Hi all and glad i found a quad bike forum that hopefully someone can shed some light for me on my situation

my son is 3 bought him a little quad (chinese import one) its a good base starter for him to learn to ride i guess

my question is is the anyway to make the thumb throttle leaver lighter for him as he can move it but i think after a while its going to be a bit of a pain for him when he is tired and that

is there any modifications or aftermarket parts that anyone knows of

thanks in advance

best regards

 

Would a thumb throttle assist work? It attaches onto existing throttle to elongate it and basically give rider more leverage thus, making the throttle more sensitive/easy to push. I ask if this would work because I'm not sure how this will affect speed limiter screw, i.e. will it get in the way, will you have problems adjusting the screw to get desired slower speeds given the extra sensitivity it gives to the throttle. Best of luck to you and your son as he learns to ride.

 

I also agree with the thumb extension to provide more leverage. I think I even saw a cheap one at a local Walmart. Other than that, the spring system would most likely have to be changed to a thinner one. Don't know the design on that machine, but it is either at the thumb throttle or at the end of the cable at the carb.

 

thank you for the replies friends and thanks for wishing the best for my son to learn to ride cant wait to take him out tomoz to have a little blast in the field if the weather is a bit better

regarding the thumb extensions, is it one size fits all really or would i have to look at a smaller model one because its a mini quad, ive had my thumb on it and rode quads before (only hire at a track) and from what i remember it feels about the same but cant remember,

if this is a no go or i buy one to test it and doesnt fit any ideas where i might be able to get a new spring from? we dont have any offroad shops near by so its going to be a bit of a trek to get one unless i could order one

again thanks for the replies guys appreciated

 

Steve, please check how the cable is designed for sitting at idle (tension). If it is a design with a small coilspring at the carb, it is possible you could get one at a hardware store by matching up the length and replacing. If the tension is sprung within the thumb control, you'll have to look at that as well to match for a potential replacement, part to part. I would doubt there would ever be a kit replacement for a chinese quad.... But, I would never recommend cutting a spring to reduce tension. Don't want your son haulin' down the way at full throttle. You will have to be very careful with this since safety is key.

 

thanks for that info mate ill have a gander at it tomorrow and have a look what i can do

thx again best regards

great forum and people

 

Thumb extenders work well. That one shown above is universal fit and should work. If there is a spring in the housing on the handle bars as well as in the carb you can try to remove the housing spring. This could cause the throttle to stick. Best to try it before the little guy gets on it. A popular upgrade is to buy a 400ex throttle. Your issue there would be to make sure you have a cable with the proper fittings.

 

Im pretty sure they do have a spring in the carb from what i can remember when building a scrap mini moto for my friends son, im gonna have breakfast and get out and have a look i shall report back
thx again all

 

that thumb extension will not work. tried it with my 3yr old. puts the throttle way to far out for their thumb. you can get a twist throttle handle that slides right on or you can order a twist throttle set up off ebay for cheep.. my little one cured her own problem.. when her thumb gets sore she will use her palm to control the throttle she has been out for 4 hour drives

 

i wouldnt modify or remove the spring on top of the slide in the carb, it is there to keep the slide from sticking "up" due to jamming, dirt, whatever, you may start swapping different springs in til the thumb feels good, but then are you sure that spring will have enough force to keep the slide down when the throttle is not pressed?? even the vacuum from the engine can lift a slide if the spring isnt there.