How hard should I hold on?

Grip the bike with your legs/knees and loosen up on the hand grips. Should help reduce your arm pump.

If all things fail #4ArmStrong

Just hard enough to not fall off

Use your legs to hold on. Learn to lean into the accelration and against the braking forces. At times you could probably knock my hand off the bar. I only hang on tight when i get off balance

Depends on your technique, level of fitness and core/lower body strength. When those aspects are under control you don't need to use a death grip.

It'll probably take you a little time. But as the other posters said try to squeeze with your knees and relax your hands until you need to hang on tight for a reason. I know that I have to get just the right combo of gloves and grips to make me real comfortable also.

Wear a size larger glove.. gotta let that blood flow

Hold yourself on the bike with your lower legs/knees and use your core muscles to keep you balanced while accelerating...you should only grip the bars as much as is necessary to keep you on the bike.

Also, focus not only on loosening your grip...but also on loose wrists, elbows, and shoulders too. So many people ride with locked/stiff elbows and their shoulders pulled up towards their neck. You're lower body keeps the bike in control...your upper body should be loose and relaxed enough to just move with the bike (don't fight the handle bars in whoops/bumps...just keep your elbows loose and let them move).

Your arms shouldn't ever support the weight of your upper body...that is what your core muscles and legs are for. Arms are for steering and going/stopping.

You warming up and getting the blood flowing before you ride?

As hard as possible and don't do leg workouts. All forearm/ curls. Drinking a few coca colas helps too

Nothing wrong with death grip, what I use

We've got to hold on to what we've got.
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not

Just do one lap

Try zip tying your boots to the pegs. Cant fall off if your feet don't move. No death grip needed.

Comfortable grips & gloves, comfortable bar bend and position, higher levers and proper body positioning all help. Ride as loose as you can without falling off.

Clue: Check out James Stewart's left hand to see how hard he hangs on.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmISb2N8vCg/T6_H-vVTHDI/AAAAAAAABDc/_RC6yhz7-…

This video will change everything about how you ride, how you feel about riding, and how a dirt bike is supposed to be ridden. It does not matter if its MX, SX, off road, whatever. Words from a legend I repeat to myself all the time.

"motorcycles are designed to be rode standing up, not sitting down"

Ride slower into the turns and come out of the turns slower, don’t jump anything that makes you nervous.....problem solved

That video should be given out by the dealership with each bike sold.

I've never seen that Caselli video
But good stuff for sure

How hard should you hold on?
Anywhere from 15 to 300 pounds per square inch of gripping surface should do it... depending on circumstances of course. No, I'm not being serious. Good luck managing your arm pump issue.... seriously.

My first thought. Two ThumbsUp

I crack shrouds I squeeze so much with my legs. Helps arm pump. Also hanging on during accelerating too much with the hands excacerbates head shake

To be honest, if you're going to go fast you're going to have to hang on pretty tight. You're going to have ride long motos and train your arms and hands to not get tired and pump up.

Hanging on with your legs helps for sure, but the tighter you can hold the bike overall the more potential you have for speed in the rough. My inner legs get road rash from holding onto the bike.

While there is plenty of good advice in this thread, this ^^ needs additional thumbs up