Question for XC racers, or anyone who can help?

[jshtex]

My son raced his first XC this weekend. Raced in 4 stroke B class for a race that was one hour plus one lap. This is a new series here in our little part of N E Texas so this was all new to us.

Good news, he won his class by 2 minutes. (4 400exs and a z400)

Bad news, he may never be able to use his thumb again....

My question is are there any tricks to keep this from happening? Should we go to a twist throttle? Any help will be appreciated.

[Extremeracer167]

was it just thumb fatigue? If it is, that will prob. only happen once a year, or usually just after u havent road HARD in a while. Mine will do that the first race i have in a season, then its fine. Tell him to keep workin it, and it will be fine. OH and tell him to eat some banannas b4 the race next time. They help with cramping and muscle fatigue. ;)

[cdalejef]

ya, the more you ride the better it will get! If he has motorcycle experience then you may wanna try a twist.
Lube the cable often!

[Ex'r Marlin]

Lots of laughs! I too have had the same experience!

Someone on Exriders.com started a thread awhile back about "racing secrets" or something of that nature. Anyway, someone mentioned they used an ice cream scoop that has the "whip" lever on it to exercise the thumb. I got myself one of those, and believe it or not, I feel it has helped me tremendously!:)

[Wingnut]

Also, rotate the throttle forward so that it sticks up higher. A lot of people rotate it backward, but that means you have to reach farther for it.

[remlapr]

Do any of you guys use those "thumbsavers?"

[toby400ex]

In all the races i had done before this saturday i had got horrible arm pump, but some how i didnt saturday and got first in my class. I think i will also eat more bananas.:D

[chavez]

i cant stand eating bannas so i went ot the local G.N.C general nutrition center and got me a bottle of nutriton (the same stuff in bannas

[GNCC#829]

One of the things that I did, helps me alot. I opened up the thumb throttle assembly and took out that return spring inside. That way I'm only pulling against one spring(the carb return spring). It may not be the safest thing to do, but I haven't had my throttle stick yet. It has been over a year now.

[jshtex]

Thanks for all the good advice!

[R-Crazy]

ive heard that if you shave down the spring a TINY bit, it will make a big difference.

dave

well i've run about 5 XC races in the last few months and my thumb still cramps up bad at the races..so I said piss on it and bought a twisty ta put on there..haven't thrown it on yet..gonna race a MX race first then put it on there and break it in at hatfield Mccoy it looks like..:devil

[86atc250r]

Twists suck on quads, the ergos and movements aren't right for the use of a twist. Ever wonder why you never see twists on sleds or jet skis? You can get used to it, but it's rough going and will almost always slow you down. Twist throttles are also a large source of arm pump which can be just as bad or worse than thumb fatigue.

Anyhow, I'll second the suggestion about rotating the throttle up. That's what I do and I've found that will reduce fatigue more than anything else I've tried.

Using that method, I can race a 2hr XC without any noticible fatigue.

[jlhughes750]

Barry Hawk, 9x GNCC champ, twist throttle
Gary Denton 9x GNC champ, twist throttle
Chris Borich #4GNCC multi time D6 champ, twist throttle
Ballance 3x GNCC champ , thumb throttle

throw your theorys out the window, ergo's my rear, its all about what u can ride with. in the woods i fly with a twist, when i hit the mx track i'l fall right off. either way, you'll have thumb pump and pain for a while till u get used to it, with a twist you'll get forearm pump and shoulder pump for a while till u get used to it.

try them both and stick with one.
later, J

[86atc250r]

Do what you like - there's a reason ATVs, sleds, PWCs don't come with twists as OEM equipment & no bikes come with thumb throttles as OEM equipement - it's all about ergos.

You think ergos don't make a difference? Try an extreme example, turn your thumb throttle around backwards and try to ride.

If those folks have adapted to twist, great for them. I still maintain most people's lap times will suffer by installing a twist & arm pump will increase.

Top champions constantly train and are in far better shape to avoid the pitfalls of things like arm pump. Top champions are also exceptionally talented and could likely win regardless of their throttle setup.

Some even have prior injuries that don't allow for the use of a particular type of throttle acutation.

I grew up on dirtbikes, I operate with twists just fine on them. I absolutely hate quads with them.

Typically if I make a modification to my machine and it slows me down, I take it as a serious indication that modification was bad.

[660bigdaddy]

rico, keep us informed on how you like the twist. my first experience w/ a twist throttle was on a 250r. i went like 100yards. hit a little kicker. held on tight while holding the throttle wide open. the quad flew into a 7 foot rose/thorn bush. i was very thankful because it brought me to a dead stop. the only problem was i looked like i had a fight with 3 dozen cats. i had scratches on top of my scratches. lol:huh

[Razorback]

Originally posted by Rico
well i've run about 5 XC races in the last few months and my thumb still cramps up bad at the races..so I said piss on it and bought a twisty ta put on there..haven't thrown it on yet..gonna race a MX race first then put it on there and break it in at hatfield Mccoy it looks like..:devil

LOL. Good luck :D I had one on for less than a day. I hated it. Some people really get used to them a like it a lot, it just wasn't for me. I felt like the quad had control of me, not the other way around. I have a feeling it will work better for CC than MX, though, so you may get through it just fine.

[MEL]

660, don't feel bad. i bought i used '85 250r that had a ton of motor work done to it. along with that the guy before me put a twist on it. after 3 weeks it had bucked me off the back 3 times(always at the wrong time), and bucked every friend i let ride it off. some people can ride with them just fine, while others can't even get off the line without problems.

[remlapr]

Sooo - what about the thumbsavers? Are they worth the $20 or are they just cheap crap?

[Wingnut]

I tried a thumbsaver on my Recon one time. It works if you're holding the throttle steady for extended periods. But, for in the woods or on the track, it gets in the way.