Don't worry Nate, it's actually a riding technique thread. ;D
I don't have a ton of experience but I've been riding for about seven years. All of my bikes to date have had bar ends of some sort that is about equivalent to the girth or the grip, or the Hyper that has the wrap-around protector/mirror/blinker assembly. I always have my pinky (or just the right side of my hand) on the bar-end or against the Hyper's protector bracket, I seem to use it to steady my hand. I only recently became aware of this as I was sitting on another person's bike and realized there wasn't really a bar end at all. Since then I've tried to ride without touching the bar end at all and I find myself extremely jumpy, hit a bump, the throttle gets twisted and the bike lunges. I'm not riding with locked elbows or anything, nice and loose on the Hyper. What can I do / what am I doing wrong / will I just get used to it with more practice?
;D
Lighten your grip.
Try just using the tips of your fingers on the throttle.
Sounds like you are supporting yourself primarily with your upper body. Try supporting yourself more with your legs so you'll be lighter on the handlebars
Thanks for the replies guys, I hadn't had a chance to ride since I posted the thread until today. I'm not supporting my body weight on the bars, since it's a Hyper I'm upright with my elbows bent, like the guy to the left.
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I'm trying to loosen my grip a bit, maybe it's all mental and I just need to force myself to do it and get used to it.
Perhaps grip the bike more with you legs, and weight in the pegs and allow your upper body to be loose and able to respond to the shocks without jarring.
Look of some film of guys riding super moto. You'll see how their hips/legs are with the bike while the upper torso and arms arm relaxed and in a more consistent position. They are going over berms, jumps and pave to dirt transitions all the time.
Thanks, I'll look at some film. I haven't had much time to ride lately to work on it, such is the life of an HVAC tech in an unusually hot summer.