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New member in Joshua Tree

2K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  _Wilson_ 
#1 ·
After breaking my foot April 1st and riding off road for 40+ yrs I've decided to leave the 2 wheel world, at 71 I don't heal well anymore. Just got a 2016 Honda Foremen yesterday, first ATV. Still can't ride as my foot is still hurting but getting better everyday. Problem is I can't upshift yet, but soon. Hope to learn here as I find forums very helpful. :lifting:
 
#2 ·
Howdy Tunafish101!

Welcome to the forum. I get it. I'm only in my 30's, but I had a 2-wheel wreck about 5 years ago and I didn't heal quickly from it either. I decided to stick with 4 wheels.

I'm so excited you bought a 2016 Honda Foreman. I own a 2016 Honda Rancher and I LOVE it.

Where did you buy your 2016 Honda Foreman?
 
#3 ·
welcome to the site, and I too am a LONG time 2 wheel rider, still love riding them, but don't bounce like I used to either, nor can the back take the poundings I like to dish out on them LOL

I have been riding atv's since they came out, but always preferred 2 wheel bikes<
but have to agree as you get older, 4 wheels does make life easier at times , and in all weather better!

as for the ATV, if its a foot shift model, they DO sell, LONG pole like attachments you attach to the gear foot shifter, and then you can shift up or down with that, instead of your foot.
I am sure with a little effort you could MAKE one, but if you do a search for them,, you will see them and go from there if you wish to ride before your foot heals up more??
 
#5 ·
[/quote]

Yes, or an ES model would have mitigated this issue.[/QUOTE]

yeah but being a life long motorcycle rider, going from shifting gears with his foot to pushing a button, I gather would seem WRONG to him LOL
be like driving stick shift race cars all the time and then buying a sports car with an automatic trans>>

just NOT the say, when your so used to shifting manually with your foot, after SO many yrs on bikes, its second nature(I am sure he reaches for a clutch often here too ??)
I know me being a bike guy,30+ yrs,not as long as him??
I couldn;t ever see me wanting to push a button to shift gears, it just feels and seems wrong to me HAHA!

and I know for a fact, I reach for a clutch lever all the time when riding and coming into things I would normally be grabbing on a MX bike or street bike? just old habits here , like reflexes after so many yrs of doing so?

and hey, just to throw a dig in, E shifts have more issues LOL, or possible one's
or so say the tons of posts on them??
like all things, they work they work, when ANYTHING doesn't folks like to bash them

to each there own I say, but foot shifts fit better I think for older Motorcycle guys like me?
 
#13 ·
Hey, I know you from YouTube! It's about time you joined. :) I'm the channel owner over at "nevertoooldtohavefun".
 
#10 ·
Misterclean59, yes it can be done to mod them over to twist throttles
But to be honest its a safety thing why they DON"T have them , as do to all the body English that is applied more on an ATV over a motorcycle, and the way a ATV bounces over a bike, very easy for a newer rider on an ATV to get into troubles, pending right area and types!

I honestly wouldn;t advice folks doing that, until they get some decent seat time in on an ATV, and then decide if its what they wish to do>
I have rode both and honestly really prefer the thumb throttle on an ATV over a twist, and I am a motorcycle guy, much more than an atv guy!
I find WAY more control over throttle in puts with the thumb on an ATV/Snowmobile !

Just food for thought, NOT bashing here!
 
#12 ·
Hey, there's even a small chance your claim will reverse...I might take a job in Tucson. If it happens, I'll be wearing out the trails/roads down there. :)
 
#14 ·
Joshua Tree is a great place if you like rocks unencumbered by vegetation. I spent many years in the Little San Berdu's. There is a PreCambrian Anorthosite complex in the core of the range - looks sort of like a purple granite, but is 1.2 billion years old - the oldest in western US. Also an Augen Gneiss - thats the black rock with the ******-white eyeballs in it, same age. There is a Lherzolite Basalt in the valley between the Little and Big S'Bdu mountains, and it is only 5 million years old - that is the really black rock that caps things. My favorite is the Rapikivi-textured Quartz Latite Porphery, a younger green volcanic rock that has big zoned white crystals of feldspar. I am sure you are familiar with all of these rocks as you ride around on them.... ###:cool: Welcome to the forum!
 
