Customer Reviews

CrampBuster Throttle Mounted Motorcycle Cruise Assist

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I rode from Seattle to Reno (800 miles) in two days and my wrist was very sore when I got in. I have a recurring problem on long rides, for about the first hour my right hand tries to go to sleep.

While in Reno, I picked up a Cramp Buster & used it on the ride back.

THE GOOD -
Okay, it does work as advertised. My wrist felt fine after a four-hundred mile day, and I didn't have the problem with my hand going to sleep. Based on that, I'd like to give this puppy a five-star.

THE BAD -
I would not recommend this for anyone other than an experienced rider. You need to fiddle with it on the highway to get it set just right. So you're buzzing down the highway at 70 MPH fiddling with your throttle and steering. Not good.

THE UGLY -
This puppy is a safety hazard. When I did a U turn the back wheel broke loose and slipped sideways. I first thought I'd hit some oil or suchlike. But what actually happened is that when I grabbed the front brake, I also hit that Cramp Buster and revved the engine. Not good.

I found that when I released the throttle on the highway, the Cramp Buster tended to keep it from springing back to idle. Not good. For the safety side, I'd give this a one-star review.

I'll probably use it again, but only on long stretches of highway with very little traffic around me. I guess that all averages out to three stars, but again - novices beware.

THE UPDATE (2011) -
Over two years later & my first impressions have held up. I do use it sparingly, and never on windy mountain roads. I have learned to deal with its quirks. When you pull off on an exit, you can get it out of your way without removing it. Push the Cramp Buster up (throttle down) all the way to the front & move it towards the center. I've also learned to adjust it on the highway without affecting my speed or releasing the handlebars. I can hold the outer part of the throttle with my pinkie & ring finger while moving the paddle with my thumb & forefinger. It takes big hands to do it, but it can be done.

With practice, I'm not as likely to accidentally hit it; but I've never been in an emergency situation with it either. In an emergency your body tends to do what it first learned: GRAB THE FREAKIN' BRAKE!!! I'm not so sure that I'd remember to carefully twist the Cramp Buster out of the way first.

Keep 'er shiny side up,
Dire Wolf

Recently I rode with my club to the American Heat bike rally in Palm Springs. There's nothing better than a Saturday morning in the company of 20 other riders and long stretches of (relatively) empty highway. The drive from my felony flats digs to Palm Springs isn't a long one, in epic ride terms, but its still takes about an hour and 45 minutes into the trip I started to get throttle hand fatigue. My '08 Sporty doesn't feature cruise-control, so all I could do was tough it out.

Once I got to the desert oasis, I started whining about my right hand bothering me until my hardcore, hard-riding uncle tut-tutted at my ignorance and introduced me to the CrampBuster.

This is a nifty little gadget that slips easily on your motorcycle's throttle, allowing you to keep moving at 80 MPH while relaxing your fingers and avoiding serious hand cramps. The design is simple and fairly ingenious. It's essentially a sort of open "C" shape with a broad paddle on one end. When you press down with the palm of your hand on the paddle, the "C" closes, gripping the throttle and allowing you to relax your fingers and the back of your hand.

Adjusting the CrampBuster is equally easy, just rotate the paddle the other way (decelerating the throttle) and the "C" opens up and moves easily. With a little fiddling I was able to plant the paddle where it naturally rests against the palm of my hand allowing me to control the throttle without feeling like I'm losing control of the bike or slowing down.

Some have written that they remove the CrampBuster if they're only riding around town or that it gets in their way when they're in stop-and-go traffic. That wasn't my experience. I find that resting my hand against the paddle prevents me from gripping the throttle too high, straightens out my wrist, and makes for a more comfortable ride under all conditions.

So now I'm looking forward to my next long run without worrying about getting to my destination feeling like an advanced victim of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. When is Sturgis any way...

Bikers,

I am satisfied with the wide CrampBuster on my 1994 Suzuki Intruder. Even if you're considering the narrower ("regular") size, the comments below still apply.

I thought I'd always want to twist it out of the way so it doesn't come into play except on long stretches where I wouldn't need to change speed, which is what this product is designed for, so you don't have to clamp down on the throttle grip but rather you can merely encircle it lightly with your fingers and rest the heel of your right hand on the paddle to control the speed. It works great for this stated purpose.

It does not slip significantly on my size of grip, so I haven't tried using the really wide rubber band that's included.

I should point out that I also use a cruise control, which means I can lock the throttle while I mess with the CrampBuster. I can imagine it would be more difficult or less safe if you had to let go of the throttle to adjust the CrampBuster, so keep that in mind.

