For medical professionals, the problems associated with numbness and pain in the wrists from motorcycle riding is simple; simple that is according to Dr. Ron Finger, a noted Savannah Georgia-based plastic surgeon who was quoted in the article “Controlling a Cruise” by John H. Glimmerveen “The reason for the numbness and pain is fairly simple anatomically. Keeping the throttle on go requires the flexor tendons, which flex the fingers as well as the wrist. There becomes an imbalance, in that the extensors (those on the top of the forearm) do nothing, so the flexors do it all.”
Cruise Controls Make a Difference
The reason motorcyclists use their flexors most of the time, is that they pull on the throttle to maintain a steady pace. The poor old extensors are only needed when the throttle is closed, such as when slowing down or braking. Many motorcycle racers and MX riders suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome due to holding the handlebars tightly. The good news for street riders, covering long distances, is that cruise controls can make a substantial difference to rider comfort.
The three most popular solutions to relieve the pain associate with long distance riding are: a wrist support, a throttle locking device and a fully computerized cruise control.
Low Budget Devices
For riders on a tight budget, the Rykel Industries Cramp Buster is one of the most popular cruising aids. Shaped like a letter P, the Cramp Buster is a simple wrist support that fits over the handlebar grip. A rider simply gets to a desired cruising speed, and then rests his wrist on the device. The weight of the rider’s wrist and arm, combined with the leverage afforded by the Cramp Buster, ensures very little gripping strength is required.
Another relatively low cost cruising control unit is the Breakaway, marketed by Breakaway Products Inc. The Breakaway is a throttle locking device. A rider simply accelerates to a required speed, depresses a lever to lock the unit in the desired position, and then relaxes his grip on the bars. The unit is released by either depressing a button or by operating the front brake.
Computerized Units
For a more sophisticated system of cruise control, Australian company, Motorcycle Cruise Controls, offers a fully computerized unit. The company manufacture model specific units for most popular cruising bikes (they also make an ATV unit); and are the market leaders in electronically operated cruise controls.
he system works very much like those found in most modern cars – the system was developed by company owners (brothers Tony and Frank Guymer) from a car unit.
To operate the device, a rider selects the desired speed by depressing a switch mounted in a bracket on the handlebars. Once the desired speed has been selected, sophisticated software within the system modulates the throttle position to maintain this speed. Operating the brakes (front or rear) or switching the unit off disengages the device. For safety reasons, a number of fail-safe possibilities are built into the system.
With motorcycle riders covering many miles during the summer months, having a cruise control can add greatly to the enjoyment of riding and offset the possibility of painful medical problems
