Throttle Snafu

Kingfish

100 MW
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
4,064
Location
Redmond, WA-USA, Earth, Sol, Orion–Cygnus Arm, Mil
Ahhh! 8)
It’s a nice spring day, yer out playing hooky from the day job off on some errand. As you approach an intersection the car up ahead takes a bit longer to make that right-turn than anticipated, so you swing out wide to the left overtaking that car. Though as you enter the intersection an oncoming car is a little aggressive wanting to make a left turn across your bow, so you pull sharply on the throttle right to correct and weave neatly passed like thread through a needle when…

A new challenge! The throttle grip comes off completely from the handlebar, in disbelief it holding like a baton high in the air, leaving the controller suck at WOT, and flying through the intersection off-balance heading towards the curb with one hand on the tiller…

throttlesnafu.jpg


Thankfully, I’m left-handed and a quick-thinker and shoved the grip back onto the handlebar, pulling hard to the left and brought the machine to a coasting stop with the ebrake.

I figured out how to snap the grip back into place and determine the new throttle behavior out enough to nurse the bike home where there is a spare or two waiting.

Ever have that happen? I wonder if that counts against one of my nine lives?

I hereby declare the warrantee on these models to be good for one year. Mine’s been in use for 18-months although it has been acting flakey since the New Year. Ordered up a Magura 5K to try out; I hear they are more robust.
Lucky, KF
 
I had the same thing happen. I believe it is because the throttle is a "full twist", and gets banged on when the bike falls or leans against a wall. This is the exact reason why I switched to a "half twist" It doesn't see the damage. My half twists have performed flawlessly.
 
There’s the spring to consider: The grip has the long magnet, although the spring remains behind. Maybe it retains some residual magnetism. All I know is that the throttle has dead spots; it’s pretty much ON or OFF now. Doesn’t matter; it’s getting replaced. Although… let's be positive: I could leave it on as my new anti-theft device, yes? :twisted:

~ Make my day ~ KF
 
Patrick also had this happen. I'm glad you're OK. :)


If the magnet gets taken away from a hall throttle, it fails to WOT.
 
Interesting to know, along with " wheres that battery wire to the controller?" I really should add a red flag, tied to the wire, so I can yank out the plug easy.

One reason I took the only full twist throttle I ever had, and cut it in half.
 
I hear that brushed motor and controller's are prone to W O T failure's. would love to hear and what to look for
 
Glad you're ok; that's one thing that probably won't happen with a thumb throttle, fortunately for me. :) I

was lucky not to be riding when the ex-ScootNGo full-grip throttle I used on DGA disintegrated, back when I was working out my friction drive. IIRC I basically knocked the bike over or something, and the grip and casing broke apart. That's when I started working out alternate throttle types, including at one time a pot inside the handlebar, turned by a knob on the end, itself turned by the remains of the SNG grip. Wasn't any less vulnerable to fall-over, though. :(

Regarding WOT failures on brushed motors, it's usually because the FETs fail shorted, and that basically just connects the battery directly to the motor. Brushed motor systems that have no kill switch or at least an easily-yankable connector for main power are asking for an accident, unless you are absolutely sure your brakes will still stop you at full throttle. ;)

(and you'll also want a fuse, so you don't burn out the motor or battery as they keep trying to speed you up even though you're braking--the fuse should blow shortly after you mash the brake down during such a failure).
 
Thank you all for the well wishes; much obliged :D

The ebrake worked perfectly fine to arrest the throttle :wink:

Linking a similar discussion: Hall throttle connector part number/New throttle development. Some good thoughts and ideas are provoking a new throttle design that is hoped will prevent sudden failures.

All the best to you and yours, KF
 
Throttle update:
I did receive the Magura throttle not long ago. However I was in a hurry and just wanted a like-replacement for the short term, so the failed device was replaced with an Electric Bike Twist Throttle that I had laying around from E-BikeKit for $16. Let me tell you: All the funky weird issues with the other throttle are gonzo! I think I might even be squeaking out slightly more gerbils at top-end; performance is smooth all around, and the grippy part is better constructed than the previous throttle. It wired up like a champ; Red-to-Red, Black-to-Black, other mismatched color to mismatched color ~ it works.

It’s just nice to have one less – no make that about 5 less things to worry about when you’ve got a plate full of other issues with urban traffic to consider :)

I do plan to evaluate the Magura though soon.

Safe travels, KF
 
Glad you weren't hurt. I've had the exact same thing happen, twice!
Both times was landing small jumps with a bit too much weight on the outer end of the grip.
It can be especially lethal on a powerful bike around traffic. The last time it happened I was too busy to change it immediately so kept riding it with the dicky throttle and nearly had it launch me into slow moving traffic and parked cars a few times.

I did manage to capture one of my throttle fails on camera though, so it's not all bad :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmQSTbDM5Xs
 
Hyena said:
Glad you weren't hurt. I've had the exact same thing happen, twice!
Both times was landing small jumps with a bit too much weight on the outer end of the grip.
It can be especially lethal on a powerful bike around traffic. The last time it happened I was too busy to change it immediately so kept riding it with the dicky throttle and nearly had it launch me into slow moving traffic and parked cars a few times.

I did manage to capture one of my throttle fails on camera though, so it's not all bad :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmQSTbDM5Xs
EBRAKE EBRAKE EBRAKE :lol:
Yesh, I admit I did the same with my dicky throttle too until I was ready to swap ~hic * :oops:

BTW – I finally got around to the Magura Throttle test last Friday; wired as:

  • Magura Black to Infineon Black
    Magura Blue to Infineon Red (resumed this is +5V)
    Magura Brown to whatever
It’s always a good idea to be ready with the ebrake when testing :wink: and a good thing I did because the wiring was reversed! :shock: Hehe No worries; I didn’t bother with changing it. :twisted:

Now I understand the dead-spots that others have discussed. The top-end did not change one iota. The Magura is a bit bulkier therefore I went back to the HE throttle replacement. :)

From the vault... related thread: Magura throttle wiring?

I still like the optical throttle idea. Let's make one! KF
 
Cheap chinese ebikes are going to cause a media frenzy when people start dying.

Dangerous ebikes will kill your children!!! Find out how at 9!

It's a bit upsetting because decent components wouldn't be much more expensive when produced in these quantities...
 
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