billyt Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 (edited) Okay, a thought with some questions associated with it! How many righties to lefties are riding trials? Do the lefties have trouble with the right hand throttle? What would happen if we installed a quad/four wheeler type thumb throttle to a trials bike? Would this be nuts or start a trend? Things that make you go mmmmm.... Edited August 9, 2010 by BillyT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bestrcpilot Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 As a Lefty I have no trouble with the throttle on the right. I just learn it that way. I did try a thumb Throttle once on a dirt bike I found it was to fast for good control. It seemed to be all or no throttle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 Do the lefties have trouble with the right hand throttle? Probably, but they have lovely clutch control that make up for it !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzilla Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 Probably, but they have lovely clutch control that make up for it !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2shock Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 As a left hander i've ocassionally wondered the same thing. Whilst being left handed i'd also say i've never had a problem with a right handed throttle, but then again i'm no Dougie either- but doubt i can blame the throttle position for that one Also, we have the advantage of operating the clutch with the favoured hand, does that cancel out and percieved advantage of disadvantages? I suppose a poll of the top riders would be interesting, if none are lefties i'd at last have a bonafide excuse for being rubbish! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 I'm also a leftie and old enough to have ridden bikes with lever throttles;; suffice to say I'll stick with twistgrip. Your questions made me go mmmm in a happy memory way ;..we used to ride an old (Norton I think) with hand gear change on tank and lever throttle and some of the funniest crashes ever can be attributed to those controls, if only we had U tube etc back then, I remember we used to tow a sheet of corrugated steel (one half of an old anderson (bomb) shelter) around the field with several on board and the trick as the rider was to crash the lot of em into a fallen tree trunk by swinging it out like you see water skiers do. Ah no helmets no licences no health & safety... happy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 What would happen if we installed a quad/four wheeler type thumb throttle to a trials bike?Would this be nuts or start a trend? I have an Expert-rated friend who has run a thumb throttle (old Kawasaki 220 four-wheeler type I think) as long as he has ridden Trials. He has one on his new Pro. I rode his bikes and it allows a good grip on the bars in the straightaway stuff, but I found it very uncomfortable when I had to move about in the tight stuff. My wrist was at a weird angle when leaning off and it was difficult to use the throttle smoothly. He has no problem with it, but that's all he's ever used since coming into Trials from quads. The racing four-wheeler Quads I've built for the Pro's has almost exclusively used twist throttles rather than thumb throttles as it makes it easier to move forward on full-lock in tight turns and modulate the throttle. I imagine it's personal preference but I doubt thumb throttles will catch on. Imagine the wrist angle a WTC rider would need to go up the front fender kissing walls they have to climb. As yet, the thumb throttle housings must be stationary so you can't re-position your grip needed from downhill drop/slide to straight up wall climb. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyt Posted August 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 (edited) Sorry guys. I can not get the font size to change in the edit function. So why not switch the clutch hydraulic over to the right hand side master cylinder and the front brake hydraulic hose over to the left hand side master cylinder and then take the throttle tube assembly from the right hand side bar position and install on the left hand side bar position. You would have to make a new throttle cam to go the opposite way with this set up. The advantage is that lefties can be more comfortable with the main control in their dominant hand. So, lefties if you had a throttle cam available for this experiment would you try it? Edited August 12, 2010 by Slapshot 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 (edited) So why not switch the clutch hydraulic over to the right hand side master cylinder and the front brake hydraulic hose over to the left hand side master cylinder and thentake the throttle tube assembly from the right hand side bar position and install on the left hand side bar position. You would have to make a new throttle cam to go the opposite way with this set up. The advantage is that lefties can be more comfortable with the main control in their dominant hand. So, lefties if you had a throttle cam available for this experiment would you try it? It's amazing how font size has an emotional effect on reading one's post. I would think you would need a new throttle housing to pull the opposite way, in addition to a new tube/cam assembly. Another possible advantage is that it would be difficult for somebody to ride off on your bike, thou it would be fun to watch them try.... Jon Edited August 12, 2010 by Slapshot 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyt Posted August 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 Jon I cant get the font to change size! Sorry! Yes as I stated earlier one would have to change out the throttle cam assembly. Yes I agree and can see it now. Another rider jumps on your bike and there is no throttle to turn! Many years ago one could buy a blank throttle tube with no cam on it. It is very easy to make if one wanted to try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axulsuv Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 Another possible advantage is that it would be difficult for somebody to ride off on your bike, thou it would be fun to watch them try....Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 JonI cant get the font to change size! Sorry! Yes as I stated earlier one would have to change out the throttle cam assembly. Yes I agree and can see it now. Another rider jumps on your bike and there is no throttle to turn! Many years ago one could buy a blank throttle tube with no cam on it. It is very easy to make if one wanted to try it! I was just pulling your leg, no offense intended. The standard housing is made to pull just one way and it would have to be designed to have the cam-stop on the opposite side. I wonder how many lefties would like this, maybe a lot. I know they have stores devoted to everything left handed, like sissors and can openers, why not a throttle housing? I agree, the rest of the controls should be easy to switch over. My youngest son is left-handed and rides bikes a lot, I'll ask him what he thinks. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomates Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 Why does a Left handed person have difficulty with the usual way a bike is setup? A Right handed person doesn't have difficulties with the usual left hand side clutch control? The clutch requires a sensitivity normally reserved for the lead hand (especially trials) but all Right handers seem to manage it all right. As a Right handed person, if the only motorcycles I had ever ridden had the controls the other way round I'd most likely ride exactly the same as I do now (badly!). One could argue which needs the most control, throttle or clutch? Who actually has the advantage? Maybe it's the clutch that benefits from ones "lead" hand? Or have I got it all wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot 3 Posted August 12, 2010 Report Share Posted August 12, 2010 Edited the posts with font problems!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyt Posted August 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2010 Thanks Ian. Ian are you close to Forres? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.