Throttle Rocker/Crampbuster Issue

[Gurock]

This story was related on another forum about a lady that has lots of riding experience on a Goldwing with a Throttle rocker, take it for what it's worth.

"Last Sunday, Peggy and I went on a ride with another couple that we have been riding with for 10 years. We had stopped for gas at a gas station south of Anchorage, and when we started to leave (I was leading the group), Karen, for some reason, lost control of her motorcycle. According to Peggy, she began to move off from a stop, and the bike continued to accelerate and veer off to the right. It struck a concrete-filled steel pipe at the edge of the propane tank area, with the right crash bar. One of the tires, I think the front tire, hit a rock that was part of the border between the grass and the asphalt, causing the bike to spin around, drop, then flip over. I didn't see the whole thing, just Karen being thrown off the bike and laying still on the ground.

The result of this get-off was that she badly broke her right leg--the femur was fractured, as one of lower leg bones in one place, and the other in two places. The worse break was the upper one, right where the "shin bone" starts forming the lower portion of the knee joint. The lower fracture was an open fracture, meaning that the bone protruded through the skin. She may or may not ride again.

We scratched our heads trying to figure out what happened. Karen didn't know. I believe the damage to Karen's leg was the result of the right crash guard folding completely back against her lower leg, based on the location of the fractures and the femur fracture may have been due to hitting a part of the bike as she was thrown off when it flipped in a sort of "high side." Two days later, the fuzziness began to clear and Karen told us she remembers that throttle rocker she had on her bike got caught in the cuff of her jacket and she lost control.

I believe this was due to her never having used a throttle rocker (or wrist rest, if you will) before. Peggy has used one for several years, so she is aware of the potential problem of the thing getting stuck in the jacket cuff. Karen was not, apparently. I think when that happened, she was caught off-guard and didn't know what to do. All of this is to say that if anyone chooses to use a throttle rocker to ease the stress on the right hand while riding, then need to know the potential risks involved. If you do use one, make sure that the cuff of your riding jacket is tight around the wrist or you wear gloves with a gauntlet that goes over the jacket cuff.

Oh, Karen will be in the hospital a few more days. She is in fine spirits and will heal up over time. It will be at least until August before she will be able to put any weight on her right leg. She is taking it well, though. She's a tough lady. And the other item of note is, her protective gear, including her helmet did their intended job, as she suffered no other injuries. Her head hit the ground hard, but the helmet did it's job. It is now junk, of course. Her gloves and jacket prevented any road rash, but she lost her pants. She was wearing rain pants over blue jeans and those had to be cut off. They also had to cut off her right riding boot. Had she been wearing low-quarter boots or shoes, the injuries to her leg could have been much more severe.

The whole point of this is to illustrate that the unexpected can happen to anyone, no matter how experienced they are. Karen has been riding for at least 15 years. It also illustrates the need for wearing proper protective riding gear. It may not be as comfy or "cool" as jeans, tennis shoes and a tee shirt, but it will at least protect you from minor injuries being serious ones, or perhaps from any injury at all. Be careful out there when you ride, and when you take on gear or other equipment or accessories unfamiliar, take the time to familiarize yourself with it before heading out on the road. You may just prevent an accident such as this one."

Considering that I had a high speed get off on my FJR a couple of weeks ago caused by late night riding in a bad rain storm and hitting a piece of tire on the freeway at 60 MPH. I was lucky and stood up and got back on the bike after the fall, slide and stop on I 90. My bike was less lucky and the insurance company just sent me a check today taking away my bike. I am all the more then ever a safety first thinking guy, but to each their own.

 

[namelessnigel]

I watched in horror as an oncoming rider stood his bike up in the middle of a tight mountain twisty and ploughed straight into the embankment on the side of road. He was hurt. When he was able to speak he told me the bike lurched all by itself.... there was a crampbuster on the throttle. He told me he had blipped it accidently on other occasions but this time there was no room for recovery. Count me out.

 

[jmdaniel]

My CrampBuster was on the bike once, was takken off and thrown in the glovebox, then sold to a buddy with a BMW. Good riddance. I now use a Throttlemeister, which isn't a perfect solution, either, but it helps.

 

[Viv]

Thank you for that story. I have had a few slight unwanted accelerations just as others have described. I am taking it off. I was still experiencing wrist cramping even with it,so not really see the point of it. I have twisted it out of the way and used it for "emergency" use only...when the hand is really bothering me and in safe straight aways. But it just doesn't seem worth it.

