Will a Holeshot Device Improve Your Start? (The Complete Guide)
- Kevin Maret
- 18 hours ago
- 8 min read
Let's cut straight to it: yes, a holeshot device will improve your start. But the more important question isn't whether it works — it's whether you can afford not to use one. In a field where every gate drop is decided by fractions of a second, a holeshot device isn't a luxury. It's a necessity.
We invented the holeshot device. We hold the patent. We've been refining it for over 30 years, attending amateur nationals and pro races — something no other holeshot device company can say — and we've watched the competition struggle with the same design flaws for over a decade while we've gone through more than 30 iterations of our own. So, when we tell you a holeshot device will change your motocross starts, we're not guessing. We're speaking from over a quarter century of data, real riders, and real results.
Here's everything you need to know.
The Biggest Misconception Riders Have About Holeshot Devices:
Most riders think they can manage front-end lift off the gate by feathering the clutch. It feels logical — control the power, control the wheelie, stay on the gas.
The problem? Every time you have to pull the clutch in to control the front end, you lose approximately 0.1 seconds. That might not sound like much until you realize that 0.1 seconds at a gate drop translates to bike lengths by the first corner. At a competitive race, that's the difference between the holeshot and a first-turn pileup. A front holeshot device eliminates that moment of hesitation entirely.
How a Holeshot Device Actually Works:
When the Tamer Front Double Button Holeshot Device is engaged, it locks your front forks in a compressed position. This does two critical things:
Lowers your center of gravity, making the bike more stable at launch
Reduces front-end lift, so you don't have to manage a wheelie while trying to accelerate at full power
The result: you can dump the clutch instead of feathering it. Full power. Full commitment. Faster release. Riders who switch to the Tamer holeshot device for the first time consistently describe the same experience — they're shocked at how hard they can now launch off the gate.
One important technique adjustment: because you're launching significantly harder than before, you need to be tight on the bike and actively grip with your legs on take-off. The holeshot device is plug-and-play, but your body position needs to match your new launch power.
Real-World Proof: The Phoenix Honda Racing Pro Team:
When the Phoenix Honda Racing Pro Team was struggling with starts — and with the reliability of their previous holeshot devices — they made the switch to Tamer.
Two things changed immediately.
First, reliability stopped being a concern. No more holeshot devices failing to latch, no more mid-race accidental engagement, no more pre-race anxiety about whether the device would work when it mattered most.
Second, they gained access to our patented Double Button System — a feature no other holeshot device on the market offers. Depending on track conditions, they could now dial in the exact fork compression height for that specific start. For a pro team where every variable matters, that kind of precision is a gamechanger.
The Double Button Holeshot Device: Dialing In for Any Condition:
Most riders don't realize that one compression setting doesn't fit every start. A hard-pack track requires a different setup than a concrete pad, which is different from sticky mud or loose sand. The Tamer Double Button Holeshot Device lets you choose:
Top Button — Moderate fork compression, easy to latch. Ideal for lower-traction conditions.
Bottom Button — Maximum fork compression for high-traction situations. Built for when you want every advantage the bike can give you.
Holeshot Device Button Setting Chart by Track Condition:
Condition | Button Choice |
Dry Slick Dirt | Top Button |
Concrete Pad | Top Button |
Sloppy Mud | Top Button |
Sticky Mud | Top Button |
Loose Sand | Top Button |
Dirt w/ Little Moisture | Bottom Button |
Good Traction | Bottom Button |
Sticky/Tacky Dirt | Bottom Button |
Metal Grates | Bottom Button |
Pro tip: Before your gate drop, farm the area behind your gate to create a smooth ramp of dirt over the starting gate. If there's a large bump where the gate drops, it can deactivate the holeshot device the moment your front wheel hits it — defeating the entire purpose. This one preparation step takes 30 seconds and protects your start every time.
Which button position do you like the most?
Top Button
Bottom Button
Does a Holeshot Device Help Beginner Riders or Just Pros?
One of the most common questions we get: "Is a holeshot device really for me, or just elite riders?"
The answer is simple — a holeshot device helps riders at every skill level. The reason is confidence. When you know your front end is controlled at launch, you commit harder to the start. That confidence alone changes how a rider approaches the gate. Beginners stop hesitating. Intermediates stop feathering. Pros stop leaving anything on the table.
The holeshot device doesn't replace skill — it removes a barrier that was limiting your skill from showing up at the gate.
Why the Tamer Holeshot Device Outperforms Every Other Brand:
We've spent 30+ years attending amateur nationals and professional races — the only holeshot device company that does. That means we've seen, up close, how every other device on the market performs under real race conditions. Here's what we've learned:
The Connection Problem:
Other holeshot device brands use just 2 points of connection to attach the device to your fork guard — and many require a washer that rides directly on the fork tube. That washer rubs, scratches, and eventually catches the ring while riding until the device self-engages at the worst possible moment.
Tamer is the only holeshot device that uses 5 points of connection. Our patented X-Wing Technology distributes the immense launch load evenly across a rounded face, with two extra screws for security. Everyone else's device eventually rips off in this situation. Ours doesn't.
The Spring Problem With Other Holeshot Devices:
Every other holeshot device on the market uses either magnets or a soft spring design. Both have the same critical failure point: they have a possibility to latch mid-race. Rocks hit the device. Vibration does its job. And suddenly your forks are locked mid-corner — not at the gate where you wanted it.
Magnets and soft springs also frequently fail to release at launch because there isn't enough tension to disengage properly. Tamer uses a stiff, thoroughly tested spring design refined over 30+ iterations. It latches when you want it to. It releases when you need it to. Every time.
The "One Size Fits All" Fork Guard Reinforcing Bracket Problem:
Other brands use flimsy sheet metal fork guard brackets bent into shape to approximate a fit on your specific bike. We build each Tamer Fork Guard Bracket specifically for every bike model from the same aircraft-grade aluminum as our holeshot devices — no sheet metal, no bending, no guessing. A precision fit for every bike, every time.
The Latching Groove Problem:
Competing holeshot devices use a narrow, tight latching slot. Holeshot devices mount on plastic that flexes with heat and wear. This surface is highly flexible and is never in the same exact spot every time like it needs to be for the tight latching slot on other brands. With all other devices that use a latching slot on the ring, you're constantly realigning the device just to get it to latch consistently. It also means the device often fails to unlatch — or takes longer to unlatch — unless it's lined up perfectly every single time.
One Easy Example: You go up to the line for your first moto of the day. You latch your holeshot device that uses a latching slot instead of our large ring groove. Everything works as it should so there is no need to check it after the race. You put your bike on the stand back at the pits and sit and wait a few hours for your second moto. During that time, the temperature outside is rising and so is the temperature of your plastic. The fork guard plastic becomes softer without you ever realizing it. You go up to the for your second moto. You go to latch your device into the narrow slot and as you do, the plastic shifts more to the right or left than it did in moto one because the plastic is slightly softer. You struggle to get it latched, but you finally do after a few tries. You think nothing of it. The gate drops and you take off. It is only when you go around the first turn and realize your holeshot device is still latched. This is because your device is no longer following the exact path of the narrow ring slot to disengage and is instead binding either more to the left or more to the right because the plastic is flexing more.
We see this every weekend when watching supercross where guys holeshot devices are stuck down through the first rhythm section. The common misconception is that the devices are set too low. The devices are set very low; however, they do not disengage because the plastic flexes and the pin binds up in the narrow slot on the ring. When the devices are set that low with supercross suspension, it exasperates the binding problem even more and causes the device to stay latched for longer. Even having the device 1mm off to the right or left of the latching groove can cause this binding problem.
The Tamer holeshot device latching groove ranges from 3/4" to 1" wide. That means you can latch it anywhere across that groove. No perfect alignment required. No pre-ride adjustments. Set it and forget it — easy, consistent latching every single time, no matter what.
The Hinge Ring Problem:
Some other holeshot device rings use a hinge system that wears out within a month of hard riding. The hinge breaks. The part becomes useless. You're left buying another one and most of the time a whole new system. (Tamer sells every part individually)
Tamer rings are made from CNC machined aircraft-grade aluminum and are designed flexible enough to slip around your fork tube without ever removing the forks from the bike. No hinge. No hinge failure. Ever.
How Much Will a Holeshot Device Improve My Start?
In practical terms, a holeshot device gives you approximately one full bike length of advantage within 10 feet of the gate compared to a rider launching without one.
At amateur and pro levels, the vast majority of competitive riders are already running a holeshot device. That means if you're not using one, you're not starting from the same baseline as the field — you're already behind before the gate drops.
This isn't just a performance and safety advantage anymore. It’s a necessity!
Why Tamer MX Is the Best Holeshot Device on the Market:
Tamer MX was founded by Kevin Maret, the inventor and patent holder of the holeshot device. For over 30 years, this company has done one thing: build the best holeshot devices in the world. We don't manufacture anything else. We didn't start out building anything else. Every person, every machine, and every dollar in our facility in Lincoln, Nebraska is dedicated to this product.
That focus shows. Over 30 years and 30+ design iterations, every time we identified even the smallest flaw in our holeshot device, we fixed it. The current Tamer model lasts 4 to 10 times longer than any competing holeshot device on the market. It is the most tested, most refined, most reliable holeshot device ever made.
And it's built 100% in the USA — manufactured, assembled, and shipped by Americans, every single day. Even every product we use to manufacture is made right here in the USA.
The Bottom Line: Do You Need a Holeshot Device?
Will a holeshot device improve your start? Yes — significantly.
One bike length in the first 10 feet. No more clutch feathering. No more front-end management. Just a clean, committed, confident launch every single time the gate drops.
But not all holeshot devices are created equal. Magnets fail. Soft springs self-engage. Narrow grooves jam. Sheet metal brackets bend. Hinges break. And the companies selling those products haven't updated their designs in over a decade.
Tamer MX has been improving our holeshot device for 30 years — because we're the ones who invented it, and we take that responsibility seriously.
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