Hi all, I've been riding dirtbikes since I was big enough to sit on one but have never owned a quad. I posted earlier this week to start finding parts for an 87 TRX250R that I picked up from a friend last weekend. He needed to get rid of it and I needed to get rid of a dirtbike so it worked out well... and now I feel as though my paddock is complete - an enduro, a sport touring bike, and a crazy fast quad. I'm looking forward to restoring this great quad to pristine condition and having some fun on it. One question that I've never understood though...why do quads have thumb throttles?? I'm probably going to need to change it to a twist throttle due to slight arthritis in my thumb/wrist area but would consider keeping the thumb throttle if there is a good reason for it. Let me know your theories on this...

 

Welcome to the forums.

Not sure why they have a thumb throttle like a snowmobile. It might be because of crawling up steep hills and the tendency to roll your hand back. That could spell big trouble on a quad with a twist throttle. Other than that possibility I have no idea. And I've been on and off quads since the late 80's.

 

The big reason is when you hit a rut, rock, root, etc with just one wheel, the bars whip in your hand and can cause you to twist the throttle involuntarily. I find a twist just fine on milder machines like a 300ex. Had one on a Banshee once, almost wrecked that thing multiple times before switching it back out to a thumb. Since you are used to the twist, it may work well for you. Conversions are pretty cheap, and there is even a thumb/twist hybrid on the market.

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

You will like ATVs vs dirt bikes. When you stop they don't fall over on their side and they carry more stuff. I could never get a large cooler full of ice on a dirt bike to stay put.

 

Luckily it's not a "vs" issue. I get to enjoy them both! ...And my sport touring bike :-)