Tips & Products for Managing Throttle Thumb

[@crz95]

This video / channel deserves 10x the amount of views. Super informative. Guess I'm going to have to sit this weekend out to let it heal and throw those tight gloves in the bin!

[@MyOldSled]

Thanks for watching!

[@MBTUE]

We had a guest / newbie rider with us last trip out. He was complaining of a sore thumb all weekend. Great video Dave . Mark Bow

[@Thoroughly_Wet]

Although I don't have a sled, I've realized on my "new-to-me" big red the more you ride (either fewer but longer rides or on/off daily riding) the longer the delay is before the cramp starts. I've taken maybe four long rides. on my last one a few days ago that lasted maybe 4 hours (checking property spread out over about 15-20 sq. Miles from point A.) but i didn't notice it hurting until the last thirty to forty-five minutes when I was on throttle on open road.

[@marksmuck4379]

Great video. Thanks Dave. My wife has this very issue. Great information. Appreciate it. Love the bloopers at the end of the video too 👍

[@MyOldSled]

Thanks Mark. Glad you found it useful.

[@Southwickspecials]

That’s why I just clamp it down.

[@Kevin-ix4qz]

I agree with southwick specials. Pin it to the bar! All the time! Problem solved. Nice job on the channel. Btw

[@anthonydzimira2887]

Just put couple light rubber bands on the actual throttle! 😂works amazing for me but not to much where the throttle doesn’t release!! 😢that little bit helps wonders!😊

[@Paisteboy]

For me, it comes down to hand position. I make a conscious effort to keep my hand in a good comfortable position and rarely have this issue. Nice work Dave.

[@MyOldSled]

Thanks D

[@IbocC64]

I have this problem when I go a few years without riding. I found the best solution is to drink more water as it appears to be a cramping issue for me. Its also best to use my palm rather than my thumb for throttle control.

[@albertliebregts1040]

I wonder if a quality silicone adhesive, if it sticks of course, for the thumb adapter would eliminate risk of heater damage and also better conduct heat through the adapter to the thumb. Just a thought since I didn't buy one yet.

[@MyOldSled]

It would have to be something that didn’t soften with the heat of the throttle.

[@brentwiley3330]

First off, bro the bloopers was hilarious. Great add to the video! I have a Ski-doo Tundra and the throttle flips around for. Finger throttle but it's super awkward to use. I assume practice would make easier.

[@MyOldSled]

Thanks Brent, I add them to all of them now. Thanks for watching.

[@bryan7866]

Hey Dave, great video informative as always! that throttle flare looks interesting havent done much riding this year but if i get throttle thumb i know what im doing! lol

[@MyOldSled]

Thanks Bryan!

[@doclobster]

What about the finger trigger throttle? I was looking at one of those for just that reason.

[@MyOldSled]

Hi Dan, yes that might help as well. There are lots of ways to mod your throttle...anything that will pull a cable. It's just preference, id prefer thumb, just feel I'd have more control, but if you have a severe problem that would be worth a try. There's a good one with a heated element available.

[@MyOldSled]

Hey Dan, Your comment got me thinking about this. In addition to something like a tree branch possibly hitting a throttle mounted in the front, you could also get snow and ice build up on it. Obviously this would be better if you had a guard in front of it, but I imagine that's why they are typically designed with a thumb throttle.

[@doclobster]

My Old Sled I've only seen them online - never in real life. I would assume there's a risk of your finger staying in the trigger if you roll as well. Always some risk though.

[@cheallaigh]

with my 97 380 touring E i was getting throttle thumb, even my hubby mechanic would get it. i have a 16 pro-s 600 SC shorty, and hubby got an 18 assault switchback 800, no throttle thumb anymore, they changed the mechanics of it and doesn't require as much of pressure i guess? both of us get sore hands now, because the grips are basically thick rubber over the bars(heated of course still), so we traded one type of pain for another lol. after this season is over, i'm going to be looking at corking them or something.

[@MyOldSled]

Yes the newer sleds have a much easier throttle pull. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@joeweiss8475]

Yes Dave love ur vids I have a question

[@MyOldSled]

What’s that?

[@joeweiss8475]

I have a 440 rev race sled and I want to lossen the limiter strap will this wreck it

[@67697072]

Well done informative video......Thanks !!!

