i have a predicament on my hands. i just bought a 2005 honda 400ex. i have owned this machine for about 2 1/2 months. unfortunately for me i was at work using a table saw and a board kicked back which dragged my thumb over the blade, which cut my thumb from the tip to about half way down my thumb. it broke the joing in my thumb. i am wondering if i should switch to a twist throttle because my thumb that is out of commision is my throttle thumb. what are the advantages/ disadvantages of a twist throttle compared to a thumb throttle. i think that my thumb will be very weak when it is fully healed and i think a twist throttle would be more practical for me(now). also how easy/ hard is it to install on a 400ex with the carb being mounted under the fuel tank. thanks for reading this and any feedback is greatly appreciated. if i did get a twist throttle i would get the vortex. well im on the road to recovery, and im just itching to get back on my sweet baby! thanks again

 

I have heard some people refer to twist throttles as "suicide throttles" on ATVs, but I disagree. I had a twist throttle on my old ATC350X and it was great. The only problem is, it's easier to get into trouble in rough terrain, which makes you have a tendency to twist, and therefore increase the throttle when you least need it!!! But you can learn to ride a little differently and get around it.

 

I agree that a twist throttle will be the best for you but I'm not sure I agree with your choice on model. The vortex is a very, very short throw compared to the other models and really is only necessary on narrow powerband machines and drag racers. I would recommend a Turbo twist throttle (also from Motion pro) which is still a faster pull than most of the others offered but is still long enough to ride with recreationally.

 

Go with a twist, and take it real easy when learning it. Pulling up on the bars for wheelies and hitting big ruts/bumps sometimes makes you apply more throttle than you would like until you get the hang of it. I prefer the thumb for atv's, and even more so on a quad as it is easier to hold onto the bars in rough terrain. The 400EX has a good powerband for a twist though, it's not like you are going to be riding a pipey Banshee or anything.

 

i got a twist throttle and I'd have to say it's the best u
pgared for a quad. I got mine and my dad got his.

Advantages- You can ride for a couple more hours and not get your thumb hurting. Easier (for me at least) To controll quad on turns
Disadvantages- Coming from whoops and jumps when you land you pull down of the throttle sometimes.

Besides that I cant think of anything else. After riding it for a month you don't really notice a difference between the two.

 

i have one and love it, its so much more fun and alot easy to completely hammer on it[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I hate thumb throttles! I think they are there so that your girlfriend who doesn't ride can get over to the bathrooms w/o killing herself.

I bought an 05,400ex last thursday.....Last tuesday that POS came off and a twist went on. There's a couple of styles of twists.

One kind has only about 1/4 turn from idle to full throttle. Perfect for racing but can be a handfull on trails as a little bump translates into a lot of gas.

The 2nd kind (Which I prefer) has a 1/2 turn from idle to full throttle. I got mine @ Terrycable in Hesperia,Ca. The cable was $37 and the twister was $17. I picked up some dirtbike grips at a local bike shop for $10.

 

Thank you all very much for your valuable input! I was bored on a sunday morning so i decided to tackle the installation my self which, i have to say, was INCREDIBALLY EASY! i got it in perfect working order. then the hardest part was putting the hand grip on. i have aftermarket moose hand grips and i put them on upsidedown so i had to twist them to get them on properly... then i heard a snap! the plastic sleeve that twists on the handle bars broke. the groove that holds the ball in place snapped clean off. i have it rigged right now so it will work, and im in the process of ordering a new sleeve. live and learn... otherwise i rode it around. the two types of throttles are NIGHT and DAY from eachother. the thumb throttle was like day, everything is familiar and you know what to expect. Night was much harder to control due to my inexperience on twist throttles. but it was fun twisting it way too much and kicking up some roost! once again thanks for the input everyone!

 

You can buy a metal sleeve to replace the plastic one.

 

Leroy,

Sorry to hear about your run in with Carbide. That Sucks!! I am a Shop Carpenter and my pink things are around all kinds of things that make Red sawdust every day, at times 7-12 for months. In that environment 2-3 men per week were clinic or Ambulence bound.

Its good to know the details of youe experience, sounds like you were cross cutting something ??? Did the blade take the tip of your thumb first or last??

Take it real easy with that Twistie till you really know it, I dont want to hear how you busted yourself or your quad up because of that twister. I am Pro thumb throttle on a Quad, but in your case you have no choice. Just treat it with respect and it will respect you.

Regards,
Freak