With some bikes, you can change the position of the lever, up or down, which may help. Other than that, strength exercises, and maybe a visit to a doctor, to see if you have an underlying problem.

 

Are you sure the problem is with your wrist?

Is the clutch cable old and worn?
Is the clutch cable well lubed?
Is the clutch even operated by a cable?
Is the clutch lever binding due to grit and / or grime?
Is the clutch lever well lubed and able to move freely?
Is the clutch itself a high performance type that might use extra strong springs?
What year and model of motorcycle is it that I'm asking questions about?
Answers to all eight questions above will give us a good starting point for discussion.

S F

 

What year and model of motorcycle is it that I'm asking questions about?

Hey, thanks for the reply. It's a brand new 2018 Honda CB650F. It's my second day riding it, but of course I expect to hurt a little. Although I remember in the past this has been a constant problem for me that makes it hard to enjoy being out for more than an hour.

 

Aspirin.

 

Doesn't do much for me trying some ibuprofen today.

 

Bummer. Maybe just accept u gotta work thru it. Squeezing a tennis ball is a good way to help with grip strength

With me, after being off for the winter, it’s the back of my neck that takes time to get with the program.

 

It may be an indication of you trying to hold on too tight and being too tensed up. You may be fighting the bike (unintentional) instead of letting it go where it wants. A bike is built to and wants to stay up on it's own when it's moving. If you get on a groved road, the bike will want to make it's own path. Just let it (unless it's into the creek) Also when you turn going down the road, do you try to man jandle the bars or do you press on the side that you want to turn? Press on the left hand to go around a left turn insted of trying to twist the handlebars. It's a freaky thing that doesn't make sence to new riders or to others that don't know about it bu tit works.

 

I second what WintrSol said about angle of the controls. Occasionally I've found my wrists hurting a bit and realized I was slumping, which in turn had angled my forearms such that they weren't directly in line with the control levers. Hold your arms out in front of you, palms down, wrists straight. Now close your fingers as though you were squeezing the levers. That is the natural angle at which your wrists and fingers want to operate. Now do the same thing while sitting on your bike with your hands on the grips. If your wrists are not straight you need to adjust your bike.

At least, this is what works for me.

 

I second what WintrSol said about angle of the controls. Occasionally I've found my wrists hurting a bit and realized I was slumping, which in turn had angled my forearms such that they weren't directly in line with the control levers. Hold your arms out in front of you, palms down, wrists straight. Now close your fingers as though you were squeezing the levers. That is the natural angle at which your wrists and fingers want to operate. Now do the same thing while sitting on your bike with your hands on the grips. If your wrists are not straight you need to adjust your bike.

I just got back from a ride, and like you mentioned I was intentionally trying to angle my arm, wrist and hand in a better position to squeeze the clutch. Luckily I had a better ride today, but maybe it's the ibuprofen helping as well ?

 

Sometimes this kind of pain is just a chronic problem. Getting a bike with some form of automatic transmission would eliminate the need for the clutch lever. As would switching to a scooter. Before you dismiss the scooter idea, take a look at some of the larger scooters on the market like the Suzuki Burgman which comes in both a 400cc and 650cc version, the Kymco line of scooters, and both Honda and Yamaha make a 300cc scooter (as does Vespa). Any of these scooters will eliminate your problem, are capable of highway speeds, and often are as capable and as fun to ride as any motorcycle. A number of years ago, after going through double knee replacement, I gave up my Kawasaki Concours and bought a Honda Silverwing megascooter. It could ride at well over 100mph, handled superbly and had as many bells and whistles as most top of the line touring motorcycles. You need to think of scooters as an alternative to just quitting riding.

 

Another solution that might help: add risers to your bike's bars to move the grips higher and closer than what you are experiencing now. I have done that on my Goldwing for the comfort of my back, no longer having to lean forward to the grips but comfortable reaching them in an upright seating position. Maybe that would change the angle of your wrist when reaching for the clutch level. Rivco makes risers that are good quality and affordable.

