i put a thumb throttle on

[bennieben]

yep, i put one on. at the end i adapted some spacers to make it work and work properly. the thumb throttle is off of a 660 raptor. it feels nice. alot easier to tame the beast. no risk of looping the bike. i can even wheely the bike now. i love it. my wr426 has one on it too. i know people despise people who dont want to use twist, but i have a few quads too and i ride harsh, rocky terrain in las vegas. from wide open areas to tight technical terrain nothing has worked better for me than the thumb throttle. i weigh 330 lbs, so i hold onto the bars for dear life. with the twist i d**n near loop the two wheelers all the time. dont hate me fellas, just sharing what ive done to help me enjoy the two wheelers more. 

[Danger4u2]

Hey Ben, your not alone.  I still have twist, but I've often wondered about a thumb throttle.  Never had a problem with the thumb throttle on the KX450R quad.  My buddy, who got me into quads back in 2002 said I should put one on my bike.  Said he wouldn't have a dirt bike with a twist throttle.  He raced quads back in the late 80's into the 90's.  He did quite well with a few championship titles.  It seems it's real easy to over gas the K5 in rough terrain.  I have 2 dry creek crossings on my track behind the shop that are very steep in and out.  Very narrow, so narrow when your in the bottom with the bike level the front wheel is on one bank and the back on the other bank.  Can't put your feet on the ground.  3 feet distance from bottom of the engine to the bottom of the creek bed.  Entering it feels like the rear fender is on you back. Exiting, the handle bars are near your teeth.  Throttle control is a problem in areas like that, that's my experience.  I know, I know you rock and roll riders will tell me "gas it and just jump that little rut".  When I run the quad through the same crossing I don't have a throttle problem.  As you guys get older your motto will change just like mine did.  "When in doubt gas it", will change to "Ride for fun, don't get hurt".

[grumpy]

I have only ridden a few thumb throttles so I feel like I have less control, but I come from a twist family. Good job finding a way to make biking more enjoyable.

[KXcam22]

The main thing to remember is that there are no rules. It it works for you.....use it.  If you are not sure, try it out.  My motto has always been "one good test is worth a thousand expert opinions". Cam.

[turtle22]

i have rode my friends quad and i like some parts of the thumb system(can hang on for dear life ) but i did not like the cramping in the thumg from hours of riding. maybe if i spent time riding like that i may get used to it, but then efort spent to put it on the bike and trainning to use it,i could put into proper throttle/hand position.
i have been on street bikes&harleys for over 20yrs now. i took a advance riders program(offered in many states)and they spent a good deal of time talking&developing hand position. wrist down so as not to pin the throttle when hard excelaration(or bumps&what not). i know it is not always applicable(cause of standing up) but its a very good practise.
but what really maters is u feel safe and in control(most of the time ) of ur k5. so go with what works for u!

[CR480R]

I like the thumb throttles on my 3 wheeler and quad .. But opening a 38 or 39mm carb with a thumb throttle will cramp up your arm in no time at all...But maybe on the 500 you wont have it pinned as much..lol..  I seem to have better control in akward situations with the thumbers on atvs because of the increase weight and steering effort, but they tend to become a royal pain on the longer rides..  On a dirtbike I love the twist...

[Good]

I don't think i'd ever put a twisty on a quad unless it was straight line drag only.  I haven't spent too much time on more than two wheels, but I once had a 250R trike with a CR500 engine and that thumber saved me on more than one occasion because I'm all over the bike when riding.  That being said, I was ripping it up on a friend's '01 Raptor 660 and hit this big berm standing up and the thumb throttle actually was pinned by my leg and almost caused a get-off.

I guess there's pros and cons for both, but the twisty on a bike and thumber on a quad are for me.

[DoldGuy]

Hows about both???


http://www.terrycable.com/products/product_detail.aspx?id=MTA1OA==

[ID KX500]

How about three throttle choices? The Dual-Gasser plus this lefty.

                 http://www.denniskirk.com/1/1/241702-full-throttle-inc-goldfinger-left-hand-atv-hand-throttle-kit-0071021a.html

[tod]

The left hand throttle is awesome for sidehilling sleds, but I never use it otherwise.

I had never thought about a thumb throttle for my motorcycle.  Has anyone used it on a MX track?
-Tod

[PowerFiend]

I like thumb throttles. Rode with them for years on ATC's and had a hard time riding an ATC with a Twist. Never really had an issue with twists on bikes, so never tried thumbs. One of the reasons I didn't have issues with bikes is because you can squeeze with your legs to control your position on the bike. With quads and ATC's you need to be able to hang off to slide around corners and they are lower, so it is hard to grip with your legs.

[azracer19]

If you use it or find one to use, let us know how it works, after shatering both the ulna and radius in my right wrist the flexability isnt so good as the doc had to screw and plate it. hand gets sore after awhile and I look like an idiot moving my intire am to gas it  let me know please

[bennieben]

i switched out the raptor thumb throttle for a honda 400ex thumb throttle now. it has different insides which make it have an easier pushing sensation....it feels lighter....it is a much better feel now. huge difference. hope this helps you guys out.

[gangstershoes]

congrads on the change over.  I don't think I could coordinate the thumb throttle just because of my dirt bike only prior experience but honestly anything that gets you through the trails safer is good in my book.
good luck with it.