Overview 3: Thumb controls

Who knew that every part of your body is involved in riding a motorcycle? right down to your thumbs!

Pictured below are the controls manipulated by your thumbs.

Your right thumb is your engine control thumb. It controls the engine start button -- with a press of this button you bring your engine to life -- and the engine cutoff switch -- a flick of your thumb stops your engine without removing your hands from the handlebars. Because your right hand controlls the throttle it is easy to remember that your right thumb controls your other inputs to the engine. Sweet!

Your left thumb is your signalling thumb -- ways to get attention and noticed! From top to bottom are your headlight switch, turn signals, and horn.

• The headlight switch is usually a rocker type switch -- rock forward for high beam, backward for low.
• The turn signal is usually a pull left or push right (the switch is normally spring loaded back to the center position). Most motorcycles do not have self-canceling turn signals so you must push in on the switch to cancel.
• The horn is egronomically placed for quick activation. Unlike a car, learn to use you horn early and sound it proudly to get attention and help control situations before they become unmanageble!

Okay, we've talked about how your hands and feet are involved with the primary controls, and how your thumbs work the controls near the handgrips, what body part haven't we assigned a job to? Oh, our eyes!!!

Lets look at some indictor controls.