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How to avoid death grip?

The original poster is on a Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide. Those look like this:
6413.jpg


How exactly do you pinch the tank with your knees on one of those?
 
It IS a difficult problem to solve, but it's hardly insurmountable. I recommend the installation of a different tank, and footpegs, and bars, and engine, wheels, frame...

On a serious note, I suggest a Cramp Buster. They aren't for everyone, but they've helped me relax.
 
ScottRNelson said:
The original poster is on a Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide. Those look like this:
6413.jpg


How exactly do you pinch the tank with your knees on one of those?
Click to expand...

Easy if you can't pinch the tank then pinch what ever is there. Problem solved. The point is to off load the stresses from your upper body and transferring it to your lower body. It doesn't matter if you are near the tank, chassis, or subframe for that matter but as long as you can relax your upper body you can actually think clear and perform difficult task easier.
 
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Anyone that chooses a bike that was tossing function in the toilet, and built for a look that appeals to knuckle draggers...
Has problems of their own doing (or un-doing).

Sheesh :laughing

The good part, is that bike is a lesson in everything that should be avoided.
 
louemc said:
Anyone that chooses a bike that was tossing function in the toilet, and built for a look that appeals to knuckle draggers...
Has problems of their own doing (or un-doing).

Sheesh :laughing

The good part, is that bike is a lesson in everything that should be avoided.
Click to expand...

:facepalm

Should be able to fix it with some straight bars and a scott damper.
 
I disagree with the lot of ya, if I had those foot forward controls I'd be holding on for dear life too ! :p
 
Outta Control said:
This!

Ant's recommendation is also good but I found that it temporary and can partially distract your arm movements in the event of any evasive actions.
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It's an exercise which is supposed to be temporary as are all practice methods. The end result is natural riding postures that not only don't distract your movements but actually gives you a quicker natural response to evasive actions. I had one helluva brazillian death grip when I started out and practicing relaxing technics really made a difference :)
 
manusingh said:
Thanks for all the great suggestions


How do I do that? Any pointers?

When you sit on your bike, how much of your weight is distributed between the seat and the handlebar? You may need some bar riser or barback to put less weight on your hands and wrists.

About your original question, a death grip could be due to you exceeding your comfort level. In other words, you are entering twists and turns too fast. Two things to try:
1. Enter the turns in a lower gear from what you are doing now. Reving your engine higher lets you control your entry speed more with your throttle and less with your brake.
2. Swivel your head and smoothly accelerate out of the turn toward where your chin is pointing you. How quickly you accelerate out of the turn depends on your feel of your tire traction, road condition and bike suspension. Don't be lazy with swiveling your head, it makes your turn smoother and reduces the tension in your neck and hands.
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8Lives said:
Very much a mental thing and (bad) learned behavior.
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I don't really think it is learned as much as it is instinctual. We still have some wiring left over from when we were swinging around in trees. When we primates feels insecure, we tend to grab onto something.

You pointers from climbing about learning to use as little force as possible are good. They are the learned behaviors. To make the process easier, the OP may find it helpful to ride a very relaxed pace on a familiar road without a lot of distractions or traffic. This will reduce the stimuli that may contribute to tightening up on the bars and will leave some spare attention to monitor what his hands are doing.
 
My favorite is pinching the tank with knees/thighs, really helps on downhill runs.
 
I noticed for myself that whenever I'm thinking of steering the bike with my arms my grip tightens up.

Instead I try to think of my legs and feet. Legs should be gripping the tank. As I go into a turn, I think of my inside foot first pushing the bike over into the lean, then my outside foot holding the bike up off the ground as I turn. It's mostly just a mental thing, but when I pretend I'm steering with my legs, the input from my arms and hands is much more relaxed.
 
Just stop thinking about it, relax.

Arm pump, death grip is one of the biggest complaints n the dirt. I see it no different in street. Relax more, stop thinking about it. Strength is one way to over come it, working on your own hand grip with hand exercisers. If your concentrating on how your holding the bars while riding your head is not in the game. How to overcome it IMO is also more saddle time, comfortable gloves as well as comfortable grips. Ergo nomics play a lot into this
 
R1-Limited said:
Arm pump, death grip is one of the biggest complaints in the dirt. I see it no different in street.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing that you don't do a whole lot of dirt riding.

Riding through rough stuff in the dirt, sometimes it's all I can do to just hang on to the bike. My arms get a real workout just making it through a challenging trail. And that's nothing compared to the pro riders on a motocross track. Fast riding in the twisties for an hour is less of a workout on my arms than five minutes on a difficult trail somewhere like Georgetown.
 
ScottRNelson said:
I'm guessing that you don't do a whole lot of dirt riding.

Riding through rough stuff in the dirt, sometimes it's all I can do to just hang on to the bike. My arms get a real workout just making it through a challenging trail. And that's nothing compared to the pro riders on a motocross track. Fast riding in the twisties for an hour is less of a workout on my arms than five minutes on a difficult trail somewhere like Georgetown.
Click to expand...

Your guessing wrong, I raced cross country on a YZF426, have ridden in the dirt since I was 9 on bikes that weighed less then 150lbs to 350 plus including 1960s style BSA twins. I think I know what I am talking about :thumbup

based on your reply sounds more like fatigue
 
ScottRNelson said:
Fatigue and age both. :)

I still don't believe there is no difference in arm pump between riding street and dirt, even for someone at the level of Ryan Villopoto or James Stewart.
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Are you saying that there is not difference street or dirt? Arm Pump is Fatigue brought on by many factors. Hydration, strength, the sheathing that wraps the muscle, oxygen to the muscle. Any of these and all have no idea if you are in the street or the dirt. You can get arm pump swinging a baseball bat.

Your grip as everything to to with the onset of arm pump as it stops the flow of blood to the muscles. any trainer will tell you to relax as best as possible and work on strengthening.
 
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