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Old May 14th, 2018, 11:22 AM   #1
bizkitgto
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New rider need advice: body/wrist ache and pains?

Hey guys - I'm a fairly new rider, and after riding a few times I am experiencing some body aches and pains. I'm a frequent weight lifter and runner, so this came as a surprise to me. Is my pain as a result of bad form, or just muscles that need to be exercised? Does anyone have any advice? My pain is mostly in forearms, clutch hand/wrist, also I am sore the next day. Am I overdoing it and riding too much?

I am on a Ninja 300.
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Old May 14th, 2018, 11:41 AM   #2
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You're not riding too much. You're too tense.

(Cue old joke involving a dream about teepees and wigwams).

It's very common for novice riders to be stiff and sore, and it comes from hanging on too tight.

You should be able to wiggle you elbows (do the chicken dance) at all times. You should be gripping the bars lightly (think holding eggs).

You should also use your core and your legs more than you probably are. Carry your weight on your thighs instead of your butt. Lean forward, don't stiff-arm the grips.

RELAX.

I ride a full-on supersport 100 percent of the time. My wrists, hands and arms never hurt as a result of riding. Neither does my butt.

Only two things get sore: my knees (which is because I'm 59 and have bad knees that don't take kindly to being folded up for long periods) and occasionally my neck, because of the extreme riding position. Periodic stretches take care of both.
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Old May 14th, 2018, 11:44 AM   #3
bizkitgto
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
You're not riding too much. You're too tense.

(Cue old joke involving a dream about teepees and wigwams).

It's very common for novice riders to be stiff and sore, and it comes from hanging on too tight.

You should be able to wiggle you elbows (do the chicken dance) at all times. You should be gripping the bars lightly (think holding eggs).

You should also use your core and your legs more than you probably are. Carry your weight on your thighs instead of your butt. Lean forward, don't stiff-arm the grips.

RELAX.

I ride a full-on supersport 100 percent of the time. My wrists, hands and arms never hurt as a result of riding. Neither does my butt.

Only two things get sore: my knees (which is because I'm 59 and have bad knees that don't take kindly to being folded up for long periods) and occasionally my neck, because of the extreme riding position. Periodic stretches take care of both.
Thanks Douglas - quick question: how do you properly grip the throttle? When accelerating or cruising, my wrist is at an odd angle (open throttle) - how do you correct for this?
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Old May 14th, 2018, 11:51 AM   #4
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Hi, could be from hanging on too tight and sitting too upright.

Practice riding with relaxed shoulders, arms and writs. Don't grip the bars too tight. Occasionally relax all your fingers, aim fingers forward and wiggling them. You hands should not have any upper-body weight on them at all, that is, you can take your hands off the bars any time and not have your upper-body tip forward.

That's the other thing with sitting too upright, you bend your wrists and put weight on them. Bend your elbows so the forearms are in-line with the hands so wrists are straight. More aero if your forearms are parallel to ground. This requires bending over, best with straight-back to reduce fatigue. Bend at the hips, rather than middle of back. To keep throttle-wrist straight, "walk" your hand along the grip after you turn it.

Work on back-muscles. Do lots of roman-chair back-lifts at gym; I've gotten to where I hold 30-40lb weight when doing this exercise. Also do lots of stretching.





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Old May 14th, 2018, 11:56 AM   #5
bizkitgto
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DannoXYZ View Post

To keep throttle-wrist straight, "walk" your hand along the grip after you turn it.
Just out of curiosity - how do you do this smoothly?
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Old May 14th, 2018, 12:41 PM   #6
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Hmm, not sure how to describe and not sure it's accurate. I kinda hold throttle in position with thumb and pointy finger and reach other fingers forward and grip with those fingers and palm while i relax and move thumb? Have to take video and analyse in slow-mo.

