very important question!!

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lit549

Member

Jan 11, 2010

33

0

• Jan 11, 2010

• #1

I waas just wondering on how to teach my boy how to let go of throttle when under acceleration.Ya know,when the force of the bike going forward and your just trying to hang on and ya cant let go of the throttle,and it keeps goin till ya hit something or crash.I prevent this on mine by keeping finger on the clutch>He done it Sat and he was on top of plateu where I ride,there was 10-15ft cliff.He was running parelell to it trying to get out of the sand.Well it hooked left and he hit the throttle not being able to let go.He jumped off this cliff,going over the bike and landing some 15ft away on the flat hard part.Thank god hes ok!Scared me to death.But his bike doesnt have a clutch(ktm 50 pro senior).So what do I do?How do I teach him not to do that again(with throttle)??

 

IndyMX

Crash Test Dummy

~SPONSOR~

Jul 18, 2006

5,548

2

Amo, IN

• Jan 11, 2010

• #2

First thing he should do is grip the bike with his knees.. That should help him stay forward on the bike.

Gary Semics has a very good exercise for learning how to grip with your knees.

Put the bike on the stand, grip it with your knees, no hands on the bars, and move the bike around. Learn to feel it and control it solely with your legs.

Do that until you get it, and you should be fine.

 

High Lord Gomer

Poked with Sticks

Sep 26, 1999

11,788

35

• Jan 12, 2010

• #3

You can also try rotating the kill switch backwards a bit so that he can hit it with his thumb while in that position. If he can't roll the throttle forward, not sure if he'll be able to hit the kill switch, though. Also, at high RPMs and full throttle, some 2 strokes won't stop by the kill switch.

 

Patman

Pantless Wonder

LIFETIME SPONSOR

Dec 26, 1999

19,765

1

• Jan 12, 2010

• #4

When my son was on a little KTM I taught him to grab the throttle housing if that happened. Seemed to work the one time it happened he did it exactly right.

 

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wake_rider

Member

Feb 21, 2007

481

2

• Jan 12, 2010

• #5

Also, teach him to not crank his wrist forward before he grabs the throttle. Make him grab his throttle side the same as his left hand, neutral. That way he doesn't grab too much throttle and when he starts to accelerate too hard and just has to hold on, the throttle returns back to a neutral position, or relatively close to it. Either way, it's no longer wide open. Once he starts getting better at controlling the bike then he will naturally start changing his grip position, but for new riders it is a common mistake to grab too far forward on the grip then pull back. At that point they're just trying to keep from coming off the back and their death grip on the throttle keeps it wide open. After that happens they get that target fixation where they're looking at the one thing they're trying to avoid, and they run straight into it.

 

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lit549

Member

Jan 11, 2010

33

0

• Jan 12, 2010

• Thread starter
• #6

very good advice!!Now for me--how do I get over the fear of him riding and getting hurt??lol.Thanks guys,really good info!

 

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helio lucas

~SPONSOR~

Jun 20, 2007

1,020

0

• Jan 13, 2010

• #7

lit549 said:

how do I get over the fear of him riding and getting hurt??

Click to expand...

you don´t ;)

 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer

~SPONSOR~

Oct 19, 2006

8,129

2

Merrillville,Indiana

• Jan 13, 2010

• #8

helio lucas said:

you don´t ;)

Click to expand...

Even when they reach adulthood(?) it still gets you. Read the fine print on the kid contract! He is double gripping the throttle as Wakerider pointed out, well without seeing a video, and they are priceless for these types of things. The double grip should be quite obvious in old video's? When they first start out riding they have to build that sense about, you can not stop till you back off the throttle. Regardless of age! As long as thats not the case, next issue. I never messed with the dreaded cobra gang, yet. Exactly how much does the throttle turn? May need a throttle that has less total movement, a quicker turning throttle. Or try fixing it with technique. There is a lot to the control also. He is not sliding back out of position, few can handle that. Being able to ride a bicycle no handed, can help with the dirtbike. And, all this is assuming its not a hanging throttle? As quick as you crack it open, it cracks closed, ALWAYS! Vintage Bob

 

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lit549

Member

Jan 11, 2010

33

0

• Jan 14, 2010

• Thread starter
• #9

ya it functions correctly.It was just the old too much throttle and the bike gets out from under ya(slide back on seat).And then ur just holding on cause ya cant let go of the throttle till ya wreck.That was the one thing I was worried about with him,and he done it at the worst possible place and time,lol.We are both VERY lucky hes ok..He jumped ALONG ways!!!SO many bad things couldve happened.Im gonna take ALL of yalls advice,,,thanks!!