 

[Nitro]

A friend gave me one a couple of years ago, tried it, didn't care for it. It now resides in a box....somewhere...... <_<

 

[winewhisperer]

What you discribed happened the first time I tried it. Driving out of the gas station with a quick drop off when hitting the side street (fortunately). The bike lurched forward and I dam neer lost her. Its one of those things where you learn not to do it again. I now have it positioned as far out on the handle as possible. that way I can still use the throttle without the touching the crampbuster. JAT

Dave

Gunny++ The crampbuster should be positioned on the outside of the throttle so as to NOT interfere with normal throttle operation. Plus, I think its great to post the potential problem of accidental throttle activation caused by a throttle rocker or crampbuster, but since I have both a Throttlemeister and a crampbuster on my '06 FJR, I will say without hesatation that a Throttlemeister is much, much, much more dangerous than a crampbuster. Any device that locks the throttle in place must be used with EXTREME caution, whereas a crampbuster never locks the throttle and can be used in traffic, hills and curves.

 

[Fred W]

I don't want to get into an argument with lovers of these gadgets--Crampbusters or Throttle Rockers. If you love 'em, great. I wish you well. But I'd like you to be aware of a potential problem they can cause. Ditto if you don't have one yet but you've been directed toward them here on the forum or somewhere else. I know lots of folks swear by them.

Here's the problem: when you set this thing for highway riding, it's in a position that you can rest your hand on it and hold the bike at a steady speed without gripping the throttle. Makes it a little more comfortable in some situations. That's good. BUT--and this has happened to me a few times now, and even though I have noticed it previously and should have been able to prevent it--having it in place CAN result in a sudden and unexpected "goosing" of the throttle. And when it's unexpected, that's never good. :dribble: Here's what happens.

You've been on the highway, and you've rotated the part your hand rests on so it's in the perfect spot to hold a speed of, let's say, 65 (that's the speed limit, right?). You come into a town and now you only want to go 25 or 30. Naturally, unless you've already moved the device, when it's in a position to hold the speed at 65, it's going to be a little high on the grip for a speed of 30. Somehow, in the course of riding in town, shifting, braking, whatever, your hand can easily, and unexpectedly, push down that damn paddle-thing, and a bike like an FJR can do a really awkward and perilous "leap" forward. Hope your balance is good and there's nobody right in front of you.

I always anticipate a lot of **** when I post something like this. Kind of critical of my riding skills-type things, but think about this. It can happen, and it could come at a really inconvenient time. I try to rotate the paddle around to the bottom of my throttle as soon as I slow down into any town, but it's easy to overlook. Just be careful about this. It's a cute little gadget, but it can wreck your day.

Mike,

I was going to stay out of this because of your first statement. But now we have two pages of people jumping on the bandwagon saying how unsafe these things are. You, and they are right. It is unsafe, but like most other tools, only if you use it wrong. The reason that you have had issues with the Crampbuster is because you have been using it wrong.

Once you have properly set the angle of the wrist rest (at idle) you are never supposed to adjust it again, especially not to hold the throttle open on the highway. You don't adjust your hand position around the grip when you open the throttle do you? You are supposed to articulate your wrist, just like you would if the crampbuster wasn't there.

These aren't a cruise control. There is no easy means to "release" the device, like a throttle lock has It's just a device that allows you to relax your grip on the throttle grip a little.

As an illustration, I have one mounted on my V-strom which I routinely ride off-road. I hit a lot bigger drops and bumps than the apron coming out of a gas station, and I've never once had an unintended acceleration event. But, I also make sure that the position of the rest has my wrist flat at idle (never requiring flexion) and I do not advance it any further from there.

I think you've done the FJR community a great service by bringing this topic up. It sounds to me like there may be a lot of other people that do not understand how to properly use these things, and as you and others point out, that can be dangerous. Come to think of it, I don't think that I've evcer seen any explicit instructions on how they are supposed to be used. But, if used properly, as I have described, these things are no more dangerous that having a tight grip on the throttle.

As always, you buy your ticket and you take your chances.

 

[Viv]

This story was related on another forum about a lady that has lots of riding experience on a Goldwing with a Throttle rocker, take it for what it's worth.

"Last Sunday, Peggy and I went on a ride with another couple that we have been riding with for 10 years. We had stopped for gas at a gas station south of Anchorage, and when we started to leave (I was leading the group), Karen, for some reason, lost control of her motorcycle. According to Peggy, she began to move off from a stop, and the bike continued to accelerate and veer off to the right. It struck a concrete-filled steel pipe at the edge of the propane tank area, with the right crash bar. One of the tires, I think the front tire, hit a rock that was part of the border between the grass and the asphalt, causing the bike to spin around, drop, then flip over. I didn't see the whole thing, just Karen being thrown off the bike and laying still on the ground.

