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Thumb Throttle on a trials bike


leosantanalg
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Been riding trials for few years and I m about to fit a thumb Throttle in one of my bikes! if anyone has positive input to offer like, technical data : stroke length of the regular domino throttle and etc, would be appreciated!!. prob a lot of folks will laugh, but that's usual in a narrow minded sport such trials! 

the idea behind the thumb throttle is simply to find out if I can benefit of better acceleration control, specially right after a big splatter or zap. when I put my body back to lower the front end, I tend to hold that throttle open and I've been trying to correct that for while. There are prob some other theoretical advantages of thumb throttle vs twist but I think is probably preference in the end. I m definitely not afraid to try anything and one thing I can guarantee: it's always a positive experience and I always learn something from it. 

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11 minutes ago, trapezeartist said:

I find it hard to believe it will be a good result, but happy (and interested) to be proved wrong. Full marks for trying something different.

I m kinda in the same boat. but why not? right? 

what makes you think wouldn't work?

 

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6 minutes ago, leosantanalg said:

what makes you think wouldn't work?

I'd guess having to use a single digit rather than any part of the hand would make it tricky to control.  Given many early bikes had that sort of lever for the throttle, but everyone settled on the current system eventually, is also something that comes to mind - there must have been reasons.  I'm curious to know where a thumb throttle would be normal equipment, like on a farmer's snowmobile or something, or if it's for people who have problems with their hands like the double-levers for single-handed riders that stunt riders also use.

Add me to the list of people curious as to how this pans out! :)

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As someone who rides motorcycles almost every day  and also an agricultural  quad with thumb throttle every  day, I can't  say i notice much difference in "controllability ". I will say though that in the situation described I use the clutch rather than the twistgrip on my trials bike to "check " after blippkng over an obstacle, still I applaud your inventiveness

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4 hours ago, turbofurball said:

I'd guess having to use a single digit rather than any part of the hand would make it tricky to control.  Given many early bikes had that sort of lever for the throttle, but everyone settled on the current system eventually, is also something that comes to mind - there must have been reasons.  I'm curious to know where a thumb throttle would be normal equipment, like on a farmer's snowmobile or something, or if it's for people who have problems with their hands like the double-levers for single-handed riders that stunt riders also use.

Add me to the list of people curious as to how this pans out! :)

What she 👆 said!

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This question has been brought up and tried several times though the years.  

A standard Throttle tube twists towards the rider, and the front brake activates in the same direction 

A Thumb throttle pushes AWAY from the bars and the front brake pulls towards the bars.

The latter is VERY hard to do and control with any fitness on a trials bike especially at the higher levels 

Keeping the front brake covered with one or two fingers at all time whilst keeping your thumb on a thumb throttle leaves very little of your hand actually holding the bars 

It is also tricky to do full lock turns with a thumb throttle as your thumb is extended out.

Hence why it has not been adopted

Go try it out for your self.

I guess it is the "Thumb Throttle" idea time for recycling again. 

I applaud the tthought process though. 😎

 

Edited by billyt
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I recently went through rehab for a broken pinky/5th finger and something I learned from the rehab people in the process of getting back on a trials bike was that your "grip strength" fingers are your 4th and 5th fingers while your index and middle finger are comparatively weak for grip strength. However the index and middle fingers are much better connected to your brain for fine motor control than your 4th and 5th fingers are. They called the index and middle fingers the "clever" fingers.

That's the reason we use our index finger and sometimes middle fingers on the levers and leave our 4th and 5th fingers to grip the bars.

It certainly rang true for me when I tried to ride trials with a broken 5th finger and found I had way less than my usual grip strength on that end of the bars.

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I also have riden vehicule with twist and tumb throttle. I always found it more difficult to control the throttle when standing on the footrest of my quad or my snowmobile ( i'm not a farmer ) , as for the control after a splatter or zap, I had the same problem that I corrected by holding '' less '' throttle before the splat. I mean i use to grab the throttle at a 45 degree angle over the bar before I it the obstacle, now I grab it at 10 or 15 degree. I have to tell you that i'm no Tony Bou so it might not be THE solution.

Guy

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