anyone know of a throttle sticking or breaking and causing a ATV to speed up out of control. My son was seriously injuried due to this. it appears to have broken and caused it to go out of control. Please let me know

 

sorry to here that. hope hes OK. so from the sounds of it it stuck wide open. happens after winter the cable gets rusty and sticks. should be oiled often.

 

Did you buy the ATV new or was it used when you got it ?

There have been thoses who have done mod.'s to the throddle cable by clipping the carb throddle spring to make it easier to throddle up from a dead start , could this be the case here ?

And there have been time's when a quad has sit up a few months to a year and have the throddle stick on start up , this happened to me when my 1986 Honda TRX350 Foreman 4x4 sit up while i waited on a new fuel tank ; when i put the new tank on and started the engine the throddle stuck in the wide open position !

If it wasn't for the fact that the Quad couldn't start in gear this could've happened to me , i hope your son will be ok these Quad's can be Dangerous ; that's why it's very important to match up the right size Quad with the right age of the rider !...

 

their's 3 basic ways the thottle sticks, and all 3 are maintenance items, not the quads fault,
1. cable stuck, should have been check and lubed before riding
2. cable routed incorrectly, this will stick a thottle every time,
3. top of carburetor was loose and came off while riding, kazuma post decals on their atv's and also states in their owner's manual to check for this everytime before riding.

i also believe that the child had improper training on this atv, he should had been taught to use the kill bottom right next to his left thumb if something went wrong mechanical with the quad, if he used the kill bottom and brakes at the same time this injury could have probably been prevented. sorry if i sound to insensitive but i've seen alot of accidents and very rarely its the atv fault.

 

Just about all ATVs on the market have the simple kill switch right there at his left thumb. If he is freezing when it goes out of control, you might want to install a tether on it, or a remote kill switch. The ATV I bought my son, has a remote kill switch, much like a keyless entry for a car. If he is about to hit something, or in this case, speed out of control, you can kill it yourself remotely. These are all simple devices to install.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: oblytr8

Just about all ATVs on the market have the simple kill switch right there at his left thumb. If he is freezing when it goes out of control, you might want to install a tether on it, or a remote kill switch. The ATV I bought my son, has a remote kill switch, much like a keyless entry for a car. If he is about to hit something, or in this case, speed out of control, you can kill it yourself remotely. These are all simple devices to install.</end quote></div>


This is the best advice you can get! This is a must with a child!

I had a 2002 Raptor 660 that I had purchased brand new. The throttle stuck wide open and it hit a tree (I bailed off just before). Luckily, no injuries. However, the quad was totalled. We tore it down and low and behold the air filter was not properly seated, leaving a gap that allowed a loose plastic dart (used to fasten the plastics) got sucked up and wedged itself in the carb, keeping the butterflys wide open! Very freak thing, probly a chance in a million it would ever happen again! Since it was brand new and I didn't touch anything on it, I'm sure the dealer or the manufacturer are at fault. Luckily, I had it insured! Lesson learned: Check out your machine very closely, even if it's new! Often times you will find fluids that are empty or faulty equipment, etc.

 

Yes, I have had the throttle stick open, and every time it has been a maintenance issue. Now that I am older and somewhat wiser I have come to realize the operators manual should be followed when it comes to maintenance. In this instance the cables should be checked often and they need to be lubed on occasion. Cables should also be replaced BEFORE they fail. I used to have a carb icing problem also on my old Suzuki when riding in very cold weather. Actually had the slide stick open multiple times due to this and it has the same effect, wide open run away engine.

I hope your kid is OK, and hopefully next time he will remember the proper procedure to shut down the machine in an emergency and not freeze.

 

I read this with a certain amount of trepidation. If you are looking for a place to put blame and possibly sue, then look no further than your bathroom mirror. First off, these things are mechanicl devices that need to be maintained. ALso, if you follow the pre ride checklist that is taught at an ASI safey course, you would probably have identified this problem prior to it becoming a major issue. That being said, I am sorry your child has to endure the pain and suffering, however the point I am trying to make is that the parent has the responsibility to make sure the ATV is safe for their child to ride.

I woul dnot point to a lack of knowledge as a good excuse. I doubt any of us have every read the owner's manual from cover to cover... I bet some (Me included) wish they had.

Secondly, ATV's are NOT toys. They are not entertainment... they are serious machines that can cause serious injuries if not treated with the proper respect. There are consequences when items are shortcut. Lack of knowledge and training are fixable issues. But you have to take the first step in getting it.

All that being said... I sincerely urge you to take a hard look at your child's mental state and ability. Simply being able to touch the bars, turn the wheel, and hit the throttle is not enough. You must judge their abilities in being able to deal with emergency situations. because no matter if you DO happen to follow all the proper protocols, and you do maintian the machine like it is supposed to be maintained, issues like this CAN and DO still happen. THAT is where training and ability to react under fire automatically without thought will mean the difference between survival and injury.
I apologise if this sounds harsh... it is offered so that people take a moment and evaluate the situration. I think all of us at some point in time have been in similar situations with our young riders. It is our jobs as parents to be vigilent, and make the hard decisions. If you find your child unprepared for this.. then although saying no is hard, perhaps that is the right answer.
I just went through this with my youngest. I bought him his first quad when he was 6. He rode it a few times and scared himself and us. Long story short... I kept him off it until he turned 12 and finally displayed the maturity and confidence I felt he needed for him to try it again. Now that he is 12, he has reached that point. He is doing wonderfully, and riding is no longer a white knuckle affair for all uf us. It is fun for him, and although he has fear rom time to time, we are able to work through it with confidence. 6 years is a long time to sit and look at that shiney new quad in the shed.. but he is a better rider now for it.

 

Chineseatvmechanic,

Thanks for the list of 3 possible causes for stuck WOT problems. My son had this problem while riding his 50cc Jackel last Monday. Luckily, he was not injured. I recently installed a new carb, new throttle cable and a new thumb throttle, so I suspect one of those may be to blame. However, the quad was operating flawlessly all day before this problem occured (without any warning).

Regarding item #2 on your list, can you please explain the best route of a throttle cable? When I installed the new cable, I made sure it did not put the cable in a bind whenever I turn the handlebars from side to side (I know this could sometimes result in revving the motor up if the cable is in a bind). Other than that, I'm not sure if there is anything to look for when routing the throttle cable.

Happy trails...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

why is this post back in here on 9-03-08 i read the very same posts and responses like 3 months ago,not being mean but i see this in these forums alot why is that