Screw It.

[Jasonzilla]

I just figured this out on the way home from work. Everyone says to hold the throttle like a screwdriver, and nobody ever says why. So, WHY should you hold the throttle like a screwdriver?

[faffi]

Personally, I haven't even figured out what they mean by that. 95% of the time, I hold a screwdriver with the top of the shaft pointing into my palm, using the fingertips to rotate it. Only when using lots of force do I grasp it "sideways" in order to maximise grip/power. This is also the way I'm usually holding both grips on my motorcycle - only far more relaxed.

[ktk_ace]

i think its got to do with the amount of force used to grip and hold and rotate.

 

3 different forces?

 

A delicate approach?

 

its abit on the not so delicate scale when i pin it thou...XD

 

 

[aredman]

In a straight line, hold it how it is comfortable, grip and rip (but stay loose unless you feel a need for a tank slapper to wake you up). In the corner (right hander, right hand) adjusting your grip to hold the throttle more like a screwdriver (fingers pointing more toward the kill switch instead of wrapping straight around, like a screwdriver) can allow you to move your upper body into the corner for hook turns etc more effectively whilst staying very light on the bars. Same applies on the left hand for left handers.

 

If you watch the MotoGP guys their hands they never stay static on the bars, they are constantly adjusting their grip for whatever they are trying to achieve at that point, some good camera angles have been shown of Casey and Jorge in the past year showing this.

 

Refer to Bullet's recent post regarding number of fingers on braking, whilst his hang up was on fingers in braking it still refers to adjusting his grip on the throttle for the turn.

[faffi]

In the corner (right hander, right hand) adjusting your grip to hold the throttle more like a screwdriver (fingers pointing more toward the kill switch instead of wrapping straight around, like a screwdriver)

 

So, any grip is like a screwdriver?

[bowells]

can someone take a picture of their hand on their bike throttle exemplfying this?

[Jasonzilla]

Sorry Bowells, but I'm typing this right before leaving to Vegas for a few days. Last minute thing. If nobody has, I'll take a pic and post what I'm talking about.

 

What I found, though, was that as I was taking a loop from one highway to another on the way home. I play around with hand position occasionally, but after hearing people tell me over and over to hold the throttle like a screwdriver, could never understand why. While on the loop, I was just doing about 90 mph, but I "screwed" the throttle, and even on the EX-650 I could feel how much more precision I could control the throttle with. I mean it was amazing.

 

I got on the highway and tried 3 things. I got into 5th and was doing 80 mph (EX's don't really have a power band) I grabbed a handful of throttle and gave it a steady twist to 100 mph. It accelerated, but nothing special. There is "give" in the glove, in bent hand skin, and you won't have the exact control as with the screwdriver grip. My example is when you've reached throttle limit. It's vague and you're twisting and can feel the give in everything until you know you're at your limits. With a screwdriver grip, I know I can feel it hit the limit of twistability (?). Then I put my hands on the bike as I would with the throttle cruising through traffic: 3 fingers on the brake and a relaxed palm on the throttle. Again, I twisted the throttle smoothly until I reached 100 mph. Even more vague. Granted, ALL OF THESE ARE DONE WITH RELAXED ARMS/SHOULDERS. Next I grabbed it like I would a screwdriver. I gave it a twist as I would a screwdriver, and I could feel, SOO much better, the effect of the throttle, and had a more precise control over it. It was insane. I've been playing with it the last couple of days riding to work. I don't go very fast on the street, but am going to play with it some more.

 

I'm about to the point where I'm consciously pushing the traction limits. This was a huge find in being able to deliver a more precise amount of power to the rear wheel. My next day going to work I'm going to take my ZX6R and I'll bet I get the exact same thing.

[Jasonzilla]

It's all I could find quickly, but it's exactly what I'm talking about.

 

 

[Kevin Kane]

It's all I could find quickly, but it's exactly what I'm talking about.

Jason;

 

I have spoken to some of the Coaches about this and I understand the logic but there is another element that comes into play for me; I have small hands. When I position my right hand like this my two fingers are off the lever and I don't like that disconnect. On the track I try not to trail brake so it's not an issue there but on the street it is an issue. I can honestly say that I have never felt "cramped" in a right hand turn by my hand position either on the street or the track but appreciate that others may.

