Aching left-arm elbow joint

[AgentW]

Riding my FZ6 seems to make my left elbow joint hurt? Is there something wrong with my posture do you think? What sort of bend, if any, do people have in their arms? Perhaps I'm clutching the grips too hard (sometimes I find myself doing that and try to relax). I'm a new rider so perhaps it is my riding technique?

Any thoughts from the towers of wisdom?

 

[Wavex]

My bet is that it`s a combination of the death grip, and straight arms.

Ideally, your crotch should be about an inch back from the tank, your back slightly rounded and your arms bent. It is key that your arms and hands be relaxed when you ride, and relaxed hands start with proper sitting position. You do not want your arms to support your body, use your knees against the tank as well as your 6 pack

Don`t be too worried about it though, as this kind of stuff happens to most new riders. Just consciously remember to relax and make sure your position is right. It`ll get better the more you ride.

 

[redzag11]

Being a new rider as well, I'll comment on my experience thus far.

I agree with Wavex. My arms/wrists/hands were getting tired/sore within 10 minutes of being on my bike before I figured out that I was sitting too far back from the tank. Once I fixed that, it helped a ton.

And as far as the straight-arm syndrome......I had that too. I now try to keep my elbows as close to being level with my wrists as I can (as opposed to being above or below). Helps you flick the bike a lot better too.

And refraining from white-knuckling the clutch and grips helps as well......but as a newb, I can agree with you that sometimes you don't even realize your're doing it

 

[DefyInertia]

My bet is that it`s a combination of the death grip, and straight arms.

Ideally, your crotch should be about an inch back from the tank, your back slightly rounded and your arms bent. It is key that your arms and hands be relaxed when you ride, and relaxed hands start with proper sitting position. You do not want your arms to support your body, use your knees against the tank as well as your 6 pack

Don`t be too worried about it though, as this kind of stuff happens to most new riders. Just consciously remember to relax and make sure your position is right. It`ll get better the more you ride.

+1 support yourself with your core.

you can't type on a keyboard while doing push-ups and you can't give the bike smooth inputs if your arms/wrists/hands are weighted.

 

[jamesfz6]

+1 support yourself with your core.

you can't type on a keyboard while doing push-ups and you can't give the bike smooth inputs if your arms/wrists/hands are weighted.

Great analogy.

 

[reiobard]

best test that you can give yourself is to occasionally flap your arms like a chicken just to make sure that you keep yourself loose.

 

[CCHOUSEKY]

+1 on what wavex and defy said. When I first got my FZ6, I had the "straight-arm" problem too. My elbows, especially the left one, would be killing me after about 10 minutes. I just realized it one day while I was out riding and I was like WTF??? I don't know why that happens. But, like everyone has said, the key is to just relax, support yourself with your legs (not your hands and wrists), and enjoy the ride.

 

[keira]

mine isn;t my elbows, but when i feel my shoulders starting tog et stiff, i use the "flap like a chicken" technique. first, it makes me crack the heck up....second, it relaxes my arms

 

[AgentW]

Hmmm, interesting. I think I'm sitting too far back and my arms are too straight.

I actually bought some summer gloves today, which don't have the extra lining and hence are more tactile to the grips. This has helped me relax a little and I certainly felt the benefit. I think coupled with the closer-to-the-tank thing, that should sort it.

Thanks guys.

 

[HavBlue]

My bet is that it`s a combination of the death grip, and straight arms.

I'll take this one for sure as to me this is a number one problem for short time riders.

 

[FZ1inNH]

best test that you can give yourself is to occasionally flap your arms like a chicken just to make sure that you keep yourself loose.

I want video of this.... Keira!?!?!?

 

[djneall]

I am still a new rider myself, but I found that supporting your upper body with legs on the tank did make a huge different, but also I felt a little more secure by putting some pressure (squeezing) on the bike with both heels.