New toys! Bike gets a small upgrade.

Hey there!   

Finally getting back on here after a 2 week break after my super enjoyable weekend and less than enjoyable ride back home from the Overland Expo :)

Today we discuss one of the new items I picked up while at the Expo.

I finally had the time to install the Atlas Throttle Lock I purchased while at the Expo and had issues installing at the campsite.  The info I picked up the following day and finally getting a closer look at the bike last weekend allowed me to determine what I needed to do.

So turns out that my bikes rubber grips installed over the edge of the throttle piece on the hand bar.  So I could not see the plastic ridge that I need to install up against on the throttle piece and was instead trying to install on the hand bar itself (which of course does not move and would not have helped!)

Today I took off the brush guard from the throttle side and after getting several light sources on it (damn my bad near sight vision!) I figured out how to pull the rubber grip back off the plastic edge, but did have to cut 2 small sections where it appears the rubber grip was looped over a catch of some kind.  I could not see how to remove it, so just cut the rubber, the device could not install securely otherwise and the rubber grip is not going anywhere anyway, so this is not impacting the bike.

I then loosely installed so I could determine the gap and adjust the device accordingly by adding another rubber pad to the device to allow it to work since the distance was a bigger gap now. (watch the below video and that will probably make more sense).  Once the device was prepared, was a quick install and secured it all down after I put it in the best position to be usable over the full range of the throttles movement.

I just tested its use out there in the garage without running the bike and it appears to work.  I will take it out for an actual test ride hopefully tomorrow and see how it works in action.

This should greatly reduce stress on my hands when riding long distances.  Even the 2-3 hour riding sessions to the Expo and back took a toll on my hand and wrist with having to constantly hold the throttle in place to maintain speed and being unable to remove my hand while the bike was moving without of course slowing down rapidly.

Now I should be able to find my ideal speed, set the lock and then relax my hand, and if need even remove it from the grip for short periods of time to stretch it or my arm or use the arm to adjust or grab something else on the bike (not something you do often, and always recommended to keep both hands on the bar at all times for safety, but being able to do a quick task or movement is nice to have).

So below is a quick video I did of the installed device and its basic operation.  Enjoy!

Atlas Throttle Lock