The result of this get-off was that she badly broke her right leg--the femur was fractured, as one of lower leg bones in one place, and the other in two places. The worse break was the upper one, right where the "shin bone" starts forming the lower portion of the knee joint. The lower fracture was an open fracture, meaning that the bone protruded through the skin. She may or may not ride again.

We scratched our heads trying to figure out what happened. Karen didn't know. I believe the damage to Karen's leg was the result of the right crash guard folding completely back against her lower leg, based on the location of the fractures and the femur fracture may have been due to hitting a part of the bike as she was thrown off when it flipped in a sort of "high side." Two days later, the fuzziness began to clear and Karen told us she remembers that throttle rocker she had on her bike got caught in the cuff of her jacket and she lost control.

I believe this was due to her never having used a throttle rocker (or wrist rest, if you will) before. Peggy has used one for several years, so she is aware of the potential problem of the thing getting stuck in the jacket cuff. Karen was not, apparently. I think when that happened, she was caught off-guard and didn't know what to do. All of this is to say that if anyone chooses to use a throttle rocker to ease the stress on the right hand while riding, then need to know the potential risks involved. If you do use one, make sure that the cuff of your riding jacket is tight around the wrist or you wear gloves with a gauntlet that goes over the jacket cuff.

Oh, Karen will be in the hospital a few more days. She is in fine spirits and will heal up over time. It will be at least until August before she will be able to put any weight on her right leg. She is taking it well, though. She's a tough lady. And the other item of note is, her protective gear, including her helmet did their intended job, as she suffered no other injuries. Her head hit the ground hard, but the helmet did it's job. It is now junk, of course. Her gloves and jacket prevented any road rash, but she lost her pants. She was wearing rain pants over blue jeans and those had to be cut off. They also had to cut off her right riding boot. Had she been wearing low-quarter boots or shoes, the injuries to her leg could have been much more severe.

The whole point of this is to illustrate that the unexpected can happen to anyone, no matter how experienced they are. Karen has been riding for at least 15 years. It also illustrates the need for wearing proper protective riding gear. It may not be as comfy or "cool" as jeans, tennis shoes and a tee shirt, but it will at least protect you from minor injuries being serious ones, or perhaps from any injury at all. Be careful out there when you ride, and when you take on gear or other equipment or accessories unfamiliar, take the time to familiarize yourself with it before heading out on the road. You may just prevent an accident such as this one."

Considering that I had a high speed get off on my FJR a couple of weeks ago caused by late night riding in a bad rain storm and hitting a piece of tire on the freeway at 60 MPH. I was lucky and stood up and got back on the bike after the fall, slide and stop on I 90. My bike was less lucky and the insurance company just sent me a check today taking away my bike. I am all the more then ever a safety first thinking guy, but to each their own.

 

[Viv]

This story was related on another forum about a lady that has lots of riding experience on a Goldwing with a Throttle rocker, take it for what it's worth.

"Last Sunday, Peggy and I went on a ride with another couple that we have been riding with for 10 years. We had stopped for gas at a gas station south of Anchorage, and when we started to leave (I was leading the group), Karen, for some reason, lost control of her motorcycle. According to Peggy, she began to move off from a stop, and the bike continued to accelerate and veer off to the right. It struck a concrete-filled steel pipe at the edge of the propane tank area, with the right crash bar. One of the tires, I think the front tire, hit a rock that was part of the border between the grass and the asphalt, causing the bike to spin around, drop, then flip over. I didn't see the whole thing, just Karen being thrown off the bike and laying still on the ground.

The result of this get-off was that she badly broke her right leg--the femur was fractured, as one of lower leg bones in one place, and the other in two places. The worse break was the upper one, right where the "shin bone" starts forming the lower portion of the knee joint. The lower fracture was an open fracture, meaning that the bone protruded through the skin. She may or may not ride again.

We scratched our heads trying to figure out what happened. Karen didn't know. I believe the damage to Karen's leg was the result of the right crash guard folding completely back against her lower leg, based on the location of the fractures and the femur fracture may have been due to hitting a part of the bike as she was thrown off when it flipped in a sort of "high side." Two days later, the fuzziness began to clear and Karen told us she remembers that throttle rocker she had on her bike got caught in the cuff of her jacket and she lost control.

