anyway. Dont bother with anti inflammatory tablets as they dont work. In worse cases you can have an op to release the carpal tunnel. I am on a waiting list for the op as my conditions are severe, although interestingly i recently rode to the TT and back and only suffered mild symptoms.

Yamaha do a semi automatic fjr 1300 which is apparently very smooth and will definately not aggravate the condition. Keep reminding yourself of this fact and you will probably find it will get better in no time.

[adstone]

Do you get numbness and pins and needles at night?, if you do then it is surely to be CTS.

Thankfully I don't have pins & needles at night, so perhaps I'm worrying unduly. I think I'll take a trip to JHP (Coventry Ducati) at the weekend and have a chat to John about my options. :scratch:

Once again, thanks all for your advice. :thumbsup:

[johndark]

Scottoiler do a device that fits over the grip and uses the position of your hand to tweak the throttle.It's not pretty,but you can loosen your grip on the bars .I did 700 miles in a day,and it made a big difference.I cant remember what it's called,but i'm sure it will be on their site in the interweb thingy:mand:

[drpbl]

I have had an S4 and an M600, with three different sets of gloves. I have been wondering about this for some time. My LEFT only hand still goes numb.
In fact, it is not just DUC riders who get this. I commute in London. You always see riders dropping their hands at lights and flexing their hands. Mostly it look likes it affects sport bike riders (never see this on cruiser riders).

SO I am going to guess it is probably the angle of the bars/forward lean causing poor circulation. AND it could be exacerbated (made worse) by wearing a watch (I only get this on my watch hand). I will try taking off the watch.

[Davidg1230]

Apologies for rekindling this thread, but after my ride to work this morning (11 miles) I've started to suffer with numbs hands, mainly around the fingers, but on both sides and now whilst sitting at work, the base of my thumbs (muscle bit) are quite sore/aching.

I remember as a kid when mowing my Dad's lawn, my hands would really tingle and fingers would swell up. not hand any problem with my previous bikes, but then nothing has had the engine like my new bike.

My question is, do bar ends work or other devices? Is it a case of adjusting my riding position and try and loosen my grip:confused: I know it's my new bike so it's partly me gripping too tight, having to lean forward more and getting used to the riding position. I also wore my summer gloves which have very little padding on the palms so it's probably a number of factors that have contributed to the numbing.

I'm happy to put up with it but it might make longer journeys more of an issue in the future?

[Char]

Always wanted some of these but never found a uk stockist - definate gap in the market

http://motorcycle.motorcycle-superstore.com/motorcycle/Olympia%20Gel%20Gloves

[Davidg1230]

Thanks, looks interesting, I've also found these on Ebay, the gel idea might work, but these ones on Ebay don't look very good quality motorcycle gloves, those US ones looks like they have much better protection

[OplayneO]

I had the same problem with hand going numb, and with so many different option to try i went for some £2.99 foam grips first, they made a huge difference and still on the bike and need changing but at least i know what it is...well a combo or vibration and grip like a gorilla! At least when i spend a fortune on a set of gloves i know they will be worth it.

[Nickj]

You need a multipronged attack on this..
Foam or soft grips do help to dampen out high frequencies, so do springy snakes inside the bars (like pipe bending coils) and heavier end plugs. Done both on two strokes in the past and it worked, the Monsters fine though. Basically anything your hands feel happy with and you don't have to grip tightly are good.
Nice fitting gloves are always a good idea.
And last but not least always ride at a speed where the wind pressure gently supports your body ;) You might need to (a) move or (b) change job to work a suitable route but it's much more fun

[rollo22]

I found that bar riser helped to reduce dead hands.

[animaluk]

this can also be over come with an old Pool/Snooker players trick when your are ready to strike a ball its is common to tense up and grip too hard on the butt while stroking the shaft (sn,igger) making you miss cue if you open your mouth slightly your whole body will relax allowing you a more relaxed grip on the cue and a smoother stroke

[Davidg1230]

Over the past couple of days and rides, things have got slightly better, numbing vibrations are less now as I've been able to release my grip slightly and change my body position. hopefully things will improve even more as I get more used to the bike.

[He11cat]

Oh animal so that's why you have that look on your face most of the time.... so why the glazed over eyes (leggit).

Seriously I was told ... to touch my tongue on the roof of my mouth????..... sposed to do the same.. except dimmy here concentrated to much on it like I do everything I do...

I find I get numb fingers and painin the crescent between my thumb and first finger the monster is the only bike that's done that to me its odd but also ive tensed up alot lately riding :(

[Kameloil]

I'm glad i'm not the only one with this problem. I find the pressure between thumb and fore finger on the bar can cause a loss of circulation. I'm not really interested in risers etc, but I think there would be less strain on my wrist if the bars were swept back another 5-10 degrees. Has anyone tried this?

[Davidg1230]

I've got some bar risers which I might put on this weekend and try next week. Since I last posted I havn't had the vibrations as badly as I had before, maybe it's because I'm getting used to the bike, or I'm riding it better:rolleyes:

I've also been squeezing my knees a little more, changed my body position and wrist angle. My thumb is aching a little still but my grip has relaxed alot which I think is the main reason things have improved.