Modern Vespa

This problem is the worst in the winter when you get cold hands and numb too. I try to lower my hands when stopping but it doesn't help much and I haven't found the right shoulder position to eliminate this issue.

Has anyone tried a compression shirt?

Or the crampbuster device?

Besides wearing the proper gear for the weather, keeping your core warm will do the most to improve your comfort level. I know, this coming from a chick that lives in the desert, but the desert can get mighty chilly for us thinbloods.

Some say heated grips do wonders. I just don't ride when it's below freezing.

Heated grips for sure. Even on cool rainy days in the summer they help a lot. The colder you are the more tense your grip will be which could be what's causing the problem.

If your hands get numb even when its not cold then you are likely to be suffering the effects of vibration. If you fit some soft foam grips you will find that you can relax your hold on the bars so this has a double benefit in isolating you from vibration.
If you think cold is the main problem then a fairing which is wide enough to take your hands out of the airflow makes a huge difference. Handlebar guards or muffs will also do this but can be more awkward to fit or use.

IMHO, muffs are essential when it's cold - heated grips are a secondary aid.

I found that the numb hand problem actually got worse when I fitted heated grips, because of the wider diameter of the grips. But some people find the situation improves when they fit wider grips, so I guess it depends on the size of your hands!

I went with these, they work wonders.

http://powerinmotion.ca/Products/Heated-Wear/Heated_Gloves_Calgary_Toronto_Vancouver_Canada#features

I'll make a wild guess and suggest this is likely about something besides the temperature of your hands.
As one who has experienced the numb hands symptoms of CTS I can attest that is a common symptom much the same as them going numb lying in bed and even waking you up when asleep. It comes about from the position of ones hands on the steering wheel or in bed, in relation to your heart.
Prior to my R & L CTS release surgeries (L one year, R the next) I had stopped riding MC's completely given I'd have both hands completely numb after only a few miles. that was late 1980's and I now have some return of similar symptoms but mostly they come form nerve damage in a shoulder, not the wrists.
I could say much more from my experiences overall but will say this:
the surgery is common as dirt, typically done endoscopic with short recovery and sure bought me some time to enjoy myself on MC's, scooter & bicycle!-
along with my other hands on hobbies & work.
Go get tested and learn where the nerve issue is coming from-shoulder, elbow or wrist? My wife responded well from the cortisone shot in her wrist- it did zero for me but does help my condition called "trigger finger".

You might try seeing a physical therapist.

I've had a similar problem -- not riding but at the desk -- and some other problems with my hands, and it turns out it was traced back to pinched nerves in my shoulders, of all places.

I had a neurologist performed nerve test 3 weeks ago. Function is limited but not to the point of surgery. At my age the goal is to remain able to do do ones lifestyle not play ball. My symptoms now on the worst side (where I've already had that shoulder put back together) are that the last 3 fingers on the hand go numb after much use, as in lifting,etc., not the same as from CTS alone. My 1st test was done after my CTS release surgery~ 2000.
Therapy might help if it worsens but for now remaining active is the plan.
Life is good, we just bought new bicycles...

That simple plastic device really saves the right hand. If you are getting
numb in both hands, maybe stop for a rest brake more often. I do observe my fellow riders regularly shaking their hands to loosen up

I actively plan on stopping every hour on extended rides.

Bob Copeland

I too on long rides experienced the occasional numbing in my right hand. I used this when I had my scooter. Works great!

https://www.foxcreekleather.com/crampbuster-cruise-assist/

I am not sure about hands getting numb from riding in the cold, but I had a problem with my hands after the first Iron Butt, Saddle Sore 1000 ride.

It was almost 18 straight hours riding, but after the finish, my hands got weird. The fine motor skills diminished significantly for a few days.

Buttoning shirts, zipping pants, writing with a pen, etc. all were difficult, but all came back to normal eventually.

The strange thing is that after the second SS1000, one that took even longer, I had no problems.

No problems after two Cannonball Runs either.

Bill

Indeed, keeping your core warm keeps the body from restricting blood flow to the extremities.

On a long ride, you need to be able to take your hand off the bars long enough to work it until the feeling comes back. A throttle locker is an absolute must if you get tingly fingers.

Since I read the original post as the numbness happens all year round, just worse in winter. I'd look into anti vibration gloves or foam grips on the scoot. While it isn't a problem I tend to have on Vespa but do get sometimes on the Honda.

