Hand Cramping under braking

[IBA270]

Wait, 3 doesn't really cause cramps does it???? F8ck me, my leg cramps may not have been the nerves in my back after all!!!

I'm tellin' ya! It took me near 35 years to figure it out...

[wrx_02]

Hey dude...

A couple of thoughts...might be out of left field...

1) Gloves are they too tight, especially around your wrist? If you've got a strap at your wrist, leave it as loose as possible. Even loose, your gloves may be a scosch tight (technical term). I experienced the same symptoms early in my LD days...but I wasn't using the brake...or even the throttle much. Tight gloves were causing my hands to cramp!

2) Any chance you're taking CHL medication? I argued with my doc for four years that my meds were causing cramping, especially at the track and when I coached (SERIOUS FREAKING PAINFUL LEG CRAMPS!!!) He said maybe but he doubted it. I got my health up a bit and dropped that med. Cramps went away....

3) Stop looking at girlie mags?

No CHL Meds, gloves are not tight once I have them on. After riding they become hard to get one. I think cause of sweat. I wear the same gloves to street ride and on my RSV I never had an issue. I think a combination of it being a different bike, riding faster and heat exhaustion is doing it.

Without the mags I wouldn't build up enough strength in my arms to ride.

[IBA270]

Without the mags I wouldn't build up enough strength in my arms to ride.

I need to renew my subscriptions!

I'm no expert...but my my guess is it's a combination of different bar angle, gloves and possibly leathers. I know I get weird cramps with my current (tighter) leathers but it's hard to say. I'm just having a hard time believing that it's the MC or lever because the force required just isn't that great to achieve braking. I'm assuming that the angle is correct as it's flat uncomfortable when they're mis adjusted.

This thread actually has piqued my interest just a bit as I have battled serious cramps and motorcycling over the last few years, both on street and track. A left leg cramp forced me to run wide and off at the end of Big Bend at MSR...you have a pretty good idea of how fast I was moving when that happened...it was scary...and fortunately uneventful.

[wrx_02]

I need to renew my subscriptions!

I'm no expert...but my my guess is it's a combination of different bar angle, gloves and possibly leathers. I know I get weird cramps with my current (tighter) leathers but it's hard to say. I'm just having a hard time believing that it's the MC or lever because the force required just isn't that great to achieve braking. I'm assuming that the angle is correct as it's flat uncomfortable when they're mis adjusted.

This thread actually has piqued my interest just a bit as I have battled serious cramps and motorcycling over the last few years, both on street and track. A left leg cramp forced me to run wide and off at the end of Big Bend at MSR...you have a pretty good idea of how fast I was moving when that happened...it was scary...and fortunately uneventful.

I know the MC won't cause the cramps but the lever placement can. If they are up to high your wrist will be in more of a 90 degree angle to reach them. You want them to have your wrist in a neutral location.

You come on out to ECR on the 7th of July and we can bounce some ideas off each other. I am telling you though the pills work.

[Eskimo]

I don't really like bananas either, but the firmer they are, the less objectionable I find them, but they've made a noticeable difference in every physically demanding activity I do, so I just grin and bear it.

[Axecent]

coconut water?

[Brady 154]

It sounds like forearm pump to me, and I used to get it when I rode dirt bikes. I read in a dirt rider magazine once to actually warm up your forearms by clenching your fists, or squeezing the grips hard, repeatedly before going out to ride. It works for me on the dirt bike. I have a touch of carpal tunnel that makes my hand go a little numb while riding the street bike, but adjusting the levers down has helped with that.

[PSolk]

So just went 90 minutes on the massage table in the house (no, not the happy ending type you dirty f*ckers!) The proper type with a therapist/masseuse that concentrates on athletes as well as stretching and mobility. Low and behold he had to spend about 25 minutes working knots out of my forearm/elbow that i did not even know existed! I could actually feel the bloodflow to my hand as he was working and fingers are like fat little stumps right now there is so much blood flowing...

So as if you don't need a massage bad enough WRX, go get one for your forearm!!!

[PSolk]

Hey WRX, how much are you actively stretching your forearm? Just started doing a few forearm specific exercises/stretches to try and help the situation... Search youtube for Forearm pump, a bunch of suggestions from motocross riders...

[Aprilia_Ryan]

interesting discussion and suggestions here....

[wrx_02]

Just did another weekend at the track. The ThermoTabs work great!



Take one an hour before the first session, then one every hour until I've taken 3. Have in mind it was 105 here when I did the track day.
Just drink plenty of water. Usually the first session I get forearm pump and hand cramps but after that I was home free.

[meanstrk]

Sounds like you may have solved part of the issue. I take potassium tablets between everysession myself which helps the cramping as well.

Brakes- Many upgrade to R6 brakes using a spacer to get them indexed correctly. Revamping the whole system is money. My older 2001 Gix does not have near the problems that the 06 era has. Changing out to a fluid with a higher boiling point also helps reduce fade.

Levers- Already been touched on, but it should be a natural reach and you should not have to "reach up" with your fingers so to speak.

Rearsets- You should set the rearsets up to where you can hook your outside knee into the tank and hold yourself up with minimal grip. Set up properly, you can maintain corner speed with one hand and virtually no effort.

[afm199]

The 06 GSXR brakes are pretty good. I ran one a couple seasons and never had problems. You have to run good fluid (Motul 600 etc, not cheap stuff), race pads (SRJL/EPFA) and change fluid a couple times a season. They will fade a bit but never back to the bar. Don't worry about using your arms to push on the bars when braking, it's what you do. Squeezing the tank with your legs works on corner where you are just scrubbing speed, if you are braking hard you are pushing on the bars. I've had arm pump on the GSXR, learning to relax my grip helped a lot.