Need some opinions

[tecster]

Just registered - figured it would be a good place to start.

Now I'm being trained on my friends naked Katana 600 which is great - really comfy, smooth, easy to ride and its really fun. My only few questions are as follows...

After a good amount of riding time my hands grew numb and tingly, I was not wearing gloves - What causes this and how do I fix it?

My hips started hurting, almost as if they are super over stretched, how can I fix this?

I like the foot peg placing, I'm a big guy 6'30 atleast 220lbs but is there any bike such as the GSXR600/750 or Kawasaki Ninja with the similar foot placing? I seem to be having a hard time getting my feet up in a comfertable matter... Just might be first time jitters.

Thanks! Tips are welcome!

[yellow_kitty_kat]

6'30" makes you 8'6" tall... Holy Christ, you don't need a Katana! You need this:





Welcome aboard!

[The CyberPoet]

After a good amount of riding time my hands grew numb and tingly, I was not wearing gloves - What causes this and how do I fix it?

This is a side-effect of vibration; it can actually cause long term damage (raynaud's disease). Gel-palmed gloves, looser grip on the controls, less weight baring down on your palms (use your back muscles more to hold your torso up at low-speeds; wind should do it at higher speeds) and a smoother-running bike will all help address the issue.

My hips started hurting, almost as if they are super over stretched, how can I fix this?

Wider aftermarket seat, such as the Corbins, will cure this for you.
Mostly it's a combination of your weight, the shape of the stock seat, and using muscles in your hips/arse that you normally never use. BTW - you'll be sore tomorrow. Lots of water and a couple asprin will help reduce the time-to-recovery.

I like the foot peg placing, I'm a big guy 6'30 atleast 220lbs but is there any bike such as the GSXR600/750 or Kawasaki Ninja with the similar foot placing? I seem to be having a hard time getting my feet up in a comfertable matter... Just might be first time jitters.

There are other bikes with similar ergonomics, but not race-rep/sports-bikes, and most that do are bikes I would never recommend to any first-year rider. Ones that come to mind immediately are the Ninja ZX14, several of the BMW's, the Kats, the Suzuki Bandits, among others. If your knees are higher than your hip bones, you need to find a different bike to start on.

Suggest you get in the habit of stretching for the first few weeks of practice as well -- runner's stretches, ham-stretches, as well as back-stretches.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

______________________
CyberPoet's KR Specials
Suzuki Stratosphere - 6 Cylinders, the new Katana?
The Best Motorcycle Metal Billet Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.

[Nero]

I'm 6'2, 270ish, so we're of similar stature. As CP said, position can be everything. If your wrist is rotated down when riding (a habit I sometimes get into) it will slow the bloodflow to your hands, causing numbness. Another issue is gloves; if they're too tight, or if the closure mechanism on them is in the wrong place it can be detrimental to bloodflow. Handlebar risers can also take the pressure off you wrists a little. As for footpegs, I have the same problem. There's not much you can do about that, except get a cruiser...The ZX-14 is a little better than most bikes in this genre, but it's definately not a bike to begin on. I think the Kat is a good one. You may want to even think about a genuine sport-tourer like the FJR or the Connie. They're not beginner bikes, but their position is fairly relaxed.

There are other big guys on here and I think the expereience is pretty uniform across the board.

[jaybz77]

Im going to agree on the stretching. The first day I rode my Kat was the day I took it home from the dealership in 2003. I was used to riding dirt bikes and my fathers Harley. I had to ride the bike from Santa Barbara to VAFB a good hour and a half ride in traffic. I didnt stretch and didnt know the proper positioning of my body/ I just wasnt used to it. I was hurting for days. Stretch/ watch the wrists/ and relax. I also found if you tense up your body gets exhausted a lot faster

G/L and enjoy

[96 stuntin 101]

6'4" 275lbs, hip cramps, lack of blood flow to the hands occasionally, yep sounds bout right for us big guys!!!

[steves]

Grab with your legs, not with your arms/upper body.

[JBLUE]

hello and welcome, like Steve stated you have to hug the bike with your legs and loosen your gripe on the handlebars

[rydethis]

yeah hug the bike with your legs!!! It's a good work out too!! oh yeah Well CUm to KR!!!

[thetable]

First off, wear gloves. They tend to be the first thing to touch down if you have a get off, and you have no idea how much you use your palms in everyday life until they are good and rashed up. It only took me one time of going down on a bicycle before I started wearing gloves all the time.

Numbness, for me it is a matter of riding position more than anything. If I let my elbows lock, numb hands in 10 minutes flat. If I let my wrist slide down, numb hands, if I sit to far back on the seat, if I am leaning too far forward... It really takes a while to figure out where on the bike you need to be to be comfortable. When I do find my hands getting numb, I throw my fingers on top of the brake and clutch levers for a little bit, and it helps get everything aligned and feeling back into my fingers. Having read Sport Riding Techniques, I try to keep my pointer and index fingers on the clutch and brake levers, not only does it reduce reaction time, it also keeps my wrist straighter.

I also find I am much more comfortable on the bike when I move my feet back on the pegs so that the balls of my feet are sitting on the pegs. When I first started riding, I would put the heel of my boot up against the peg, and it would get uncomfortable in short order as well as making it so I would drag my toes in the twisties.

[Enjay386]

Gloves would definitely be a good start, as far a hips - never had that issue. Is it only for long distances? Not sure about the foot pegs but the best way is to sit on one and really get a feel for it.

[zuma]

Everything everyone said...but I'd try the leaning back a little bit so that the weight of your body is more toward the rear than it is now. My hands used to go numb from time to time riding to guitar gigs, ( I couldn't afford numb hands) and I learned to shift my weight a bit to the back to take some pressure off my wrists. It worked. I'm 1/2 inch shorter and abut 10 pounds heavier than you.

[Slofuze]

Welcome to KR. It's not an uncommon problem with in-line 4's. I find that if I use my abs to keep me up in riding position and relax on the grips it helps a lot. I changed my stock grips to foam ones and it's helped. As for the back-pain.....work your abs.

[Mopar-Man]

6'30" makes you 8'6" tall... Holy Christ, you don't need a Katana! You need this:





Welcome aboard!

HAHAHAHA!