I believe this was due to her never having used a throttle rocker (or wrist rest, if you will) before. Peggy has used one for several years, so she is aware of the potential problem of the thing getting stuck in the jacket cuff. Karen was not, apparently. I think when that happened, she was caught off-guard and didn't know what to do. All of this is to say that if anyone chooses to use a throttle rocker to ease the stress on the right hand while riding, then need to know the potential risks involved. If you do use one, make sure that the cuff of your riding jacket is tight around the wrist or you wear gloves with a gauntlet that goes over the jacket cuff.

Oh, Karen will be in the hospital a few more days. She is in fine spirits and will heal up over time. It will be at least until August before she will be able to put any weight on her right leg. She is taking it well, though. She's a tough lady. And the other item of note is, her protective gear, including her helmet did their intended job, as she suffered no other injuries. Her head hit the ground hard, but the helmet did it's job. It is now junk, of course. Her gloves and jacket prevented any road rash, but she lost her pants. She was wearing rain pants over blue jeans and those had to be cut off. They also had to cut off her right riding boot. Had she been wearing low-quarter boots or shoes, the injuries to her leg could have been much more severe.

The whole point of this is to illustrate that the unexpected can happen to anyone, no matter how experienced they are. Karen has been riding for at least 15 years. It also illustrates the need for wearing proper protective riding gear. It may not be as comfy or "cool" as jeans, tennis shoes and a tee shirt, but it will at least protect you from minor injuries being serious ones, or perhaps from any injury at all. Be careful out there when you ride, and when you take on gear or other equipment or accessories unfamiliar, take the time to familiarize yourself with it before heading out on the road. You may just prevent an accident such as this one."

Considering that I had a high speed get off on my FJR a couple of weeks ago caused by late night riding in a bad rain storm and hitting a piece of tire on the freeway at 60 MPH. I was lucky and stood up and got back on the bike after the fall, slide and stop on I 90. My bike was less lucky and the insurance company just sent me a check today taking away my bike. I am all the more then ever a safety first thinking guy, but to each their own.

This story was related on another forum about a lady that has lots of riding experience on a Goldwing with a Throttle rocker, take it for what it's worth.

"Last Sunday, Peggy and I went on a ride with another couple that we have been riding with for 10 years. We had stopped for gas at a gas station south of Anchorage, and when we started to leave (I was leading the group), Karen, for some reason, lost control of her motorcycle. According to Peggy, she began to move off from a stop, and the bike continued to accelerate and veer off to the right. It struck a concrete-filled steel pipe at the edge of the propane tank area, with the right crash bar. One of the tires, I think the front tire, hit a rock that was part of the border between the grass and the asphalt, causing the bike to spin around, drop, then flip over. I didn't see the whole thing, just Karen being thrown off the bike and laying still on the ground.

The result of this get-off was that she badly broke her right leg--the femur was fractured, as one of lower leg bones in one place, and the other in two places. The worse break was the upper one, right where the "shin bone" starts forming the lower portion of the knee joint. The lower fracture was an open fracture, meaning that the bone protruded through the skin. She may or may not ride again.

We scratched our heads trying to figure out what happened. Karen didn't know. I believe the damage to Karen's leg was the result of the right crash guard folding completely back against her lower leg, based on the location of the fractures and the femur fracture may have been due to hitting a part of the bike as she was thrown off when it flipped in a sort of "high side." Two days later, the fuzziness began to clear and Karen told us she remembers that throttle rocker she had on her bike got caught in the cuff of her jacket and she lost control.

I believe this was due to her never having used a throttle rocker (or wrist rest, if you will) before. Peggy has used one for several years, so she is aware of the potential problem of the thing getting stuck in the jacket cuff. Karen was not, apparently. I think when that happened, she was caught off-guard and didn't know what to do. All of this is to say that if anyone chooses to use a throttle rocker to ease the stress on the right hand while riding, then need to know the potential risks involved. If you do use one, make sure that the cuff of your riding jacket is tight around the wrist or you wear gloves with a gauntlet that goes over the jacket cuff.

Oh, Karen will be in the hospital a few more days. She is in fine spirits and will heal up over time. It will be at least until August before she will be able to put any weight on her right leg. She is taking it well, though. She's a tough lady. And the other item of note is, her protective gear, including her helmet did their intended job, as she suffered no other injuries. Her head hit the ground hard, but the helmet did it's job. It is now junk, of course. Her gloves and jacket prevented any road rash, but she lost her pants. She was wearing rain pants over blue jeans and those had to be cut off. They also had to cut off her right riding boot. Had she been wearing low-quarter boots or shoes, the injuries to her leg could have been much more severe.