Since my CTS release surgery I am a much more habitual glove user for anything hands on. My riding gloves have become deerskin with polypropylene liner gloves inside. They are often used by those who engage in outdoor sports for warmth and to mitigate sweat- similar to the liners worn as shirts under riding gear and sports apparel. They also help with vibration on the grips when riding. Release surgery creates a forever tender spot in the crease of your palm, so gloves are more user friendly than pre-surgery.
I use a throttle "lock" called throttlemeister on my MC's but find the Vespa easy enough to not need anything but I don't ride iron butts either. I can do a long day but breaks as stated do help in many ways, hands included.
I was at a MC rally some years back and a hand surgeon/rider there had designed a glove for riders with CTS problems. They have a "trough" inside the palm, shaped from surgical gel that is to reduce pressure on the hand where the nerve passes into & across the hand. They are very well made! and comfortable but seems I cannot turn loose of my old deerskin gloves which are broken in to the point of a fit that's hard to match with any new glove. I've resewn them several times, just an old friend I guess.
Age has an effect on circulation and hands get cold easier, lucky me is finding that one out.
If you have CTS symptoms it's important to get tested as the issue is nerve damage which is accumulative and non-reversible. The release surgery is only able to take rubbing pressure off the nerve not restoration- in other words, your buying some time.

There are some great suggestions here!

I do have an issue with numbness when it is not cold, but that is only after riding for several hours (unlike 15-30 minutes in the cold). So I have ordered the crampbuster (I think it is mainly the right hand, so not likely to be vibrations).

I have already ordered a custom pair of very expensive gloves that are supposed to be very good so I am waiting to try them out before trying the suggested heated gloves or heated handlebars.

In the meanwhile I'd like to get something for the wind, what reasonably priced fairing or handlebar guards would you recommend? which is better?

Grip Puppy foam grips worked for me. I found that when gripping the bars with gloved hands made my hands go numb, especially at freeway speeds. I tried several things: focusing on not squeezing the bars, relaxing my hands and shaking them from time-to-time. I ultimately tried Grip Puppies and that worked. The foam grip increases the bar diameter by about 1/4". I think my glove might have been putting pressure on my fingers and cutting off circulation. Anyway the Grip Puppies worked for me. They last about 3-4 years before they start to breakdown. [url=https://smile.amazon.com/Grip-Puppy-Comfort-Grips-Original/dp/B00CP9ADD8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523156730&sr=8-1&keywords=grip+puppies]They are ~$18 on Amazon here. You have to measure your bar size and get the matching size grip puppy. I was surprised at the price actually. Last time I bought them they were $6.50. I also see there are some knock-offs available for ~$12. There are some youtube videos for installing them. Pretty easy with some soapy water. Hope that helps you.

Best
Miguel

Handlebar Muffs, I've got Tuscano Urbano but if you want cheap https://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Scooter-Bike-Handlebar-Muffs-Gloves-Thermal-Protection-Hand-Warmer/282890627850?hash=item41dd986b0a:g:8ugAAOSwrLRar2Gi&vxp=mtr

I have smallish hands (beefy palms-short fingers) so a foam, larger diameter grip is the last thing I'd choose to alleviate numb hands. Riding with loose hands is a learned procedure that helps me too. I also "practice" finger calisthenics with my fingers during a long ride to keep things loose. I like OE grips and thin flexible gloves that aren't too tight. New and worn wet helps stretch them out some.
Logically the extremities are always the places to stay warm outdoors, hands, neck, etc..
Some winter riders like brush guards to fend off wind from hands. I have no clue if they fit a Vespa.

In really cold conditions, handlebar muffs are a big plus, but you didn't say whether you have a windscreen or not. If not, I'd personally start there. Pick a wide screen where the area in front of your gloved hands are shielded by extensions of the screen. I have a Vespa mid-height screen on my GTS which does this nicely as well as keeping the wind off your chest.

I do have a windshield but it doesn't cover the entire handlebar and doesn't block all the wind. How are the muffs any different from gloves? I want something separate from the glove that blocks wind -- plastic or metal, that way the cold air doesn't reach my hands.

Muffs add a lot more insulation to the gloves you're wearing, and they're windproof. They'll block cold air better than an extended windshield or hand guards.

