What BMW's turn signals tell about application design
rypple.com
rypple.com
Seems like it would be a lot better to map the throttle to a thumb trigger, like on a jet ski.
Edit: also, I just remembered those various videos we've all seen at one time or another where someone is riding a motorcycle at low speed, loses his/her balance, and can only manage to hang onto the bike by the right grip. That's a moment when you really don't want the throttle mapped to the grip.
But it does definitely give you wrist cramp on long rides...
Jet skis and snowmobiles are generally recreational vehicles, so not held at a constant speed for a long time.
Seems like it would be a lot better to map the throttle to a thumb trigger, like on a jet ski.
Those two statements seem to conflict IMO. There is usually less play in a thumb throttle, so external factors are more likely to have a larger influence than they would on a twist grip.
A thumb throttle is also more likely to accidentally slip to 0% than a full handlebar. With motorcycles, suddenly losing all power can be just as if not more dangerous than too much power. If you're not prepared, the rear wheel can lock up and cause you to lose control of the bike. It's very dangerous because you lose all steering, and if the tire engages while they aren't lined up with the direction of travel, the bike will flip, usually throwing you in front of it.
There's something particularly Teutonic about that thing with the turn signal switches. It's the same with how Mercedes always try and keep their car switches and buttons in the same position, and with the same design. I suppose the psychology is, we make the best machines, so why would you ever want to buy anything else. If you only ever drove a Merc or a Beemer, why would it bother you?