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Twist Throttle

i had a firend put a twist on his summit 670 when we first started riding. we ride the mountains by the way. he's a long time dirt biker and thought it would be better. he used it for about a year and a half before getting rid of that sled. worked okay most of the time, BUT on those occasions when he really had to side hill hard, or when he got bucked off but was still hanging on to the bars, not so good at all. you know the times where you are dragging beside the sled trying to control it so it doesn't roll, well if he didn't let go, more throttle, more porblems. if he did let go, sled was in an uncontrolled decent. when he upgraded, no twist throttle, and said he would never do dit again
 
Thought about that...maybe. The whole lefty type throttle makes me nervous though. Last year friend of mine with one (lefty) started his sled and it was iced up...sled took off full throttle. Needless to say, it climbed a tree and was totalled. Luckily no one was hurt.

It all depends on the lefty you have... Gravity Worx Lefty's have greased and sealed cables, so freezing up will not happen....

But in regards to using a lefty for a finger throttle, you wouldn't need the extra cable, you would use your stock throttle cable, just replace the thumb flipper with the lefty to be used as a finger throttle.... That may pose problems though, as you would still have to hold on to the bar with your thumb.

Anyway, hope you figure it out so you can get some ridin in:D:beer;
 
What about making a boot around the throttle cable connection to keep snow off on a twisty? Zip tie some light material around the cable area to keep the majority of the snow off. A very short shock boot with a small hole for the cable.
 
Just because something has been done one way for 30+ years does not make it the best or only way to do things. :confused: The thumb throttle is still around probably most likely because of user acceptance. I'm not sure how much of an issue a twist throttle would be for freezing either, I've had throttle cables freeze up on my sled when playing in the powder :eek:, the kill switch on the handle bar comes in handy at times. If I remember correctly, the first guy to try a back flip on a sled had a twist throttle on his. I cannot remember his name at this time, I'm sure someone else on the forums should remember though.
 
just thinking. couldn't a guy cut down the twisty throttle and add a stationary grip on the outside? If the twisty were a bit larger in diameter or a ribbed grip and the stationary part smooth. You could have 2 fingers gripping the twisty and 2 fingers on the stationary part of the bars. Kind of like the twist shifters on a mountain bike... sorta. I was looking at the Handy Throttle and it looks easy enough to mod. http://www.handythrottle.com/index.html
Trying to help.
 
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We've not had any problems with the stock twist throttles freezing on the snowbikes- I think it would work fine on a sled, as long as it's mostly sealed like a dirtbikes-

I thought it would have been an issue for us in the powder- but after 7 years of testing motorcross bikes on the snow, we've not had one freeze up.

Hope it works for you, especially since the snow's finally getting deep
 
I am trying to find a twist throttle for my sled right now if I find something I will let you know. Anybody that think you can't mtn. ride with one is wrong. I ride a street bike and a dirt bike. I am all over that thing and you have way more control of the throttle. On my street bike I can clutch it up at over 100mph into a wheeling and that pulls on your hand a ton and I still can control it just fine.

"So sure are you". (Yoda) Let us know how that works out for ya.
 
I pursued the twisty for a while and found the easiest way for my rev was to use the snowhawk setup (they run dual carbs on Rotax motor)and have a custom splice made where my single cable went into the splitter box or you can cut off your T end and press on the nub at the end of your cable. There was a way to do it so that if I didn't like it I could switch back and use my original throttle cable again. The guy at Union Bay Racing said they were looking at a twisty with a bearing in the end because it was less likely to freeze. I had another kid and haven't had any extra time to finish what I started but I'd still like to try it someday. Good luck, if we don't hear from you again we'll know you died in a fiery crash and we won't mess with twisties any more:)
 
I pursued the twisty for a while and found the easiest way for my rev was to use the snowhawk setup (they run dual carbs on Rotax motor)and have a custom splice made where my single cable went into the splitter box or you can cut off your T end and press on the nub at the end of your cable. There was a way to do it so that if I didn't like it I could switch back and use my original throttle cable again. The guy at Union Bay Racing said they were looking at a twisty with a bearing in the end because it was less likely to freeze. I had another kid and haven't had any extra time to finish what I started but I'd still like to try it someday. Good luck, if we don't hear from you again we'll know you died in a fiery crash and we won't mess with twisties any more:)