To adjust it UP you merely need to lift the bottom of the paddle a bit. But to adjust it DOWN you need to spin it almost 360 degrees around the grip, which takes longer and requires more of your attention.

I bought this product partly because my right hand and wrist get just as tired as anyone else's on a long ride, but I probably wouldn't have bought it at all except that I invariably wear these fingerless gloves that shine really bright for visibility but which also make my grip slipperier because they're nylon, which means I have to grip harder, which means I wanted to check out the CrampBuster.

Adding this product to your bike will not make it safer. Anything that moves that paddle down will rev the engine up, and if you aren't careful that can be dangerous. Thrice in the last three months I've experienced the now-popular "unintended acceleration" because of that paddle combined with some error on my part. In each case I was able easily and quickly to make the necessary correction, but I wouldn't have needed to if the paddle hadn't been there, and I'm glad I didn't have a passenger at those times.

-- This product should not be used by novices because it is too intrusive. You have to learn to work around it when shifting and turning.

-- It is probably not well-suited for use on racing bikes or dirt bikes, because an accidental push down can be so much more accelerating than on a cruiser.

-- At high revs, especially in lower gears, accidentally letting UP on the paddle can cause quite rapid unintended deceleration.

-- And it is definitely not meant for use on bumpy roads. When the front wheel hits a bump the handlebar rises, of course, and since your hand and wrist are flexible, the paddle pushes up against the still relatively stationary heel of your hand, which causes unintended acceleration. You react by quickly twisting the grip forward. It turns a bumpy road into a bucking-bronco ride.

-- All that said, it is designed so you can swing it out of the way by rotating it so the paddle points down and forward, or you can just remove it altogether. It takes about five seconds to remove it or reattach it.

Although I was satisfied with the service I received from the person I ordered from on the phone, I was disappointed that she did not admit of any knowledge that there are dangers with using this product.

The reviewer "Dire Wolf" got it exactly right. This device does indeed make for very comfortable long rides, BUT don't count on making an emergency stop. If you have to brake hard, this will first block your hand from getting a tight grip on your front (most important!) brake, and worse, might even cause you to gun the throttle at the same time. Better hope you have the clutch engaged!

It took me a little time to get used to this item. Now I find that it helps me on those longer rides at highway speeds. I would recomend it to anyone who rides the highway for more than a half hour at a time. If you spend more time on the back roads or stop and go, it is not something you would need.

Being a bit scared of mechanical cruise controls, I opted for the CrampBuster instead. It provides excellent relief for tired hands and even lets you ride without gripping the throttle at all.

The trick, however, is to install it properly. It needs to sit really far out on the throttle to work properly. The first inclination is typically to put it too far in toward the center of the bike. Start with it right at the edge of the throttle. If done right, it hits your hand from the center of your hand and out toward the outer edge. It does not need to touch the ball of your hand at all. Done right, it is just there, and you won't even notice it.

There are two drawbacks. First, you have to somewhat consciously lift your hand off it when braking hard, otherwise you will be braking while engaging the throttle. Second, if your bike has a lot of throttle throw, such as you might have with a low-power (250 or 500 cc bike) the CrampBuster may not work at highway speeds because once you twist the throttle enough to go fast you will not be touching the CrampBuster at all. On my small bike I found that I couldn't use one at highway speed without having it be in my way at low speed. On a larger bike and/or one with less throttle throw, in the range of half a inch or so, it works great.

The CrampBuster did help out for a long ride where I didn't have to turn that much. Once you get it placed in the right spot it really doesn't get in your way and it can be very beneficial. I road about 200 miles one day last week and I felt great after the ride. The product works pretty good and you can take it off quickly if you are planning on a short trip or one where you will be turning a lot. If you are planning on a lot of long distances then I would recommend something like this. If you only travel 50-100 miles per trip I don't think it would be worth getting.

Had a ride for about 700 KM, cramp buster was a lot of help avoiding the strain that always push on my nerves during riding. Installation was so easy, did not even take a second. Read a previous review about being cautious with the non experienced rider, yeah I agree with that but not to the level of panic. with in few kilometers it will be a familiar thing to use.

I highly recommend it for long rides.

I use this on my motorcycle all the time. It takes a lot of the hand fatigue and cramping out riding. It works just as advertised, push down with your hand or arm and it increases throttle speed, let up and it slows down. Very easy to install, less than a minute.

This is a must have for anyone on a bike. Not only does it help relieve hand cramps it allows me to keep a looser grip in the throttle and still maintain speed.