Hand Cramp/Heli Bars

[renowingnut]

So been doing some reading up on handlebars. I have a YZF R1 and long rides tend to cause the wrist,arm, hand cramp scenario. I have been looking at the Heli bar setup and wondering if this is even worth it to help with long rides since sport bikes were not really meant for the long rides...the ride to Downieville was a wrist/hand/forearm cramp to remember. 

[GreenMachine]

You certainly don't what your hands or arms to cramp.  It's bad enough if your foot does, but with your upper body, you could lose enough control of the bike to endanger yourself.  Sounds like your body is trying to tell you something.

You might give some thought to a throttle lock/cruise control and regularly changing riding positions. Stopping and standing rejuvenates.  Either stand on the pegs to stretch your legs and get some blood into your butt or stop every 70 - 100 miles long enough to do so. 

Review what kinds of foods and/or drinks are part of your diet.  Try to keep your body hydrated and fill up on healthy natural foods.  Avoid sugars whether natural or man-made.

Ride a bicycle to condition yourself for riding.  20 - 40 - 60 mile rides will do wonders for your sportbike riding endurance.  Street and/or mountain biking.

Extreme heat and cold can induce muscle cramps, especially for muscles that are being overexerted.  Learn to relax, force yourself to relax if you're holding on too tightly or clamping onto the fuel tank with your legs while riding along in a straight line.

Consider adjusting your bike's suspension to be a little more forgiving for street riding.  Sure, you want it to be firm and confidence inspiring, but who needs it to be so stiff it's more suited for cornering at 140 MPH than it is for 50 MPH.  Find a compromise that makes the ride more tolerable.

Keep trying to improve your riding distances, if you can.  There's no substitute for conditioning, a.k.a. seat time.

Also see Mel's Ergonomics thread.

Those would be things I'd suggest. 

[renowingnut]

Good points GM. I have installed the Kaoko throttle control on the bike and getting use to the function of it. I have tried other products and just did not see any results. IYHO, Heli bars even worth it? Suspension, good point, will get a check done on that...really pay attention on the next ride.

[RedLeader]

IYHO, Heli bars even worth it?

No. If its that big of a problem, sell the bike and buy something more upright. FZ9 maybe.

[GreenMachine]

I don't have an opinion on Heli bars.  Others seem to swear by them and if they work for you, more power to you.  I've ridden bikes that put the rider in that seated upright position and it's not for me.  Others love it.

Conversely, I've ridden bikes that put a lot of stress on the riders palms.  I can't ride like that all day, but moving around on the bike, I can, literally.  22 hours in fact.  As non-stop as I could make it, if you know what I'm talking about.

[RichVee4]

My VFR came with heli bars and still had similar issues with wrist pressure on long rides. I liked the bike and looked for more touring ergo's.  Found that LSL makes a one piece bar conversion that did the trick.  More upright than clip ons so much more comfortable riding position and havent found a down side yet!

[RedLeader]

I actually looked up the R1 Heli bars to see hos much it would change the rider position. It seems it doesn't raise the actual handle bars but lessens the downward angle taking them from / \ to - -. I was expecting the bars to be raised a lot more. This may raise the riding position a little. You can also accomplish some of this by widening the angle of the handle bars a bit and angling them out more. I've done this on both my street and track bike, and it seems to help (me) with stability and comfort a bit. Maybe try that and see how it feels.

There are also a lot of clip ons with actual risers on them. Again, for a bike like the R1, im not a big fan of these as they will change the weight distribution and balance of the bike.

Last thing (i swear). When i first started riding, I had a lot of arm pain and discomfort. As I became a more proficient rider I realized I was gripping to hard and putting too much weight on the bars. Reading books on technique and getting coaching focuses a lot on lightening up the grip and weight on the front end. When I ride, I try not to have any real weight on the bars. Arms should be loose and relaxed.

[Tahoebrian5]

I had helibars on my 07 gsxr750. It was not a drastic change but it does help a bit with commuting while worsen the ridingnpisition for the twistys. It's a trade off but if it keeps you riding then it's probably worth it. I've been smoked by guys riding upright bikes so an inch or so of height isn't going to kill your turns.