Hand cramps and numbness.

What causes it and what can you do about it?

A common complaint of motorcyclist after riding for a period of time is hand cramps and numbness in their hands. There are a few things that can cause this but before you can look for a remedy you first need to determine what may be causing it.

First let's look at your riding position. If you have a sport bike, most sport bikes put you in a forward leaning position. This position will cause you to put more weight on your wrists which in turn can cause your wrist and hands to go numb or just hurt. Now they make handlebar risers for some models but this defeats the sport bike riding position purpose.

Next there's your cruiser. Whereas a cruiser will most likely have a better comfort riding position for your wrists, you may now have to deal with the numbness to your wrists and hands from the vibrations of the motorcycle. Not all cruisers vibrate but some are well known for it. If you have an after market exhaust the rumble of the pipes may sound nice but with that rumble also comes vibrations. Most of the newer cruiser style motorcycles deal with this with rubber mounted handlebars and rubber mounted engines to lessen the vibrations through the motorcycle.

Third is the death grip. Some riders have a death grip on the handlebars and after a long period of time their hands will lock up on the handlebar. This is more common on motorcycles with smaller grips because your hand is closed tighter.

Now I haven't tried these yet but I've heard they help with the numbness and death grip. They're called Grip Puppies. From what I've heard they work great. My concern with these is how secure are they on your handlebars. They go over your existing grip to make your grips thicker and to absorb some of the vibrations. A padded pair of gloves may also do the trick but to each their own. Until next time have fun and be safe.