Huge difference between windshield with partial hand coverage and muff. Especially in the rain or snow where muffs keep your hands and gloves dry. I kicked myself for leaving my muffs in the support truck during the 2014 cannonball. I soaked through all 3 spare pair of gloves I brought with me and felt like I was near frostbite after crossing Rabbit Ears pass in the sleet/snow. It was so bad that despite the time penalty I stayed for coffee and using the dryers in the bathroom in Kremling when I got gas. I don't think my hands had ever been so cold and that includes skiing or temps of -16f with windchill down to -32f.

cdwise,

Not a pleasant situation. I am glad you pulled off the road. I was caught in the same situation. I stopped and bought plastic garbage bags to cover my non-water proof gloves.

There are some great insulated waterproof riding gloves on the market. Of course, you can also gear up with heated hand grips and heated gloves.

In my riding area, I installed the color matched hand guards available from Suzuki on my Burgman 400.

I only pulled off long enough to warm my hands and the rest of me. I was still 40 miles from the last checkpoint of the day and another 13 miles after that to spend the night in my own bed in Breckenridge. When I got home and tucked the scoot into the garage for the night it was a glass wine and some French onion soup (home made from the freezer) after a soak in the Jacuzzi before I was toasty for the rest of the night.

Unfortunately I lose one of my best cold weather waterproof gloves earlier in the cannonball. They kept my hands okay in the snow after leaving Baniff but no glove really holds up to several hours in first rain then sleet/snow. That's how I managed to soak through 3 additional pairs. My warm weather gloves were ventilated so didn't expect them to do much. What worked best wet was believe it or not uninsulated leather cowboy gloves, though wet they blocked the wind and that kept my hands warmer than the wet insulated ones for that last hour to home.

Pairing this with your 25" of snow comment y'day, I think I'll mail my muffs to the first CB motel!

Tingling/numbness in any extremity is usually caused by a lack of blood flow to the tissues and /or nerves supplying them.

I have done a bit of personal anatomical research on this issue as I'm interested in bodies (well Matron, that's my excuse )

If you look at the diagram of the arterial circulation to the hand below you will see that the blood gets to your hands via one of two main arteries. One on the left and one on the right.

I believe that the position of your hands on the grips over a period of time causes a restriction of flow in these arteries and hence the tingling - which is simply the start of numbness.

If you allow the flow to return via just one of the arteries the tingling goes. You can do this (stangely) by gripping a bit tighter with your thumb, index finger and middle finger and lifting the heel and side of the palm off the bar. Therefore you do not have to lift your whole hand off the grips which may not be desirable at the time.

This (I believe) is due to the fact that one of the arteries is allowed to reflow and supply the tissues, ending the numbness.

The above explanation may be a crock of sh*t - but it works

Hey, that late in May Colorado rarely gets over 8" of snow and that trip it was more like 3-4 between Rabbit Ears and Summit County. Total for the last 7 days is 38".

Because I tour on my BMW 1200GS, I have heated grips, foam grips and hand protectors for colder weather. I also have a Throttle Buster for cramping and tingling (early CTS.)

As I have only had my 300 GTS in Summer, I haven't looked at equipment for our (mild!) winters yet. I am leaning in the direction of the mid-sized screen with hand protection and foam grips as I don't ride the GTS for the distances that I ride the GS. I'll fit a Throttle Buster as well if necessary. I like the Throttle Buster on long trips as I can exercise my fingers and thumbs without losing throttle control.

My gauntlets are larger than my shorties, as I make provision for silk inner gloves - thin and just that little bit extra insulation comfort.
Cotton inner gloves are more insulating, but require a size up and then you can't wear the gauntlets WITHOUT them.

We don't get handlebar muffs for sale in South Africa. I guess the accessory dealers are wary of importing them into this "macho" riding culture...?

Some folks use ATV or snowmobile muffs on their scoots (including motorcycles in that definition.)

Vibration can cause numbness over a long ride. To counter that I have padded gloves and they help. Numbness from cold in off weather, I have a pair of skidoo gloves that work really well.

Peripheral blood flow with arms raised in a riding position for long term is a problem, that's for sure. That can happen in a cage when driving long distance with your arms in the two and ten position.
My solution in both of these situations is to stop for short periods frequently.

In my little non-medical mind I find poor circulation is one thing. Wearing the wrong or insufficient gloves/protection in the cold to be another.
But! if you have the classic symptoms of CTS it's important to do something about it-sooner the better that was my point, as it's a nerve your messing with.
Look at the statistics on CTS->5 million workers affected in the USA in 2010.
Driving and riding are one of the situations when the symptoms show up.