Elbows can even be lower than hands due to high bars

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Old May 14th, 2018, 01:09 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bizkitgto View Post
Thanks Douglas - quick question: how do you properly grip the throttle? When accelerating or cruising, my wrist is at an odd angle (open throttle) - how do you correct for this?
Matter of personal preference... you can reach a bit farther around the throttle to begin with so you wind up in a comfortable spot, or do as described above.
Either way, you're not gripping in one spot at all times.

If you just can't get the hang of it and feel like throwing money at the bike instead of working on skill, then you can get a quick-turn throttle (zero to wide-open in about a quarter of a turn).
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Old May 14th, 2018, 01:34 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
If you just can't get the hang of it and feel like throwing money at the bike instead of working on skill
Never say that again....

The hardware is an option to assist and/or make it easier and sometimes faster. Its NEVER a replacement for the skill, not when talking about throttle control.

@Jeff
Mr. Fist is right, relax.... I would bet, you have a lot of tightness in your shoulders as well. Thing is those muscles are bigger and can take more abuse than the little ones in your hands and arms.

Do a check every now and then to ensure you are loose on the bars. It's mostly described as the chicken dance. Flap those arms and elbows to make sure you're not too tight. Once you have it nailed, you can ride for days back to back without soreness. Mr. Fist would know, we have been to the track multiple times back to back days. He knows, he has been there, done that, got the tee shirt.

Also, while the comments here are pretty good, don't get confused about the grip of the throttle. Once you crack it open, keep smoothly and progressively rolling for the remainder of the turn. Stopping the throttle roll mid-corner to regrip is NOT a good thing. Hardware could help, but I say a bit of skill and added flexibility will serve you better unless you have an "old wrist injury" or other issue that limits your range of motion.
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Old May 14th, 2018, 01:43 PM   #9
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As an MSF ridercoach and track riding coach lemme ask you this...

Your first msf drill was to walk the bike across the range. What muscles did you use?
I will as you to walk a quarter mile using your legs then come talk to me about how tired you are.
Next I will ask you to do the crab walk for that same quarter mile and come talk to me about how tired you are.

Your back and lower body muscles can take an insane amount of abuse. USE them to lock yourself on the bike.

Last question, what part of the bike can you leverage to lock yourself on the bike using your legs?
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Old May 14th, 2018, 08:48 PM   #10
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Hey guys - I took your advice and I went for a cruise tonight, made sure to grab/squeeze the tank with my legs, and to keep my hands and elbows loose. I kept locking them up and had to keep reminding myself to keep them relaxed. I guess it's a habit I'll need to build up. But - I'm not very sore, feeling good, and it also felt good to relax over all the bumps on the road, I could tell I wasn't using my arms as shocks - keep it loosey goosey. Thanks everyone!
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Old May 15th, 2018, 05:01 AM   #11
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Old May 15th, 2018, 11:14 AM   #12
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It does sound like you're grabbing too tight and staying too tense. It's definitely a learning curve- even riding for two years, I still find myself tensing up and have to consciously relax.

As far as back pain, the best help I got was an article (I know, it's a BMW forum) about what the guy calls "Master Yoda Riding Position." Basically, it's how you position your hips and back. Sitting like you sit in a chair, back rounded - HURTS after about 45 minutes. Sitting essentially in a squat, hips tipped forward, back in the normal inward curve, ride all day no problem.
http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthread...at&Number=2737

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Old May 15th, 2018, 03:57 PM   #13
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Great advice throughout thread, especially on the chicken dance tip. One that was shared in the very first track school I attended, and stuck with me all these years, is the "baby chicks" rule for gripping the handlebars. No matter how fast you're going, no matter how tense the situation is, nothing gets better by gripping the bars too tightly - either from a comfort standpoint or a bike control standpoint. Imagine you're holding the handlebar grips as if you were holding baby chicks - squeeze too hard and you need to find two new baby chicks. Only just firm enough to manipulate the hand controls, and no harder. Pays dividends in surprising ways, including bike stability.
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Old May 15th, 2018, 04:46 PM   #14
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Quick thought on throtle control.
Think of how you put your hand on and turn a screwdriver.
I also use my thumb to help roll the throttle a little bit more.
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