[@MyOldSled]

Hi 6....glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@trump45and2zig-zags]

Been wondering about trying to flip it all the way around to a squeeze for my lil brother who cut his thumb off at work

[@MyOldSled]

Awe sorry to hear that. My older brother cut his thumb off but they managed to reattach it. Let me know if it works

[@TheWamda]

I like your work very much, is a lot of commitment. Super movie!

[@MyOldSled]

Thanks Wanda! Glad you enjoy the channel.

[@tomcatsjt]

loved the bloopers at the ending lmao!

[@MyOldSled]

Thanks for watching!

[@landonhochstein2461]

It’s quite apparent that you have the money to purchase a new sled if you wanted, so what makes u stick with the older sleds is there a specific reason?

[@MyOldSled]

Hi Landon. Not sure why thats apparent? I really can’t afford a new sled. New machines are pretty expensive, so i bought what I could afford. For the amount and type of riding I do, i have lots of fun with the machines I have.

[@jameschartrand7962]

I have a 92 Polaris Indy 650 triple and I don’t know how the hell to hold the throttle because I need an immense amount of force to turn so I need to wrap my thumb around the handle bar to push the right handle forward and yank the left one backwards to turn left. Riding it is literally my upper body training. I was never really taught how to grip the throttle but nothing I try seems to work. I’ve also thought of modifying it to an atv style thumb throttle because the configuration on my atv works perfectly for me.

[@MyOldSled]

Hmmm, well that sucks. Have you tried doing anything to improve your steering effort? Adjust the preload on the front and middle springs?

[@jameschartrand7962]

My Old Sled uhhhhhhhhhh I have no idea what that is. I’ll look it up. Thanks!

[@jameschartrand7962]

Actually, it’s pretty manageable at higher speeds now that I finally had a chance to ride it somewhere other than on my land- still nothing like the sleds today but it works and that’s what matters

[@richardrides405]

Crank on the handle bar warmers helps a bit

[@MyOldSled]

Yes, warmth definitely helps.

[@charliepalmer2465]

my Wife does... But ... I have an issue with ITC throttle, too easy and over bumps tendency is to squeeze with no resistance and needless to say this does not end good... had a couple of crashes because of this..

[@HeidiNJames]

can i be so bold as to ask what video editing you use? Love the videos btw!

[@MyOldSled]

FCP, and thanks.

[@HeidiNJames]

youre welcome and you always respond fast as well

[@MyOldSled]

Well you took the time to watch and comment...

[@lucahoganyt4435]

All has to do with the throttle of the sled. I personally don't like the way Ski-doo does throttles. They're very rounded, small, and made out of that weird "shiny" plastic that feels and looks cheap. And I find they're also way too stiff. I ride purely backcountry, so I like to have a really light throttle that's also big enough that I can reach around underneath the bar with one finger if I need to. I find the Ski-doos aren't great for that. My friend just got his first sled earlier in the season, a 2007 Summit 600 144". He kept complaining about his thumb hurting. I thought he just wasn't used to it yet, but after 10 minutes of riding his sled I could barely move my thumb. His throttle was super hard to push in. And I rode my neighbour's 2020 Renegade 600 last weekend, it had the same problem. I personally think that Arctic Cat/Yamaha does throttles the best. Large surface area, good quality plastic, square on the end instead of rounded, and very light to push in. I've actually never ridden a newer Polaris but I think the RMK/Assault throttles are similar to that. I used to have this problem with my old MXZ 500 and my two Ski-doo race sleds. I found my 09 Renegade 600 wasn't actually that bad, but I think that had a different throttle cable in it after the motor swap, so that's probably why. But on my old Arctic Cat 440 race sled and my new XF8000 153", I haven't had this problem

[@MyOldSled]

Not all the throttle of the sled, but different machines can certainly have harder throttles to depress which can fatigue muscles faster. I’ve never had a problem with either of my sleds personally. The worst issue i have is on ATVs, and its more positional, because of the way I ride them. Thanks for sharing.

[@Coyner4321]

Great tips! However, new SeaDoo's have those finger throttles or whatever they're called, no more thumb throttles! They need to have this on their sleds as well IMO..

[@MyOldSled]

Those new seadoos look amazing. In terms of finger throttles, my guess is the thumb throttle is the dominant product because of the chance of something stiking the front of the handle bar. They do sell guards for this reason, but that's just my guess about why they're all thumb.

