The dreaded left hand arthritis

Woody850 · 2026-05-29T01:55:22-0600

It has been a while since I popped my head on the forum, but I am looking for opinions or help. In my left hand the thumb joint has over the years developed painful arthritis. I thought the clutch on my Commando was near to gentle but during this seasons riding the fun is slowly disappearing.
I know that the clutch cable routing is imperative and the cable was renewed a couple of years ago with a part from AN which I believe to be nylon lined so taking the cable out and hanging it up to drip cycle oil down its interior would be detrimental to the lining.

I would be glad to hear from any of you with the same 'old codgers' problem.

Onder · 2026-05-29T01:56:54-0600

You have, of course, visited a doctor?

Woody850 · 2026-05-29T02:09:36-0600

Oh yes, and pay a ton for an Osteopath. A tip he gave me was when resting I clutch the left thumb with my right hand and gently pull.

Fast Eddie · 2026-05-29T02:27:08-0600

Nylon lined cable, carefully routed, and lubricated with dry film PTFE spray lube.

And Tumeric plus Bromelain supplements daily (natural anti inflammatory properties).

kommando · 2026-05-29T02:38:35-0600

Turmuric +1, Dan Shen improves blood circulation, Duzhong (Eucommia ulmoides) – The Cartilage ShieldDuzhong is highly prioritized in osteoarthritis research because it targets the actual structural breakdown of the joint.Stops Cartilage Destruction: Its active compound, aucubin, directly inhibits MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-13 [1.1]. By blocking these enzymes, it stops the breakdown of type II collagen and aggrecan, which are the building blocks of healthy cartilage [1.1].Keeps Cartilage Cells Alive: Duzhong suppresses chondrocyte apoptosis (the death of cartilage cells) caused by oxidative stress [1.1]. This helps your joints maintain their natural cushioning cells rather than thinning out over time.

Adjusting clutch stack height.

robs ss · 2026-05-29T03:11:05-0600

Relatively expensive, I know, but cNw hydraulic clutch is the ultimate in lightness.
He uses a Brembo master cylinder to power the slave cylinder inside the outer GB cover.
I wish you the best!
Cheers

Fast Eddie · 2026-05-29T04:21:13-0600

kommando said:
Turmuric +1, Dan Shen improves blood circulation, Duzhong (Eucommia ulmoides) – The Cartilage ShieldDuzhong is highly prioritized in osteoarthritis research because it targets the actual structural breakdown of the joint.Stops Cartilage Destruction: Its active compound, aucubin, directly inhibits MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-13 [1.1]. By blocking these enzymes, it stops the breakdown of type II collagen and aggrecan, which are the building blocks of healthy cartilage [1.1].Keeps Cartilage Cells Alive: Duzhong suppresses chondrocyte apoptosis (the death of cartilage cells) caused by oxidative stress [1.1]. This helps your joints maintain their natural cushioning cells rather than thinning out over time.

Adjusting clutch stack height.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a bit of a strange one IMO.

Personally, on the whole, I believe in it.

BUT… and it’s a big but… modern day China has such a widespread culture of counterfeit goods, I have almost zero trust in modern day Traditional Chinese Medicine supply chains.

cliffa · 2026-05-29T04:44:29-0600

I’m sure you realize that you don’t need to use the clutch for upshifts, so 50% improvement can be gained there.

Britbike850 · 2026-05-29T05:22:39-0600

I have the same problem…I was ready to sell everything motorcycle and DynoDave suggested that I change out the actuating arm (where the clutch cable connects in the gearbox ) to an Atlas arm…a slightly different profile…and it made a huge difference. Almost 1/2 of the pull…measured at the start 22 lbs of pressure to 12.5 lbs.
Easy to install, inexpensive
Something you might want to try
Rod

ashman · 2026-05-29T07:27:51-0600

I was told a very long time ago after 100 strokes change hands, sorry wrong subject, my Norton after 50 years of riding it has always had an easy clutch pull, still using original clutch plates, actuating arm, clutch rod etc, do you get vibrations at the end of your handle bars, best thing I ever done to my Norton was replaced the steel handle bars with Renthel alloy bars, the steel bars are only 1.6 mm wall thickness where the alloy bars are 6.5 mm wall thickness and they get no vibrations through the bars which can cause arthritis in the long term.

Ashley

Schwany · 2026-05-29T08:46:34-0600

I think you might be "shift" out of luck. There's no magic out there for eliminating arthritis that I am aware of. You can dull all your senses with some ibuprofen before rides. Inexpensive treatment, but rough on the stomach and other organs.

All this has been mentioned to one degree or another: Replace the clutch pack, set your stack height, do the actuator arm change, and if in the mood make or buy a new clutch cable. A real fix would be the cNw hydraulic clutch setup (now back in stock), but it is not inexpensive and I have no idea how much the shipping to Germany would be on top of that. However, a hydraulic clutch would be the only way to guarantee a significantly lighter clutch pull at the lever.

I don't have the arthritis issue yet at 75. My RGM Commando style clutch has a much lighter pull that the AMC 3-spring clutch did. I do have a broken back though. Fortunately my back only hurts when I get off the bike after a ride not during the ride. Also hurts like hell when I peel carrots or potatoes over the sink. lol