[americanclassic]

So, I have become the proud borrower of a nighthawk 750. Its my uncles, but he's letting me borrow it to take back and forth to school since its a bit of a long haul, and he doesn't use it.



Anyways to the point. I rode it across town to my house yesterday, and in the less than a mile or so my hands started cramping. I think its that the current grips are too thin, and they cause my hand to be curled too tight. I remembered sheps recommendation for grips, and looked up the thread, but all of the links were too old.



So here I am. What kind of grips would you recommend for comfort?

 

[Trickster]

So, I have become the proud borrower of a nighthawk 750. Its my uncles, but he's letting me borrow it to take back and forth to school since its a bit of a long haul, and he doesn't use it.



Anyways to the point. I rode it across town to my house yesterday, and in the less than a mile or so my hands started cramping. I think its that the current grips are too thin, and they cause my hand to be curled too tight. I remembered sheps recommendation for grips, and looked up the thread, but all of the links were too old.



So here I am. What kind of grips would you recommend for comfort?

Ok new grips may help, but my questions to you are, do you ride a lot? Were you perhaps a bit nervous on the bike and



holding on "for dear life" and giving the ole death grip on the bars? I find at times I have to consciously remind myself



to relax my grip, cruise control, or throttle lock helps. Seems to me, early in the riding



season, after 5 or so months off, it takes a bit for my hands to get used to the bars



again.

 

[Blindstitch]

Less than a mile seems pretty quick. Were you wearing gloves?



Randack makes some good grips.



I use foam grips and they seem to do the trick.



If you really want some good grips hunt down some like rickbert has I think they retail for $80+



But I'm pretty sure you want to keep it on the cheap.



Grip Puppies may also be an option.

http://www.casporttouring.com/optimizer/category/GRIPPUP.html

 

[americanclassic]

It was my first time riding for a month or two, but even I just started riding I don't remember ever having my hands cramp so fast. Ill probably hop around town a bit before I replace them anyways, so we'll see.

 

[Reg in Bristol]

I find skinny grips hurt my hands too

The CX has home made fat grips which are so comfy compared to the

std grips on my beemer which feel thin and hard.



Just been looking at 'grip puppies' not expensive and I fancy a set for the beemer



http://www.sportouring.com/gallery.php?sectionHeaderActive=100&rangeChoosen=353

 

[rickbert]

I highly recommend the ISO grips....as Stitch said they normally retail new for around $80 but there's NO WAY I'd pay that. I got mine brand new still in the package on EBay from a guy who bought them then bought a Harley which has the thicker bars. I got them for around $30 that way.....one of the best investments I've made for the bike.

 

[kingston73]

If you'd like a slightly less expensive option, these have worked very well for me.  I had the same issue, i wanted some grips that had a larger diameter than most.  These aren't plush but they work really well for me, and at only $12 you could try them and if you end up not liking them it's not too hard on the wallet:



http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/68/16201/ITEM/Sunline-Grand-Touring-Grips.aspx

 

[Dash]

I had foam hand grips on a CX500 I used to have and liked 'em a lot. It was a spongy type of material that was fat in the middle and slim at the ends.

 

[Ddubya]

I like my randakks grips.

 

[ScrapMetal]

I use a thinner grip but with gel properties. And as mentioned, I have to remind myself all the time to just relax. Although I agree, after one mile, um, that's weird.

 

[xlr8r]

http://cx500forum.com/index.php?/to...p__20173__hl__grips__fromsearch__1#entry20173

 

[americanclassic]

Yeah, I looked that thread up, but all of the links are dead.

 

[Shep]

Unfortunately I cannot find the Chinese vendor on Ebay that I got my grips from.They are by far and away the best ever anti-vibration grips I've used.They are so good I actually have two extra brand new spare pairs I bought in a drawer as I NEVER want to ride without them.

They are so good I hardly ever have to use my Vista Cruise control any more.



The closest I can find over there are these,



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Univ...3333752QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories





Or even these are worth a gamble at this price,



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Moto...7961837QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories





Don't get conned into paying a lot of money for grips.High priced grips may not be that good against vibration and may not last any longer than cheap ones.I consider them a,"Consumable" which means when they wear/go it's cheap to replace and get brand new and by trial and error find the best for myself as I have done.



I don't like the Foam ones as they get sodden in rain and have an indefinite/vague feel.



My other CX has a set like this,



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MOTORCYCLE-UN...59?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item19c220319f



Which aren't bad but not as good as my 1st choice as you have to set them up so your fingers sit in-between the metal parts otherwise you don't get the full anti-vibration effect.

Some one mentioned the metal parts being cold in cold weather.As I never ride without substantial bike gloves this is not an issue to me

Note:Larger diameter grips cause less hand fatigue as you don't grip as hard but still have full control.

 

[ladyeclectic]

I'm a firm believer in the Randakk grips I had on my GL. My hands would go numb within 45 minutes with the stockers; installing the Randakk gel grips completely did away with the numbness and I could ride well over an hour straight with only a bit of tingling. I'm seriously considering a pair for both my CT90 and Vstrom (if they fit, I've yet to measure) because they made such an incredible difference.



You might also look into Crampbusters and a mechanical "cruise control" to give your hands a break. It helps to be able to shake them out once in a while.

 

[RevLee]

I agree that if your hands are cramping after only "1" mile, you need to check how hard your gripping or possibly could also be the handlebar height. I swapped out my grips for a basic foam set I got from JC Whitney and also found some great riding gloves with gel in the palms and bottom of the fingers. Helped a great deal.

 

[markmakeitso]

Is there wheel hop or a possibly tweaked frame or fork involved? I had to ride 5 or 6 miles on a motorcycle with slightly bent handlebars and was noticeably tired after that trivial distance. Some riders with improperly adjusted head bearings or bent swingarms have had similar experiences, subconsciously expending more effort on guiding the bike than usual.

 

[Shep]

These are the same grips as I use.Super anti-vibration

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HAND-GRIPS-HO...86?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item20b3ac329e

 

[DaveF]

My long time favorite is the Johar street grip. I find these very comfortable and they last a long time before needing replacement.



Not everyone likes foam grips, though.