[@MyOldSled]

Hi Timms. Thanks for sharing. When researching this video, I saw tons of products for switching up your throttle... even twist style throttles like bikes have.. in retrospect I should have touched on this one in this video as well. What type did you get?

[@Coyner4321]

My Old Sled Thumb throttles are also probably more dominant because they have a much larger surface area than a finger throttle which allows the use of the warmer.. that's my guess anyways! And yes, the new SeaDoo's do look amazing! Hopefully next summer I can afford to buy one!

[@nyefamily1]

Exactly! I have been saying this for 10 years but nobody will have it. Nobody wants to change the old original way Armand did the first one.

[@suomenmankimies2131]

hey man! i need an answer to One question, Is it ok to throw Snow now and then on a fan cooled snowmobile engine to cool it down a bit. Thx for answers :)

[@MyOldSled]

Well, I'm not a mechanic just a guy with a sled but I'd only do that if it was REALLY overheated, and I might do it slowly so I'm not cooling it off too quickly. I'd be more inclined to pull over, open the hood and let it cool down. I can't say I'm sure it would do any harm, but to me anytime you hit something really hot with a sudden jolt of cold like that you run the risk of warping or cracking things. That said, I know a lot of guys do that and I've never met one who said it caused them a problem. Also, I know with a lot of sleds, riding in the deep stuff often results in snow being funnelled in anyway. I'm going to post this question on my facebook page and see if we get any other answers...

[@suomenmankimies2131]

My Old Sled yes im pretty scared that something will start cracking or the pipes rusting away.. And thx for the reply :)

[@MyOldSled]

My pleasure SMM...Head over to facebook.com/MyOldSled/ and keep an eye on the post - complete with picture :)

[@larryw5429]

If you think you get bad throttle thumb with a twin with a progressive throttle you should try my F 3 with single stage throttle its bad!

[@MyOldSled]

Hi Larry. If I think I get bad throttle thumb with a twin with a progressive throttle, I wouldn't have started the video by saying its never been a problem for me. ;) Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@MyOldSled]

Come to think of it, the one thing it really got me was riding a new ATV with a much lighter throttle...

[@joeneault785]

also i have a ATV and the best cure for that was to put on a twist throttle=no more sore thumb,costs only 62.99 off ebay,yup nothing beats the physical solution's !

[@MyOldSled]

Work out that thumb Joe. One day you'll want to hitchhike and you wont be able to.

[@prylosecorsomething3194]

On my sled it isn't that my thumb gets tired but actually the throttle just digs into my hand

[@MyOldSled]

What kind of sled?

[@joeneault785]

best cure is get a sled with flat slide carbs or EFI throttle bodies,the big old round slides are only found on sleds like yours,no insult,they are just found on older sleds.

[@MyOldSled]

No insult taken :) But it is a bit of an expensive solution.. Actually, I just realized I was riding a brand new ATV recently at my friends farm and my thumb was killing me. Even a light pull or weight can wear down muscle endurance after a while. A lot of times its just the position of your hand relative to the throttle. If you really feel that's the best way to go, I will let you buy me a new sled...

[@jasonwinterle3437]

My mom had has throttle thumb /Arthritis her thumb so she never rode by her self to speak of

[@collinsmith9684]

Only with long rides I hurt I play guitar tho so it helps

[@MyOldSled]

Me too..maybe thats something to do with it...I usually finger pick with my right hand though...

[@collinsmith9684]

Me to but I don’t know I works for me and I’m just a kid I don’t really get hurt

[@MyOldSled]

:) ha...thanks for reminding me of my advanced age ;)

[@pushpushlambert8079]

I always thought why the heck don't they just have twist throttle like motorcycles ...

[@MyOldSled]

Well, just a couple of guesses, but Heated grips wouldn’t work as well, a twist throttle would have a tendency to freeze up, but I think it’s mostly control... the amount of force you apply to the handlebars while riding a sled is much greater than a bike making it more difficult to operate a twist throttle.

[@icyrc]

no

[@MyOldSled]

Hehe.man of few words....

[@icyrc]

I don't have the thumb throttle

[@pat4145]

manufacturers stole my idea 30 yrs ago i said make a throttle you can pull out and turn to make it a index finger throttle !!!!!

[@MyOldSled]

Should have patented it.

[@livewire2474]

Just install a footprint gas pedal 🤣🤣🤣

[@tammy-lynnwhite8103]

20 min in it is so annoying

[@MyOldSled]

It’s only 9 minutes long…