First Ride and Sore Hands

I spent an hour and half on bikes yesterday after not having ridden one for about 20 years. First ride was with a tutor on a little bike then a ride on an SV650s demo as I am looking to buy a bike.

I found on the SV650S my hands got sore very quickly from the weight on them. The soreness is in the area of the palm where the thumb connects. That was not so bad but by the time I had finished my 40 minute run I could barely hold the clutch lever in. There was a bit of clutch work as the ride was in 50 kph area. Okay I am no longer a 20 or something year old and have to get some strength back in the hands. I think the clutch problem will go after a bit of exercise to get build the strength back. What concerns me is, will the problem with sore hands go away after a few rides or should I be looking for a bike with a more upright riding position?

My riding will be on the open road and for fun. I will not be commuting on the bike so there will be little round town and slow traffic riding. For that reason I have been looking for a bike with a screen and a sports bike - but not a super bike. The SV650S or SV1000S seems a good choice from what I have read.

I don't want to buy a bike and find the problem with the hands will not go away. Can some older bikers give me some advice?

[Red ones]

The height of the bars does tend to throw you on to your hands with the S model. I find this makes me sit ont eh front edge of the seat most of the time - a bit odd for a 6'1" guy, but that then takes the weight off my hands a bit.

I also have to remind myself to occasionally flap my elbows like ducks wings when I'm riding - not to look stupid intentionally, but his means I have to take weight off my wrists to do it.

Originally Posted by Red ones

I also have to remind myself to occasionally flap my elbows like ducks wings when I'm riding - not to look stupid intentionally, but his means I have to take weight off my wrists to do it.

I have to do this as well.... always brings the birdy song into my head

If you haven't been riding for a while you might be a little tense and be holding onto the handlebars too tight, very easy to do without realising. When riding along stretch your fingers out everynow and again. Also, try holding on with your knees rather than leaning so much on your arms.

Stick with it, its just getting used to being on a bike.

If you were riding round a 50 kph area for so longthere is no surprise that your wrists started to ache. Once you head out on to the open road a lot of weight is taken of your wrists by the wind blast.

You soon adapt to it, I find 800+km is possible in a day on my SV without much discomfort.

But if you are planning on doing mainly town riding you may want to consider the naked version for comfort.

For once a subject that I feel well qualified to respond.

I too am a "born again" and I found that my arms, wrists and palms did hurt, the advice I got from here (Jonboy I think) was to grip the tank with your knees, this did solve the problem in the arms, but brought on pain in the upper legs, groin and stomach. This eventually went away as I got used to it. If you do grip the tank you will need to protect it as the paint wears off.

As Mogs said. You'll get used to it, but it took me some time in the seat to get used to it. Adjusting the levers a little can help. KEEP AT IT!

As has been said above.

Twist the levers down a few degress so that with your fingers resting on the top of them, and your arms straight, you make a straight line from your shoulders to your fingertips.

Then grip more with your knees and bend your arms. Bent arms will help to force you to subconciously hold the tank more, as your bent arms can't really take the weight of your body much. Leaning forward will help to make your arms bend as well.

Sit forwards in the cockpit and your arms are further bent, but then you're sat on the narrow part of the seat, so no doubt your bum/thighs will start to ache on longer rides.

It's all a comprimise, but if non of that works, maybe raise the bars to adopt a more upright position. Apparently changing the foot peg position helps too.

Originally Posted by Baph

As has been said above.

Twist the levers down a few degress so that with your fingers resting on the top of them, and your arms straight, you make a straight line from your shoulders to your fingertips.

By this your mean your wrists in line with your lower arm - right?

As Baph says ride with your arms bent, on a long run there is a temptation to lock your elbows, fight it. If you do and you hit a big bump the force will travel up your locked arms and will bounce your hands off the bars. I've done it, not good for your confidence.

Originally Posted by Mogs

By this your mean your wrists in line with your lower arm - right?

The way I set it up was to loosen the bolts (obviously sat not moving), sit almost bolt upright, and a straight line from shoulders to fingertips, with my tips resting on top of the levers. Felt like I needed 4 pairs of hands to do this, but it worked.

Felt very strange at first, but obviously when I'm riding I'm not in the position I was when I set it up, and I now find it pretty comfortable.

The last two days or so I've also managed to nail clutchless downshifting, which feels amazing, and sounds great, even with the stock can. Not sure what this is going to do for my hands though.