hi folks....i recently got a 98 vfr...used to have a goldwing and also a fj1100...the prob is that my throttle hand goes numb quickly after a relatively short time in the saddle....it gets pretty annoying,and i have to slap my hand on my thigh to keep normal feeling...the left hand is fine....what gives?...should i investigate getting gel handgrips?....other than that i really LOVE the bike....thanks!!
numb hands I have a '98 as well. I have genmar bar risers and gel grips, and rarely do my hands go numb. They seem to be making a difference even on 500+ mile days. Other things I do to avoid going numb are: be careful not to put to much weight of my upper body on the bers, lean on the tank bag on long hauls, and position your body further back or forward on the seat depending on what feels right. A good pair of gloves make all the difference as well. Heli bars are another brand of bar risers that mount to the fork tubes. They are the actual bars as well, where as the Genmar risers are spacers that fit beneath the stock bars. I think the advantage of the Heli's are that you have more adjustability of the lever and controls, but cost more and may require lengthening the brake and clutch lines. The Genmar are cheaper, easier to install, but don't raise the bars as high as the Heli's. Good luck!
I found a big difference when I changed my steering head bearings from stock (balls) to tapered rollers. I guess it changed the way the vibrations were transmitted from the engine, through the frame and into the steering head. The kit was from All balls Racing. Gel grips were the answer for my older 91 VFR.
