diff --git a/board_single/main/button.cpp b/board_single/main/button.cpp
index 4b7c2c0..e4a6a38 100644
--- a/board_single/main/button.cpp
+++ b/board_single/main/button.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ void buttonCommands::action (uint8_t count, bool lastPressLong){
         if (lastPressLong)
         {
             control->changeMode(controlMode_t::MENU);
-            ESP_LOGW(TAG, "1x long press -> change to menu mode");
+            ESP_LOGW(TAG, "1x long press -> clear encoder queue and change to menu mode");
+            // clear encoder event queue (prevent menu from exiting immediately due to long press event just happend)
+            rotary_encoder_event_t ev;
+            while (xQueueReceive(encoderQueue, &ev, 0) == pdPASS);
             buzzer->beep(20, 20, 10);
             vTaskDelay(500 / portTICK_PERIOD_MS);
         }
@@ -156,7 +159,7 @@ void buttonCommands::action (uint8_t count, bool lastPressLong){
 // when not in MENU mode, repeatedly receives events from encoder button
 // and takes the corresponding action
 // this function has to be started once in a separate task
-#define INPUT_TIMEOUT 700 // duration of no button events, after which action is run (implicitly also is 'long-press' time)
+#define INPUT_TIMEOUT 500 // duration of no button events, after which action is run (implicitly also is 'long-press' time)
 void buttonCommands::startHandleLoop()
 {
     //-- variables --
diff --git a/board_single/main/config.cpp b/board_single/main/config.cpp
index ab68f58..1f46f23 100644
--- a/board_single/main/config.cpp
+++ b/board_single/main/config.cpp
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ joystickGenerateCommands_config_t joystickGenerateCommands_config{
     //-- maxDuty --
     // max duty when both motors are at equal ratio e.g. driving straight forward
     // better to be set less than 100% to have some reserve for boosting the outer tire when turning
-    .maxDutyStraight = 85,
+    .maxDutyStraight = 75,
     //-- maxBoost --
     // boost is amount of duty added to maxDutyStraight to outer tire while turning
     // => turning: inner tire gets slower, outer tire gets faster
diff --git a/board_single/main/control.cpp b/board_single/main/control.cpp
index a59d91a..72db7b0 100644
--- a/board_single/main/control.cpp
+++ b/board_single/main/control.cpp
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ void controlledArmchair::handle()
         stickDataLast = stickData;
         stickData = joystick_l->getData();
         // additionaly scale coordinates (more detail in slower area)
-        joystick_scaleCoordinatesLinear(&stickData, 0.6, 0.5); // TODO: add scaling parameters to config
+        joystick_scaleCoordinatesLinear(&stickData, 0.7, 0.45); // TODO: add scaling parameters to config
         // generate motor commands
         // only generate when the stick data actually changed (e.g. stick stayed in center)
         if (stickData.x != stickDataLast.x || stickData.y != stickDataLast.y)
diff --git a/board_single/sdkconfig b/board_single/sdkconfig
index b5179e1..1fd5ec0 100644
--- a/board_single/sdkconfig
+++ b/board_single/sdkconfig
@@ -1252,7 +1252,7 @@ CONFIG_WPA_MBEDTLS_CRYPTO=y
 #
 CONFIG_RE_MAX=1
 CONFIG_RE_INTERVAL_US=1000
-CONFIG_RE_BTN_DEAD_TIME_US=10000
+CONFIG_RE_BTN_DEAD_TIME_US=40000
 CONFIG_RE_BTN_PRESSED_LEVEL_0=y
 # CONFIG_RE_BTN_PRESSED_LEVEL_1 is not set
 CONFIG_RE_BTN_LONG_PRESS_TIME_US=500000
diff --git a/common/joystick.cpp b/common/joystick.cpp
index 73f5721..76d5e71 100644
--- a/common/joystick.cpp
+++ b/common/joystick.cpp
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ motorCommands_t joystick_generateCommandsDriving(joystickData_t data, joystickGe
     if (ratio > 1) ratio = 1; // >threshold -> 1
 
     // -- calculate outer tire boost --
-    #define BOOST_RATIO_MANIPULATION_SCALE 1.15 // >1 to apply boost slightly faster, this slightly compensates that available boost is most times less than reduction of inner duty, so for small turns the total speed feels more equal
+    #define BOOST_RATIO_MANIPULATION_SCALE 1.05 // >1 to apply boost slightly faster, this slightly compensates that available boost is most times less than reduction of inner duty, so for small turns the total speed feels more equal
     float boostAmountOuter = data.radius*dutyBoost* ratio *BOOST_RATIO_MANIPULATION_SCALE;
     // limit to max amount
     if (boostAmountOuter > dutyBoost) boostAmountOuter = dutyBoost;