Have mostly been a plastic throttle tube type of guy, but I have appreciated the toughness of an aluminum throttle tube when I have some medium to large sized crashes. The one thing I usually don’t like is the firmness of the aluminum throttle tube when landing as well as how big they feel in my hand. I am very picky when it comes to handlebar set up and can be hypersensitive to any changes on or around the rider triangle area. I have tried a lot of throttle tubes and only ran across one or two that I actually like.
Recently I stumbled across the Pro Circuit aluminum throttle tube while at the Husqvarna headquarters. Pro Circuit throttle tubes are CNC-machined out of aluminum and are Teflon coated on the inside to reduce friction which gives you a smoother twist of the throttle. As mentioned above the PC throttle tubes are much stronger than the OEM plastic units and are available for most Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and KTM two-stroke and four-stroke models.
A couple things that stood out to me with the Pro Circuit tube: One was that it felt smaller in my hand than other aluminum throttle tubes and it actually DID in fact feel smoother than the stock plastic ODI lock on tube (that comes stock on the KTM/Husqvarna). For me to have a grip/throttle tube that isn’t too big really helps prevents me from getting arm pump. If you’re getting abnormally more arm pump than usual, you might want to check the size of your throttle tube or grip. Even if you have big hands (size L-XL gloves) going to a slightly smaller throttle tube or grip could help alleviate some arm pump issues. Some companies swear that their aluminum throttle tubes are smoother feeling, but a lot that I have tried are worse than a plastic tube. PC’s aluminum tube is actually smoother than the stock plastic piece and tays that way for more than a few rides/washes.
I will say that having an aluminum throttle tube does feel slightly stiffer than the plastic lock on tube, but it’s not so bad where my wrist is begging for me to change it back out. Overall, I have come to like the Pro Circuit throttle tube and would recommend it for picky “rider triangle” riders like myself.