 

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julien_d

Member

Oct 28, 2008

1,788

1

• Jan 15, 2010

• #10

just have to point out.. the KTM 50 pro is not a beginners bike. That can be a dangerous machine for an inexperienced youngster. Be CAREFUL.

 

Ol'89r

LIFETIME SPONSOR

Jan 27, 2000

6,958

45

• Jan 15, 2010

• #11

julien_d said:

just have to point out.. the KTM 50 pro is not a beginners bike. That can be a dangerous machine for an inexperienced youngster. Be CAREFUL.

Click to expand...

This may be part of the problem. The KTM50pro has a pretty hard hit for a 50 cc bike. Or in other words, when it hits the powerband, you better be hanging on. The advice of gripping with his knees is good and also have him sit up on the front of the seat, right up against the gas tank. This will help him control the bike better when it does come on the powerband.

Another thing you can do is make a spacer to go in between the slide in the carb and the top cap. This spacer goes around the throttle cable, inside of the return spring and will limit the amount of throttle opening. You can make different length spacers for 1/2 throttle or 3/4 throttle and change them as he gets used to the hit.

CAUTION. These little bikes are extremely dangerous for pee wee dads. I can't tell you how many pee wee dads I have seen with skinned knees from test riding their kids bikes. The combination of the hard hit of the powerband and the top heavy, full sized dad sitting on the seat usually results in a very ugly ending. :yikes:

 

Patman

Pantless Wonder

LIFETIME SPONSOR

Dec 26, 1999

19,765

1

• Jan 15, 2010

• #12

Mine is now 17 and I still worry about him getting hurt, as pointed out it's in the kid contract so you are just SOL. Mine ran a PW50 thru a fence and bounced off it early on. I thought "Oh crap I am dead meat!" I got to him and he was laughing so hard he had tears and said "I wanna do that again daddy! It was like in the cartoons!". Needless to say we didn't do it again. Last year he threw down his CR125 and got up with red knobby tracks across his back & side ( I told him to wear ALL his gear but...). There have been plenty of crashes along the way, fortunatly he's walked (or limped) away from everyone. Anyway I've become a bit more comfortable that he's not going to try and do anything too silly anymore but I still hope each ride is uneventful. Teach your little rider and then be there, don't put them in a sketchy situation (like on a track with quads and big bikes!). Basically don't be stupid and everything should be fine.

 

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FruDaddy

Member

Aug 21, 2005

2,854

0

• Jan 15, 2010

• #13

The faster he goes, the scarier it gets. If you can't handle that, get out of the game now because it doesn't get any better. One day you will find out how quickly you can reach the far side of the track. Keep him in the best protective equipment you can afford, and make sure his equipment is well maintained.

 

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lit549

Member

Jan 11, 2010

33

0

• Jan 15, 2010

• Thread starter
• #14

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltL-C6h43Dw really bad place to ride for the first time,but I knew the clutch would be slipping quite a bit,which it did.He did pretty good though,for the first bike hes ever rode.I probably need to just get him a ttr90 or something IDK???

 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer

~SPONSOR~

Oct 19, 2006

8,129

2

Merrillville,Indiana

• Jan 16, 2010

• #15

Not as bad as you would think, except for the frozen tundra thing. Sand is my favorite spot in the wintry months, it thaws quicker. Beware of the thaw line though! Your son! Outstanding! You could go the trail bike route, or detune that bike would be my route. Stealing ideas from the trail bikes, put a washer in the exhaust, and stop the throttle from going wide open. Invest in more gear, do they make a leatt that small? He seems fine with the size. Vintage Bob

 

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helio lucas

~SPONSOR~

Jun 20, 2007

1,020

0

• Jan 20, 2010

• #16

first time he rode a bike?!?!?!?
looks prety confident... damn, he´s faster than me....

 

High Lord Gomer

Poked with Sticks

Sep 26, 1999

11,788

35

• Jan 31, 2010

• #17

helio lucas said:

first time he rode a bike?!?!?!?
looks prety confident... damn, he´s faster than me....

Click to expand...

He gets more dates, too!

(You know I couldn't pass up jerking your chain on that one!)