 

That's a good suggestion! Yes maybe I am leaning and reaching too much as well. I'm a big guy so I weigh a lot.

 

Sounds like you would be a good candidate for one of the new Hondas with DCT (automatic) transmissions. No shifting. The new Goldwings are available with this as well as the Africa Twins, and I believe there is some model of 700 that also has it.
Honda has been perfecting the DCT for many years. It's nothing new.
Maybe time to trade bikes?

 

Sometimes you just have to admit a particular bike just isn’t a good fit for you and move to something that is. But then that’s why we spend fortunes trying to make your dream bike fit. I have even done it on a Harley Electra Glide and that’s about as neutral a bike made. Seat position made a ton of difference.

 

Oh don't get me wrong I think it's a great fit. My past super-sport bikes were worse for me. I'm pretty sure any rock-climber will say they started with weak and painful wrists then they gained strength overtime in that area. Hoping I don't have a nerve or tendon issue.

 

Coincidentally, my left wrist, on the top, has started to ache once in a while but it goes away fairly quickly. Yesterday afternoon it really hurt and as I was rubbing some 'Aspercream' on the area I realized that my wrist watch band was on very tight! I have only worn the watch for maybe a month as it was a gift but in the drawer it goes!

Two 800mm Ibuprofen before a ride is my regular routine and it helps my bad back and shoulders.

Sam

 

I read the posts and perhaps I missed it, but thought I would mention it. I've noticed over the years that a lot of sport bike type riders, probably because of the jockey lean forward position, lean on the grips to support their upper body in that lean forward position, rather than using leg and back muscles to support the upper body allowing us to have loose arms flexed a bit at the elbows and relax our grip tacking the pressure off our wrist and hands. Not saying you do this, but something to think about.

You just started back riding so a certain amount of pain is expected until your body adjust, especially if you are in a lot of stop and go type traffic working the clutch and/or holding in the clutch lever when at long stop lights.

 

Oftentimes I'm using A535 rub on my wrist pre ride since i broke my wrist playing highschool football
I definitely say it takes the strain to a much lower level
Hope it helps ,meantime ride safe,ride long brutha

 

Oftentimes I'm using A535 rub on my wrist pre ride since i broke my wrist playing highschool football
I definitely say it takes the strain to a much lower level
Hope it helps ,meantime ride safe,ride long brutha

Oooh good suggestion! What's in that? I should try hemp cream!!

 

We use a product called Deep Blue. It's the only topical I've ever found that actually works. Most of the other stuff stinks which I guess makes you think it's working but Deep Blue will tell you it's working. It will get what feels like it getting hot. I put the stuff on an area that doesn't hurt and it doesn't get hot. So it's convinced me it's working when I need it. Expensive stuff but if it works it's better than the stuff that doesn't and you are still in pain.

 

I found that incorporating a semi-regular routine (3-4 times/week) of serious stretching and exercise for my core helped immensely. I was putting way too much pressure on my shoulders/arms/wrists when I first started riding. It was so bad I thought I'd have to sell the bike and get something more upright. A couple years later and I'm in much better health and using much better body posture! Wrists no longer hurt, so win/win!

 

Advil, adjust your riding position and get a set of these.

 

I don't think those help the wrist so much as the hands which makes clutch and brake work much better though.

 

You can crack walnuts with those too.
Sam

 

LOL

 

Hey good suggestions!!! Lol

Luckily my wrists are doing a lot better than the day or two after I got my bike. It was crippling pain.

 

Get a full page from a newspaper. Put one corner in the middle of your hand. Gather up the rest of the paper by pulling it in with your fingers.
Put your hand on the desk in front of you. Push down hard with each finger and thumb, one at a time for 3 seconds, and later 6 seconds. Look up isometric exercises.

UK

 

Give it a month and ride a lot, your wrist will be back in shape and you'll forget you even had the problem.
Until you get stuck in an hours traffic inching up a hill, ( happened to me 2 weeks ago), by the end of that mess my left hand was killing me.