LMAO! I always say that I want to die in a fiery crash, you know, blaze of glory or whatever but, not really. My sled is SDI, so when talk turns to carbs, I'm out. Think that had something to do with problems getting the lefty to work a while back but I'm not sure. Trying to get my husband to chime in on all this since he is my mechanic:face-icon-small-hap
 
Haven't you guys ever watched motocross or free style, or trials riding'''''''''''

can cans, nac nacs, whips, back flips, double back flips, all done with a twist grip, ever heard of Travis Pastrania( sp)

will they freeze up any easer than a thumb throttle. NO

I have ridden dirt bikes on ice and snow for over 25 years and have never had a froze throttle

and your thumb stays warmer as well, since it has more contact with the grip and heater

a thumb throttle can be operated from any angle, while still having a full grip on the bars, and if you can get two fingers on it, you can twist

early sleds were built that way and people don't like change.......
 
Try the "Lefty" left hand throttle. (the newer model from last year)
It is shaped like a mini right hand throttle and I know left handers that use it alot.

http://www.powersportsxchange.com/colorado/left_hand_throttle.html

Also we used to flip the right hand throttle over in the mid-early 90's. I think you could still do that until thumb is healed.

My wife has terrible tendon problems and wears a thumb assit wrap on her dirt bike, snowmobile, and pwc. Helps her alot.


Then just relax a bit and don't push it. Those kind of injury's take awhile AND suck down the ibuprophen (motrin) Us old guys and the pros live on it.

Good luck
 
Throttle Kits

I am replacing my thumb throttle with a twist. Try DG Performance Throttle Conversion Kits and JC Whitney.

No one addresses the reduction of "grip" power when the thumb is on the throttle. The heel of the hand can not push hard on the bar for left turns.

The positioning of the throttle (engine speed) is more exact with a twist than a thumb.
 

I am picking one of those up tonight. Might as well start simple, can't ride for at least another week anyway. If that doesn't cut it, probably try twisting the thumb throttle around to the front. I appreciate all the suggestions. I'm not too worried that my guys won't come up with something...we do have a saying in our group "no one left behind" :beer;
 
Maybe we could help you figure out how to get one on there. The guys that ride hawks loooove the twist throttle and never have a problem with it.
These guys ride all over the place in and out of the trees off cliffs, on the trails, across creeks, wherever and whenever and never have a problem.
If you send us an pm maybe we can give you some pointers, granted we'd love to have you just jump and try a hawk, but getting you help with the twist throttle on your regular sled shouldn't be to hard.


A snowhawk is more like a bike then a sled. You lay the hawk over to turn. Sleds you have to lift the out side ski using your throttle hand. Good luck ajusting your throttle wile holding up the ski in a hard carve with a twist throttle.
 
I get this flatlander mag, SnowGoer, and the issue that came today has an article on Twist grips. Haven't read it yet.. Feb, 2008 issue.

Did you all know they make sleds with 121" tracks?? LOL
 
I had a twist grip on an older Indy 500, and I never had it freeze up. I did run warmers most of the time so maybe that's why. Trail riding with it was a blast, and boondocking through the trees worked well after getting used to it. The only prob. I had was on steep climbs if I hit something and got pitched to one side or the other, it was very hard to control. I don't have much seat time on a bike, so maybe that was part of my problem. I have since parted out the sled, so the twisty is for sale! I ran motocross grips with the old 'inside the bar' heaters.
 
will they freeze up any easer than a thumb throttle. NO

I'd say they're a lot LESS likely to freeze up than on a sled (or quad) because they use push/pull cables....and IMO, you don't see them on sleds because of liability reasons (you know, some guy drives a twist throttle equipped sled into a tree and he says it wasn't his fault..... it was the throttle/sled manufacturers fault)
 
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