I was recently invited to ride a friend’s ATV and the strangest thing was waiting for me when I jumped on the seat and grabbed the handlebars.
As I reached over to grab a handful of throttle I noticed this particular ATV had a twist throttle like a dirt bike instead of a thumb throttle.
Immediately I was confused and unsure whether I could wrap my head around it. When I gave the grip a little twist, in my mind I was trying to balance holding on and loosening my grip enough to back off the gas without getting thrown off the machine altogether. Why do our brains function this way?
I grew up riding dirt bikes, but when I get on a quad with a twist throttle I feel out of sorts. I know several full time ATV racers that use the twist method, but for me an ATV with a thumb throttle just feels more natural.
I know of at least one company that makes a device that incorporates both thumb and twist methods and can be switched back and forth between the two by simply pulling a pin lock on the underside of the housing. Seems like a cool idea for someone comfortable with either or for someone interested in trying out both.
We’re curious to know how many trail riders out there actually use a twist throttle instead of a thumb throttle when riding your ATV. Share your comments with us below.
