Numbness Vibration....NO FUN

I am getting numbness in my hands after riding more than 20 mins…..i have seen ant vibration kits and adders for handle bars….guys on forum said to shoot some silicone culking down the tubes and that should help….wondering if you guys heard of this or think the anti vibration kits work?

PS I may be adding bar end mirrors

www.barsnake.com/ might work for you.

supermandaddy wrote:

I am getting numbness in my hands after riding more than 20 mins…..i have seen ant vibration kits and adders for handle bars….guys on forum said to shoot some silicone culking down the tubes and that should help….wondering if you guys heard of this or think the anti vibration kits work?

PS I may be adding bar end mirrors

Hello, James, and WELCOME to KZR!
We're glad you're here!

What bike, year and model?

May want to address the several other vibe producing suspects before resorting to the handlebars.

Good Luck!

Hi ..When your hands go numb after 20 mins, of riding it means you're getting old like me.:lol:

Things I would check if vibration is so bad you can't stand it after only 20 minutes:

1. Motor mounts - Make sure they are torqued to spec and if you have rubber mounts make sure they are not hardened, cracked or missing.

2. Chain - Make sure your chain & sprockets are not bad. Is chain to tight or does it have tight spots? Is it properly lubricated.

3. Carbs - Are the carbs properly synched?

I'm sure there are a few other things that can cause excessive vibrations (wheel bearings and rear wheel alignment come to mind) and somebody else will jump in with their ideas. Just my $.02

Adding bar ends may change the frequency of the vibes. Could be better could be worse. What bike model is it? Some are just vibrators. :woohoo: I have heard of both the bar snake and shooting silicone down them and heard testimony that both gave good results. But the guys are also spot on to make sure everything is tightened and your engine is tuned. Here's to good vibrations! GLuck!

I am riding a 1979 KZ650C3, I have just installed new Bikemaster drag bars with some foam cushion grips and a new clutch cable from a 1977 KZ650B1 (which is about 4 inches shorter)....the reason for this info is that with factory bars did not have this issue.....thought about putting expanding foam in bars or even trying some rubber in between the bar and the bar mounts....I am a very budgeted rider so wanting to spend money if is known to be something that works

The drag bars should be easy (but messy) to fill with silicone. I have also heard of people filling the bars with lead shot or BB's and that helping with vibration.

My 650, 900 and GS1100 all do it to some extent. Usually around 4500 RPM is when mine is noticeable and tingly on the finger tips. I use fingerless riding glove with the padding on the palm for long trips and it help alot..... I haven't identified the reason on mine but most likely is I need to do some maintenance, but I ride frequently and rack up miles so I will do a valve adjustment soon and address all the yearly maintenance issues at once.... I also noticed when my fingers tingle I have a strong tight grip on the bars, if i loosen up it will go away. The position of your hands from drag bars also contribute. The position of your bars bending "UP" a little would kill my wrists because of the angle. Have you tried them pointed down to see if the angle of your wrist is more comfortable?

Yeah I am also thinking will have to get some gloves....bugs are killer and with winter coming up will be a good investment....I have not gotten to adjusting the bars much so that is something I will have to play with....I feel like I am sitting kind of high on the bike and have to lean forward which makes my palms a little sore....on longer trips I am finding myself taking my left hand off the bars more often than I need or would like to so the palm padding would be great...I am still curious if the silicone would be enough to subside the issues or if the investment of the bar snake would be a better cure

I would think that adding weight to the moving steering assembly would be a last resort.

Might not be the bike, it could be the position of your neck during riding has changed now that your bars are in a different position. All the nerves to your hands run up through your shoulders and through your neck muscles.
In your new riding position, you could be putting pressure on the nerves to your hands which makes your hands go numb. Just an idea since you mentioned changing bars.