1st Full weekend of riding & I've lost feeling in my thumb....

Takeuon

Takeuon

Registered
I picked up my new 08' beauty on Saturday. Drove it home 66 miles from Fayetteville to Raleigh, NC. Took the back roads home as I did not want to break her in w/ all highway miles right off the bat.
I made a couple stops to stretch and what not. One of the 1st things I noticed was how my throttle side thumb was "falling asleep". You know that tingling sensation you get.
So from time to time I'd reach over w/ my left hand to stay under power and release the pressure on my right hand. Wiggle it around & stretch it like I'm sure we all occasionally do.

Got up on Sunday and put another 80 miles or so on her. But by the end of day my thumb was not regaining feeling. It has been 48hrs since I last rode and the tingling sensation has gone away, but the feeling in the tip and bottom part of my thumb is still quite desensitized!

I road raced Lightweight SuperSport & Lightweight SuperBike for 5yrs. However it has been about a few years since I've been back on a bike on the street. I expected a few aches and areas to make themselves known in the 1st week or so. And I'm a pretty tough guy, but this has me concerned as to possible long term effects.
Anyone else experience this? Recommendations?
Thanks for your input.
 
As with any new vehicle there is going to be a learning curve that might take you a while to figure out your comfort zones... Now about that numbness I'd say this might have more to do with your riding style/position and body type/ height/ etc.. I would personally start with a trip to my local Chiropractor and see if that gives you any relief but I still suspect your going to have to make some adjustments to your ride. Might start with an adjustment to your handle bars (lots of choices there). One other culprit could be your helmet, if its to heavy it can cause your neck problems which can lead to the condition your describing. Give it a few and I'm sure will have some more post to help guide you. Glad to see you made it to the Busa however...
 
Carpal tunnel? I would be a bit concerned too if it was like that for more than an couple hours... maybe some strength training after getting a clear bill of health?
 
ks-waterbug said:
As with any new vehicle there is going to be a learning curve that might take you a while to figure out your comfort zones... Now about that numbness I'd say this might have more to do with your riding style/position and body type/ height/ etc.. I would personally start with a trip to my local Chiropractor and see if that gives you any relief but I still suspect your going to have to make some adjustments to your ride. Might start with an adjustment to your handle bars (lots of choices there). One other culprit could be your helmet, if its to heavy it can cause your neck problems which can lead to the condition your describing. Give it a few and I'm sure will have some more post to help guide you. Glad to see you made it to the Busa however...
Click to expand...

Good points....thank you. I definitely assumed there would be a bit of time to get used to being back "in the saddle again" Lol
I'm not exactly sure how my helmet weight if indeed is affecting my neck , would lead to the loss of feeling in my thumb? But then again I'm not a Chiropractor.
I believe this condition to be more caused from vibration or possibly gripping to tightly.
Either way...I'm sure some muscle or grip exercises to build up my hand strength again couldn't hurt.
 
For what it's worth, I have a numb right thumb, and it's the last symptom of a herniated disc I had in my neck (C5-C6) about 4 years ago. As the Bug mentioned, your condition might be from the position of your neck when riding . Risers might be an option to consider. Good luck and welcome :beerchug:.
 
Oh.. and for you Don.... Your only as old as you look.....or is it.... your only as old as you act...... or is it feel :thumbsup:
 
trekfuel said:
New flash.....lol...... 32.... and not getting any younger....
Click to expand...


Lol...not going to get off topic here.

But what!!?? Your going to tell me Riding this motorcycle is only for individuals in their 20's or something?? Please!

It has nothing to do w/ my age or that I need to be told to go ride a Goldwing. LOL (Thanks Don) I just wanted to get a couple recommendations as to after market grips or riding position so it might lessen the feeling in my thumb.
Thanks
 
Last edited:
Looking at handle bars and the above mentioned from the bug is definetly areas to focus on. Another area I would suggest is just taking the time and getting the bike set for you not the dealership delivery. Properly adjusting your levers to your hand position and your brake and shift levers to your seating position might all be helpfull in alleviating your position. If they do not Iwould personally then move on to bar risers and Tobin seat to see if that would help at all. By all means the first thing you should do though is stop listening to a bunch of motorcycle enthusiests and contact your family doctor to make sure this isn't associated to a major health concern as loosing feeling in any extermity for a extended period of time is not good. It very well could be tied to a health issue and this just kicked off a warning sign. Good luck to you I am sure diligance will find the answer you are looking for. On the bright side there is no more customizable bike to your own preference than the Busa. Don't forget to post the pics. :beerchug:
 
SpeedAdict said:
Properly adjusting your levers to your hand position and your brake and shift levers to your seating position might all be helpfull in alleviating your position.
Click to expand...

That did wonders for my comfort, I am 6'4" and after I got my Pazzo shorties on I had to angle them down a ways from where the dealer had them, I got long arms also...

Tobin seat also lowered me and took some weight off my wrists as well.

GodSpeed man
 
SpeedAdict said:
Looking at handle bars and the above mentioned from the bug is definetly areas to focus on. Another area I would suggest is just taking the time and getting the bike set for you not the dealership delivery. Properly adjusting your levers to your hand position and your brake and shift levers to your seating position might all be helpfull in alleviating your position. If they do not Iwould personally then move on to bar risers and Tobin seat to see if that would help at all. By all means the first thing you should do though is stop listening to a bunch of motorcycle enthusiests and contact your family doctor to make sure this isn't associated to a major health concern as loosing feeling in any extermity for a extended period of time is not good. It very well could be tied to a health issue and this just kicked off a warning sign. Good luck to you I am sure diligance will find the answer you are looking for. On the bright side there is no more customizable bike to your own preference than the Busa. Don't forget to post the pics. :beerchug:
Click to expand...

That's good advice SpeedAdict! I was just so excited to ride, I have yet to properly adjust & tailor everything to suit me. A Tobin seat will be ordered in the next couple weeks & I promise to post pics. I certainly hope it's not a health issue. However I am at a desk all day in front of my 'puter. So I'm sure I could stand to get into the gym again and stretch routinely.
Thanks for the response~!
 
Don't know the specifics on your riding gear, but I just bought some new gloves, and they were one size to large. I convinced myself they fit, but ended up trying to gain feeling in my thumb....... alot. Ended up being that my pinky finger is to short, and I was rolling my wrist ackwardly to keep that area of my hand comfortable. Went back to the old gloves and havnt had a problem since.:thumbsup:

-Ben
 
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