MXA TEAM TESTED: MOTION PRO TITAN THROTTLE TUBE


WHAT IS IT? Motion Pro’s attempt to make the toughest throttle tube on the market.

WHAT’S IT COST? $24.99.

CONTACT? www.motionpro.com or (650) 594-9600.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with Motion Pro’s Titan throttle tube.

(1) Lineup. Motion Pro’s nylon composite OEM replacement throttle tube retails for $10.99, but they knew they could make something stronger. Motion Pro tested many different materials by hitting them with hammers and dropping weights on them before deciding on the exact recipe for the Titan’s plastic. The secret formula had the right combination of strength and flexibility, plus low-friction properties for easy twisting.

(2) Installation. Installing the Titan throttle tube is exactly the same as installing an OEM tube. The end of the Titan is plugged solid, so there is no need to worry about glue entering during grip installation or dirt infiltrating if the grip rips in a crash. The only downside is that offroad guys who want to run bar-end-mounted bark busters are out of luck.

(3) Feel. On the bike, the Titan feels the same as stock. The Titan pulls the same amount of throttle cable and twists freely. An aluminum throttle tube delivers a firmer feel on the thinner, throttle-side grip and has a slightly different twisting feel created by the metal-to-metal interface. Some riders prefer the aluminum feel over plastic. Over time, however, that metal-to-metal friction wears down the handlebars.

(4) Durability. Motion Pro didn’t want to settle for a better-than-stock throttle tube; they wanted to build the most crash-resistant throttle tube on the market. How can a piece of plastic be more durable than a CNC-machined piece of aluminum? If aluminum is bent or dented in a crash, it will deform and not return to its original shape. The Titan tube is more rigid than OEM plastic throttle tubes but more flexible than aluminum. That flexibility may make a material seem weak, but it adds resilience.

(5) Crashes.
We have run four Titan tubes over the better part of a year without any fractures or failures. The Titan survived all of our standard tip-overs, as well a big cart-wheeling crash that was violent enough to tweak the handlebars.

(6) Price. Aluminum throttle tubes range from $50 to $75, meaning you could buy two or three Titans for the price of one aluminum tube.

(7) Warranty. Motion Pro has enough confidence in the durability of the Titan to provide a five-year warranty. If you crack your Titan, just ship it back to Motion Pro with your receipt and they will send you a new one.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK?
The only way to improve the Titan would be to offer an offroad-compatible model that works with bark busters.

We can’t say for certain whether a Motion Pro Titan or a CNC-machined aluminum throttle tube is better at surviving crashes (and we aren’t volunteering to find out). We do know, however, that the Titan holds its own?and does so at a fraction of the cost.

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