#18 ·
Very cool that you know about all of this...I just see different colored rocks and figure they're neat...and old...and I'm going to ride all over them with my Honda Rancher. :) There is definitely cool stuff over here, out west.
 
#15 ·
I'm also with you @mrbb on the throttle debate, I've had motorbikes and ATV's, I've never tried an ATV with a twist throttle but it just seems natural that ATV's have thumb and bikes have twist.
I think it could be easy to get into a spot of bother with a twist throttle and may also be a pain when cornering or negotiating tight turns through wooded areas.

Just personal choice and my opinion though, we all have our own preferences:)
 
#17 ·
On snowmobiles they got it ALL wrong tho, for sure! I can't tell you how many times in the past I've had the thumb throttle come up against my body somewhere while making a turn, and have the throttle suddenly pegged by my leg or gut or whatever!!!

One time that I'll never forget it happening was in the woods on a narrow tight trail about a mile behind my place. I had a passenger on with me heading for a river crossing. Barely moving through the woods... I had to lean over a bit for my head to clear a tree branch and crank it off tight while easing the throttle a bit... in an instant its full throttle and my body is still way out of position... I'm way out of shape... no control, no balance, no footing, just worried about my head getting ripped off and killing my passenger... can't get that handlebar out of my gut!

8800 RPMs & 140 HP. goes from 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds.. we left the trail with both skis up, mowing through the small spruce & poplar trees until I was finally able to regain control and get stopped about 12 feet up a steep bank.

The sled was junked... the track was ripped and punctured by a poplar stump, one ski busted, the hood and nose busted all up, windshield came right off, and the exhaust got knocked back in the chassis and wasn't even connected to the motor anymore. Nearly killed us both!

First thing I do with a sled when I get them now is put a twist throttle on them. Ain't no fixin' stupid...
 
#19 ·
Man, been riding sleds since the early 80's and never wanted a twist throttle on one , and I run HIGH Hp sleds , some I have had were up over 200 hp, just too much weight of a sled for my comfort to have a twist throttle on one, as all that weight in motion, being able to JUST hold the bars and let go of throttle has saved my butt more times than not

prime example was this past winter when I hit a piece of railroad track, some jack Azz stick in the ground a few feet and left a 12 inch section sticking above the ground

hit it at about 30-35 mph, coming down from about 80, and it about stopped me dead, I held on to the bars (NO throttle) for dear life trying to NOT go over the bars, launching me UP and then I came back DOWN still gripping the grips HARD
and this was on a about a 180 hp sled!
' HAD I had a twist throttle, when I came back down, I would have throttle it up to the max and LAUNCHED me again into and down a steep embankment with tree's I'd rather NOT run into LOL

it again IMO< goes back to nature of the beast, atv's and sleds , you use MORE body language to leverage the machine,
think side hills or turns

but on a Motorcycle, you can simple lean into things and stay rather centered and ON the bike,
I raced MX bikes and Super sport bikes for a bunch of yr, so its NOT like I don't like a twist throttle
I just personally see more bad than good of one on an ATV and sled,, and based on OEM"S and MOST riders, I think they agree, its a SAFER design
OPP"S and bad things can sure happen with BOTH designs,
so like said before
if you like it have at it. But I wouldn't recommend it for a new ATV rider, not without getting a bunch of seat time on an ATV?Sled, in a lot of side hills and off camber riding, or even in deep mud, when your rocking an ATV a LOT side to side, not having or needing control of twist, )or added wear and tear on one) can help most new guys stay safe I think(my 2 cents here)
OH and sleds came a long way over the yrs, so NOT sure when this was, but rider forward sitting, really makes getting something into the throttle rather hard on modern sleds!
 
#20 ·
Yep, weight-forward design helps a lot. Twist is still the best way to go on a sled tho. Every right turn is a potential killer otherwise. Now that I have a grandkid around, no way I'm ever going back. I do like the thumb on ATVs... except during long rides and during winter, then I prefer twist.
 
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