Free Cruise Contro!! You guys won't believe this!!

[Water Warrior 2]

The o-ring is a friction device only. It will hold the throttle at a given opening and can be over ridden by closing the throttle will very little effort. Much safer than an elastic band which will try to open the throttle after you close it. The amount of friction can be adjusted with slight repositioning of the bar end IIRC.

[Badbob]

This all seems very dangerous to me.

Besides the safety issue, I can't imagine this being very useful any where except a flat straight road with no wind or traffic. I can't think of a single instance in 27,000 miles where I did not need to adjust the throttle for any distance.

It certainly isn't a cruise control. Its more like a sticky throttle.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Badbob

It certainly isn't a cruise control. Its more like a sticky throttle.

It is exactly that.

Being in northern Florida, you can't get much of anyplace without going through mountains, or hills or whatever you call roads that are crooked and not flat.

Those of us that live in or near the "great plains", however, can set our "sticky throttle" on 60 mph and cruise litterally for HOURS without touching it except for a slight creep toward the closed position.

And, finally, except for the Goldwings and a few select other large touring bikes, ALL of the devices advertised as a "cruise control" are really just sticky throttles; many taking more conscious effort to "disengage" than a simple friction ring.

[alanmcorcoran]

I think Sarris posted a link to a "real" CC. Does that one popoff if you squeeze the brake?

[Badbob]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Being in northern Florida, you can't get much of anyplace without going through mountains, or hills or whatever you call roads that are crooked and not flat.

Doesn't sound like you have been to North Florida. It's not flat here in Tallahassee but there are only teeny little hills and nothing that I would consider twisty. Just a few miles in just about any direction from Tallahassee and it is nearly flat. It's about 400 miles to any where that has a mountain or a road that you could call twisty. People who live in the mountains would probably consider this area flat. Florida roads have curves to get around the swamps, marshland and sink holes. I have never seen anything in Florida call a mountain but there might be. Developers give crazy names to things.

Your right the road would need to be nearly dead flat and the weather conditions near perfect for this to work. However, I still would not do it. If an armadillo should suddenly or some other road hazard should suddenly appear in the road I would not want to add even a microsecond to the time it takes to stop or slow enough to avoid it. At 60 mph you will travel 86.8 feet per second. If it takes you half a second to disengage or otherwise back off the throttle you have increased you stopping distance by 43.4 feet. And what happens if you panic and forget.

I don't like any of the commercial versions for the same reason although you could argue that they work better.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Badbob

Your right the road would need to be nearly dead flat and the weather conditions near perfect for this to work.

And what happens if you panic and forget.

Well, like my mis-characterization of N. Florida roads, it's pretty obvious to me that you have never tried to ride a bike with a throttle "drag" on it. Up until about 1970, that was a standard feature on lots of models.

Even on a GZ, the roads do NOT have to be perfectly flat and straight for it to "work".......unless maybe there is a big truck riding your ass.

So now we know you don't like the idea and that lots of other people DO. Different strokes and all that.

Panic and "forget" to roll the throttle closed when I want to stop.....WHAT ?? :??:
Maybe I would panic and forget that I have brakes too!! :biggrin:

[Badbob]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

it's pretty obvious to me that you have never tried to ride a bike with a throttle "drag" on it. Up until about 1970, that was a standard feature on lots of models.

You right about that. I'm going to ride with one either. I would not wedge something under the gas pedal in my truck either.

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Maybe I would panic and forget that I have brakes too!! :biggrin:

More likely that some one would forget that they are not driving a car that has computer controlled brakes and grab a fist full of front brake or stomp the rear brake skid and crash. Although I'm sure someone has for got to put their brakes on. After all its not to hard to find someone who forgot to put their kickstand down and dismounted.

I rode a motorcycle once that didn't have a foot brake or a shifter. Both levers were brakes. In spite of being told about this I hit the ground the first time I tried to stop. My body just did what it had been trained to do pull in the clutch when you stop. The wheel locked and down I went. With one of these you might just forget its there. Yes you could train yourself to use it perfectly but it will still increase your stopping distance a little. I'm not willing to give up a foot.

I know several people who use throttle locks and the like and like them. I also know some that bought motorcycles equipped with one and removed it for the same reason I don't like them.

I'm probably beating a dead horse, but I just felt like someone should point out the trade off. I'll shut ups and go away now.

[alanmcorcoran]

Badbob! Don't go away! We missed you terribly when you went quiet.

My two cents? I have cruise control in both my (4 wheeled) vehicles and never use it either of them. Of course, I haven't done more than 150 miles in a day on the GZ yet, and Chris just knocked out a 900 miler, so maybe I'll change my tune.

[Badbob]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Badbob! Don't go away! We missed you terribly when you went quiet.

Not going away literally. Just not going to discuss this topic any more.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by motorhedfred

you guys do have a copy, don't you ?

Sure we ALL do......NOT! How about a short summary ??