 

Rain

[aredman]

In the corner (right hander, right hand) adjusting your grip to hold the throttle more like a screwdriver (fingers pointing more toward the kill switch instead of wrapping straight around, like a screwdriver)

 

So, any grip is like a screwdriver?

 

Didn't think I was real clear (was at work with brain fade), try again:

 

Standard grip, the way you grab the bars when you are 3 and told to hold on to your first trike. Fingers wrap around the bar at a 90degree angle to the bar/throttle. I dont think there is any confusion on this, I have never seen any newbie grab the bars any other way.

 

Screwdriver grip, when you are trying to initially undo the screw not when you are holding the screwdriver at the end just twisting the thread out. Think, you are applying the pressure into the screw and twisting, so your hand, wrist and arm become a continuation of the screwdriver (almost carry on in the same plain, slight angle obviously because your wrist doesnt contort that far). Apply this to holding onto the throttle, move your hand around to point your fingers more towards the kill switch, fingers being closer to running parrallel to with the bar/throttle. Lets say your fingers are now on a 45degree angle to the bar holding it more like a screwdriver. Does this make any more sense??? I will post up picks of my understanding tonight.

 

This grip automatically allows a lighter grip on the bars because it takes the 2 main gripping fingers and moves them so they cant grip as well as before. It also allows for better feel on the twist of the throttle as Jason explained.

 

It is not going to be to everyones liking and can take some getting using to.

 

Remember the purpose of this is to stay light on the bars and stay relaxed, it is an optional extra and just a method that some people find easier to assist with this.

 

 

Footnote: I only apply this technique in the turns after braking (usually trail) as I only have small weak hands (many cricket and boxing injuries) and I adjust my grip after braking as I am moving my upper body into the corner but I can see an application for this all the time if so desired.

[Jasonzilla]

 

Screwdriver grip, when you are trying to initially undo the screw not when you are holding the screwdriver at the end just twisting the thread out.

 

Thanks so much for thinking to explain it like that. I could relate to how Eirik was thinking and couldn't think of any other way to explain it.

[johnnyrod]

I've found myself, on left handers, ending up holding the inner grip like a screwdriver. I've never tried on right handers because I'm still struggling to get a good feel on them. Anyway I ended up holding hte bar like this because I was hanging right off and scraping my toes and slider at the same time, just short of decking the peg out, and going pretty fast. It felt comfortable so I'll give it a go on the right side and see what it does for throttle control. Hand position is as Red17 describes above, rather than the usual fingers wrapped straight around the grip.

[Jim Moore]

I was told it was so that you can roll on the throttle without moving your forearm. I like to think of it as holding the throttle like a putter instead of a baseball bat.

[Jasonzilla]

I did level 1 again Saturday, and it's my first trackday that I've been able to try what I figured out on the track. I spent almost half the day working on this and have to say that I got great drive after cornering being able to have a finer control over the throttle. Going left I can't really have the screwdriver grip so much, as someone stated above, but even going left I can have a variation allowing me to have better control over my input.

 

Later in the day, while I was in a class, I noticed Keith mimicking holding a throttle. He was holding his hand in the air like a screwdriver. After the lecture, I approached Keith and asked him about it. He said that it's only done on right handers because of the unnatural extension of the wrist if you don't. Someone said something like this above, but I can't find it to give them props.

 

I love the control I've gained with what I'm doing and will continue to work off of this. Unless I'm just grabbing a handful on the straight, I'm going to continue my focus on using my thumb and index finger as my primary way to grip the throttle. I'll post pics of how I hold the grips when I remember.

[ozzyp]

Jason,

I too noticed Keith doing that when motioning rolling on the throttle. Unfortunately for me, I didn't try it out. Gonna have to remember that the next time I'm out.

Again, it was good meeting you on Saturday.

 

Ozzy

[lebedo]

Hi there, 

I just tried this today, holding the inside bar as if it was a screwdriver. What helped me to understand the hand position is to keep the bar end into my palm. You then just have 2 or 3 fingers rotating the throttle. It 's amazing how relaxed and in control I was. 

[faffi]