The whole point of this is to illustrate that the unexpected can happen to anyone, no matter how experienced they are. Karen has been riding for at least 15 years. It also illustrates the need for wearing proper protective riding gear. It may not be as comfy or "cool" as jeans, tennis shoes and a tee shirt, but it will at least protect you from minor injuries being serious ones, or perhaps from any injury at all. Be careful out there when you ride, and when you take on gear or other equipment or accessories unfamiliar, take the time to familiarize yourself with it before heading out on the road. You may just prevent an accident such as this one."

Considering that I had a high speed get off on my FJR a couple of weeks ago caused by late night riding in a bad rain storm and hitting a piece of tire on the freeway at 60 MPH. I was lucky and stood up and got back on the bike after the fall, slide and stop on I 90. My bike was less lucky and the insurance company just sent me a check today taking away my bike. I am all the more then ever a safety first thinking guy, but to each their own.

 

[Viv]

thank you for the warnings. My jacket sleeve has hung up also and caused accidental acceleration. I have been able to clear in time but these stories illustrate dangers

 

[user 213]

I've had it happen to a minor degree a few times. To some point, it's important to find the right position of the throttle rocker for you so that this is less of an issue. For 65 mph, it's not an issue, for me, but when set for 80 mph, (legal in UT on stretches of I-15), I have to re-position it when slowing back down to secondary road speeds or it's more of a concern. Like the OP, I use the throttle rocker and a Vista Cruise, different tools for different jobs. I probably have 200k miles with this combo and have never been bothered by it enough to change it to something else. even if I added a full on CC, I'd keep both of these tools. Faster with the VC to just lock the throttle if you need to do something with the right hand. Like flip off SacMike. :lol:

Good on you Mike, for bringing the situation up and discussing it. :good:

 

[escapefjrtist]

<snip> Once you have properly set the angle of the wrist rest (at idle) you are never supposed to adjust it again, especially not to hold the throttle open on the highway. You don't adjust your hand position around the grip when you open the throttle do you? You are supposed to articulate your wrist, just like you would if the crampbuster wasn't there.

These aren't a cruise control. There is no easy means to "release" the device, like a throttle lock has It's just a device that allows you to relax your grip on the throttle grip a little.

I was going to stay out of this as well Fred, but since you so eloquently explained the issue I'll jump in too.

Like you, I've used a CrampBuster for well over 100K miles with no issues of *unintended acceleration*. The key is as you pointed out, set it and forget it. Once the angle is set to *my* liking, I find it very helpful for wrist relief on longer trips.

OTOH, I have friends (really!) who won't ride my bike w/o removing the CrampBuster. Too each their own, YMMV, just my add'l $.02.

--G

 

[ahchiu]

I have a Throttle Rocker and I have it set as Fred mentioned and no issue, it sits in the heal of my hands no matter what my hand position so and I can relax my grip on the throttle. I think where people get in trouble is when they try to set it for hwy crusing with the wrist in a neutral position, and when in idle their wrist is over rotated in a forward position. George I will call your $.02 and raise your $.02

 

[ULEWZ]

I think where people get in trouble is when they try to set it for hwy crusing with the wrist in a neutral position, and when in idle their wrist is over rotated in a forward position.

I agree. :clapping:

 

[rogdeb]

I used to have the Throttle Rocker (hard plastic thingy) but when I was parked next to a gaggle of Harleys in Jackson, it went missing! I'm not saying it "went missing" on purpose though, but I'm glad it did as I had a couple of unintentional "jumps" with it. I now have the Throttle Boss (stretch rubber thingy) which works a whole lot better.

Good post Mikey

 

[MartinH]

I've had one of these for over a year, got it to go to Daytona last year. Never a problem. I did cut the outside edge of it to move it farther out of the way when I don't need it.

However, the thing to remember, regardless of the cramp buster or not, is that you should always be keeping your wrist bent from the first roll of the throttle. If you do, you will have no choice but to roll off the throttle to get to the front break.

I used to see this problem in students all the time because they started with their wrists up. Then they go for the front break and their thumb blips the throttle. All bad after that.

 

[wheatonFJR]

When I think of this thread, I now have the image of this sign in my head...

 

[Fred W]

That sign means, Motorcyclist having fun ahead, right?

 

[ahchiu]

When I think of this thread, I now have the image of this sign in my head...

Was that sign on the Isle of Mann TT.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

I've had one on the FJR since new, never had the problem you mentioned (I have small hands) but have heard others who have had the issue (wrong position, and also the dreaded "stuck in the sleeve" syndrome).

Guess I finally found a case where being short-assed and small is an advantage

Griff