Tech Talk: Know your quick action throttles

FB: What does a quick action throttle do?

AJ: Ultimately, it changes the ratio of movement on the twist grip assembly to the reaction at the injector or carburettor end. Effectively, you’ll be getting more bang for your back as you twist the grip!

It’s especially effective on more recent models; a lot of the newer bikes are so powerful, there’s an incredibly wide range of movement to help if you’re a bit ham-fisted – essentially meaning you need to twist the grip further to open the throttle. Sometimes that means you’ve almost got to dislocate your wrist, whereas our systems come in at just a quarter turn, making life much smoother for the rider. It helps to make riding easier, especially if riders are susceptible to fatigue and arm pump, as it’s less stress on your muscles.

FB: Are they adjustable?

AJ: Yes, absolutely. For example, the cams for our most popular model, the XM2 quick action throttle, which is used in Moto2, come with three different sensitivity rings. These rings adjust the ratio in which the throttle moves, as the cable is mounted in slightly different positions and routed slightly differently. It essentially makes the throttle either more or less sensitive to movement in the throttle – as an example the smallest ring will give 2.6º per millimetre of movement, whereas the biggest is 2.9º for each millimetre of cable travel.

FB: Do you need to use Domino grips?

AJ: You don’t need to, but it’s definitely worth it as the grips are really well made and are incredibly high quality. Not only do you get a choice of a load of different colours with them, but you can even choose what compound you want to use as well which is cool – especially if you’re fussy with those sort of bits.

FB: Is it harder with the new tech?

AJ: Yes, definitely in some cases, and a lot of the time when we look at a fly-by-wire system it comes down to how the manufacturer configures them. Some have throttle position sensors in the twist grip which means no cables are used, on systems like this we can’t offer a product – and it all depends on the setup with how quick those throttles are. Other models use cables as well; so for example the current generation R1 has cables coming out of the twist grip assembly into a control unit which deals with everything, meaning we can supply a quick action throttle system. For about eight or nine bikes we have individual kits where they need them, and then we supply a universal kit which fits near enough all makes and models.

FB: How easy are they to assemble?

AJ: They’re really high quality kits, so they come with everything you need to get going straight away. They can be a bit fiddly to assemble on some of the newer models, but they come with all the instructions you need. It’s definitely not rocket science, and nine times out of ten it’s a doddle. The good thing about these throttles as well is they don’t interfere with the ECU, so you don’t have to worry about messing around with the bike’s computer. One thing you do have to watch out for is when the twist grip assembly is built into the switchgear, as if you’ve got a modern bike with CANBUS electrics, you have to be a bit careful not to mess it all up. It’s a good old fashioned mechanical adjustment, and you don’t get them too often nowadays!

FB: So what sort of bikes do you usually sell them for?

AJ: Surprisingly, a lot of the time it isn’t race bikes and track bikes they go out for. We’ve had a lot go out to touring bikes recently, as it makes things easier on long journeys, and we do quite a lot for people who’ve had wrist or arm injuries as it just takes some of the stress from the muscles – especially if you’ve got restricted use of your arm or hand.

FB: So they’ll fit on everything?

AJ: Pretty much, yes. Nearly every bike you could ever want will be fitted with 22mm handlebars, so it’s just a case of getting them on them – it’s only certain classics and cruisers that use different, like Harley-Davidson for example. I can’t imagine many of your readers have them though! You may need to do some jiggery pokery, but if you have a 22mm bar and a cable operated throttle, it will be an absolute walk in the park.

FB: Are there many cons?

AJ: In all honesty, not that we come across. I feel like maybe people can be a bit wary if they haven’t tried one before, as they feel like it might hinder low speed control and be too snatchy, but the beauty of it is they really aren’t – and if it does feel like too much they can be altered. They’re quite easy to get used to as well from what we’ve seen, which means once you’ve used one you’ll never want to live without it…