CR450F - Arms are PUMPED!

[cyoung450]

I have just recently purchased a new 02 CR450F (Thanksgiving). I have been mostly riding trails, single track, woods type stuff, been to the track twice. I have rode motorcycles most of my life, but got out of it for about three years and I am now riding again! My arms and hands are going numb and killing me within a short period of riding, what can I do? Or better yet what am I doing wrong?

02crf450:think

 

[scotts250]

Seat time. Most of the arm pump problems I have experienced were not so much from being out of shape but from not being comfortable or confident on the bike/track etc. Tell yourself to let the grips feel loose in your hands as often as possible. I took a 7 yr. break from riding and noticed that I could get arm pump riding on flat ground. After getting familiar with the bike and relaxing a bit the arm pump was much reduced. Didn't mean my stamina came back that quick but at least one less problem to battle.

 

[Smitty]

Here’s another thing to think about. I just switched to the CRF from a KX250 and learned real quick that my riding style had to adapt. The quickness of the CRF’s motor and chassis feels like you can rip it like a 250 with a lot of clutch and brake slide work. However, it will wear you out real quick and you will not use the full speed of the bike. Once you learn to brake a little early, leave the clutch out and accelerate through the turns you will save energy and gain speed. For me the biggest part of this is avoiding the clutch and using that big power to do the hard work.

 

[wardy]

ahhhh yes smitty.....

another words ride it like an OPEN bike! hmmmm very good, use little braking, in fact use the motor braking as much as possible. sweep your corners don't herk and jerk, relax, go fast and enjoy the ride!
and with that thing being a diesel hell you never need the clutch! just let her eat!

wardy

 

[Smitty]

Grunt, Grunt, Grunt. Is the fast easy way, but when you are feeling froggy it sure looks impressive to have that sucker roaring like a runaway freight train. Nothing but noise and raw soil flying through the air. :cool:

Sunday, I really started to feel comfortable on the bike. We were riding a sandy, whooped cross country track and I was focusing on the soft sandy turns to prepare for this weekends race. I found that the most important thing to holding the line exiting a turn was to leave the throttle open even if I needed to correct a little bit. If I got off the throttle to straighten out a little I usually ended up carving to hard to the inside. In contrast even if my exit line was bad or headed for a whoop, hole, or root it was much easier to switch lines with the throttle open and the motor pulling strong.

Another tip or technique I'm using is the ability of this bike to take the outside line with no fear. You can flattrack it around the outside of a sandy berm faster than you could ever take the berm. (This is on wide grass track area @ a cross country or GP) Just sit forward and turn the throttle.

 

[cyoung450]

Pumped.....

Thanks to all of you for the info I will definitly try some of these things the next time I ride, which I can't wait till this weekend when I can ride again, doesn't work stink!

I haven't been on this site for very long but I think it is really cool of whoever started this site, it has been very useful so far and I am meeting some great people!

Anyway again thanks!

CYoung