Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 15:53:51 -0400 
From: "Peter A. Simon" <ps3p+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: How to reduce the vibration ?

>I just bought a Suzuki Savage 650 which is
>monocylinder. When I ride on the highway, it
>happens from time to time that I lose the 
>sensibility in my right hand because of the
>vibrations.
>I guess it must be related to the fact that 
>there is only one cylinder and four speeds.
> 
>I already wear gloves. Is there anything I can
>do to reduce the vibrations or their effect?
> 
>Stephane Proulx
>(Beside, this bike is great!)

hey, stephane,

a fellow minimalist m'cycle fanatic!!!  howdy.  my right hand also gets
numb.  most annoying on long rides (i took my savage from pgh to chi in
one day.  not sure i'd do it again unless i can figure out how to rig up
highway pegs).  

solution one:  get a "cruise control."  these hold a throttle setting
rather than a speed (the latter is what the automotive version does). 
they're cheap (although when you see one you'll think it costs more than
its worth) and easy to install (although a friend had to do a little
machining to get his to fit on a honda 450).  

solution two:  buy an aftermarket hand grip (two, actually, they only
come in sets).

caveat:  i have no personal experience with the efficacy of either of
these reputed fixes.  i did buy a set of hand grips but ended up at the
emergancy room of my local hospital after laying open my thumb with a
carton knife which i was using to modify the throttle grip (you have to
take the hard rubber ribs off--the ones under the soft rubber grip,
which you have to cut off).  plan b is to borrow a dremal and take the
little suckers off with a cutting wheel--not a big job.  i do have the
new grip on on the clutch side and it's comfortable but that hand never
went numb in the first place.

possible solution three:  they sell gel palmed gloves for bicyclists
which supposedly get rid of numb hands.  i haven't spoken to anyone who
has tried that on either a motor or a bicycle, though.

if you find anything that works, let me know.  btw, i have only 4
speeds, also.  i have a sneaky suspicion that the savage is still being
made but sold only in europe.  i saw a 1991 for sale over there and
wasn't sure if it was a misprint or if suzuki isn't telling us
everything.  it was in britain where the BIG SINGLE made its mark.  when
you hear tell of 500cc ajs-matchlesses and norton manx's, for instance,
that's what they're talking about.  they ate everything up, including
650 twins, on dirt tracks, and the only thing that beat them in hill
climbing were obscenely lightened harley's with HUGE engines.  (just a
little gratuitous history).

also, btw, the vibration you feel is NOTHING like it would have been if
the japs hadn't come up with the obvious solution of counter-balancing
the shaft.  just another reason the japs trounced the brits at their own
game.  my savage is far smoother than my 650 matchless (twin) was at any
speed.

also, btw (and after this i'll quit), even riders of twins and fours
have the numb hand problem.  it's not just the savages single.



-peter

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*                             WATCH BACK!                           *
*                                                                   *
* DoD #10o00                 Suzuki LS650H         NAUI INST. #1434 *
*                             (for sale)                            *
*                             Honda CM400                           *
*                           (for sale, too)                         *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *