Cafe Racer throttle question
 

I am looking to change the throttles on my Cafe. Currently I have Kiekhaefer controls that were originally canted forward. When the motors were changed to EFI motors it was found the throttles hit the dash before WOT so the handles were switched around to be canted backwards. This actually makes your right arm motion pretty awkward at 1/2 throttle or under. I would like to change to a set of Marine Machine throttles (I found a set) but they are a straight handle. Does anybody know if the straight handles will allow WOT without hitting the dash? It's kind of a big gamble without knowing. I am attaching some pictures of the current setup, maybe it will give some perspective.

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make a template of the lollypop and stick out of card board, then tape it at the knee joint and check your clearance, take into account your fingers gripping the handles,

My gun had straight sticks. No problem at all.

You can actually see on one of the pics you posted with the throttles forward that it wouldn't be a problem. You can follow the line of the throttle before it dog legs and there's plenty of room!

Thanks guys,

I ran a straight edge and think I am fine as well, but being that it is a pretty large investment, I figured I better ask the experts first.

Thank you again.

We have 500efis with straight sticks

Our cafe had the same issue, at WOT our knuckles would hit the trim tab controls...smart move on switching the throttles around. Our trim tabs had a small 1/2 inch spacer plate between the dash and the switches which didn't help our case either. Marine Machine throttles look good! Goodluck

I have straight Livorsi, and I would post a picture, but I lost 5 years of my build history when computer took a dump. You should be fine.

Straight Livorsi here as well, no issues with hitting. Don't have a pic full forward though.

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YEP! ^^^ Dem 'er it!

I have done A half dozen or so. I use the straight Livorsi with trim in the handle on all. No problems.

Matt -

My throttles used to hit on my Cafe too! I started a thread at the time:

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/c...e-hitting.html

Mine had a thicker spacer/plate for the drive trim/tabs making mine worse. I never swapped the direction of the sticks as it looked like it would be really odd at low RPM.

OMG!!! Now you've lost build history for the boat????? I think this proves that its YOU and not the boat that has bad luck! LOL !!!!!

Im still trying to figure out what has taken 5 years? I am paint/interior away from doing the same thing except have boated the whole time.

Hopefully this is your year Frick!! Prayers sent your way brother!!

Well, it did sit for one year while business sucked. And I always had another boat so I took my time and paid cash for everything, I ended up spending a lot of money! Yes, the bad luck continues, but I'm still smiling because if that's the worst thing that happens, I'm really fortunate and consider myself lucky and am thankful for what I have. Hope to join you all out on the water someday, I think she's finally ready.

Oh yeah, and I'll be boating and sport fishing down in Miami starting tomorrow, so at least I get SOME water time in!!!

Happy Spring!

Getting through my various boat projects this week and the project for today was to get my new Marine Machine controls installed. Here is how they came out:

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The throttles don't hit the tab buttons, in fact the positioning is perfect now. I had a worry that the shifters would interfere with the port side Cigarette key, but it just clears by a whisker. The shifters however do just touch the start toggles. It isn't a big deal, but I am sure it will annoy me. I think if I replace those two toggles with some nice flush mount starter buttons they will look perfect. Does anybody have some links for quality marine grade buttons that look nice? I think Cigarette may be using something like this now in the newer dashes. I don't want to buy the cheap ebay chit because I know it will crap out on me at the worst possible time.

Will these #8200's work ?
http://catalog.bluesea.com/#80/z

It might, but not exactly the look I am after.

I ordered a couple of these, if they look decent I will run them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SKI-CENTURIO...-/191045019995

No ebay huh ? LOL.

No chinese generic ebay I should have said. This is at least an OE switch.

Just bustin nutz

I found it. Part # should start with P5, not P8 like on the tag.Whuchever is right, who knows, but

click here: http://www.ottoexcellence.com/produc...ernate-action/

That place is impressive, I just snooped around their site:
http://www.ottoexcellence.com/about/visual-tour.aspx

These guys make some cool switched I`ve used in my boat


https://www.oznium.com/switches

Cool, I like this: https://www.oznium.com/about

Here is what I ended up doing. I replaced the port and starboard start switch as well as the parallel start switch with the push buttons I listed above. They look nice, seem to be decent quality also. I had to drill the plate to 5/8 so they would fit. The parallel switch is actually a two position switch so what I ended up doing with that is moving that switch down to the side where my now defunct fume alarm had a switch mounted and installed the push button as a blank. It all works as it should and things are much more comfortable with the shifter.

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