Steering damper ?s

[PJZOCC624]

Who's using what and why? Need to get one for the GIX6 since the stock one blows. The 1000RR had the electronic doo-dad stock from Honda (actually worked pretty good), and before that was the 748 which had the Ohlins on it. So its been awhile (8yrs) since I've considered one.

I think I want the piston-style again vs. the rotary type that mounts on top of the upper triple. I just don't know why:dunno:.....

THANKS! And HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!

 

[Bifferone]

PJ,

Go with what you know. Ohlins piston will never do you wrong.

Had one on my 04 R1 in place of the stocker and it was great.

Chris

 

[barry38]

I had a Scotts rotary on my 600RR and an Ohlins piston type on my R6. I would have swapped the Scotts to the R6 but I would have had to drill and tap the frame to use it. Drilling the frame was not something I was a fan of, so I went with the Ohlins which was a simple 5 minute bolt on.. Both do an excellent job.

 

[Katie785]

I have the GPR.. it gets the job done, but i woudl prefer the Scotts since it's got both high and low speed adjustments

 

[meowculpa]

Katie785;29252 wrote: I have the GPR.. it gets the job done, but i woudl prefer the Scotts since it's got both high and low speed adjustments

i have a newbie question..
isn't avoiding tank slappers with high speed damping the "only" reason people use dampers? :notsure: why would one want to eliminate low speed movts as it actually helps with feedback?
i just bought a GPR V4 for an R6

 

[STEAKUM]

I have the Ohlins in the stock location on the GSXR and is well protected and rebuildable. Had an Ohlins on my R-6 and that was great also.......
PJ shop around over the winter and pick up a used one and send it out to be rebuilt and bingo!

 

[PJZOCC624]

STEAKUM;29277 wrote: and bingo!

....was his name-oh!

Was leaning toward the Ohlins, and used is the plan, Stan! As far as the rebuild, send off to Ohlins themselves, or an authorized dealer?

 

[PJZOCC624]

meowculpa;29276 wrote: i have a newbie question..
isn't avoiding tank slappers with high speed damping the "only" reason people use dampers? :notsure: why would one want to eliminate low speed movts as it actually helps with feedback?
i just bought a GPR V4 for an R6

Don't know how much feedback would be limited by stiffening up the movement of the front end at lower speeds. For me its a personal preference thing.... I dont like the bars loose ANYWHERE, but for low speed its more about having control under heavy braking (when the rear end starts to move around, I want the front to have as little "play" as possible). Plus, I think the intent of having high/low is so that it's stiffer high and looser low, but giving adjustability within those ranges.

 

[gkotlin]

I never had one. The bike shakes, and it bobbles and stuff. Just be light on the bars, let the bike do it's thing. Thats what I used to say. Then I bought a slipper clutch. I then sold the slipper and bought the damper. It sure is confidence building when the bike isn't shaking around. I don't know about this low speed high speed stuff though. But I also haven't ridden a bike with a dual setting damper. Seems like it may just be something else to worry about tuning. The radial dampers seem to hold up better in crashes then then linear dampers. I don't recall which company, but GPR or Ohlins rebuilds their dampers free of charger each season. Just included your orignal purchase receipt and pay for shipping.

 

[dlockhart5x]

The only words of caution WRT steering dampers is not to use it to mask other issues like geometry, or valving, or mis-adjusted, or dry steering head bearings. I run mine set as low they go, so I feel every bit of feedback I can.

 

[physicistkev]

for the older group, I use a storz...... works great for my head-shaking beast

 

[kd83]

I have a sprint damper, i heard good things and i got it used for a good price. Easy to install, easy to adjust on the fly, works like a charm

 

[PJZOCC624]

All the input is much appreciated! I think I'm gonna go with the Ohlins.

dlock- I hear and agree with what you're saying. I've got the suspension pretty well sorted out on it, and I'll be going over the bike this winter. The issues I'm having is under acceleration, when the front gets light, if there's ANY little bumps the bars start swatting back and forth (like exiting the first kink on Beave's back stretch, the "jump" at Thunderbolt). I REALLY hate it when it does that!

Off to ebay....

 

[barry38]

PJ - how tight are you holding the bars? I've found the harder you grip the bars, the more you feel the wooble. A damper will definately help, but so will a ligher grip.

 

[TheGrouch]

I have a Sprint that mounts in the stock position on my '06 GSXR600. This thing works WAY better than the stocker and is still mounted out of the way.

 

[nrcooled]

TheGrouch;29791 wrote: I have a Sprint that mounts in the stock position on my '06 GSXR600. This thing works WAY better than the stocker and is still mounted out of the way.

What is the difference that you notice? I have the stock one on my 750 and I haven't noticed an issue with being able to control the bike at all. It doesn't shake it's head too much even going over the "jump" at Thunderbolt.

I run a pretty quick I-group pace but I've never run into issues with the damper.

 

[meowculpa]

Acid test for steering damper function - Nelson Ledges!

 

[Motofun352]

I have a Scotts on my R1 and a Pitbull on my 750. Both work great, the pitbull is a cut above when it comes to fit and finish.

 

[PJZOCC624]

barry38;29784 wrote: PJ - how tight are you holding the bars? I've found the harder you grip the bars, the more you feel the wooble. A damper will definately help, but so will a ligher grip.

:agree:

I'm loose enough I think. It's definitely an issue of damping, especially under hard acceleration out of a fast turn/kink. The front end gets a little light and the wheel isn't straight, hence the wobble. I do understand what you're saying, and agree %100. I'm pretty certain its not a riding technique issue.

 

[Bossgobbler]

I use a Scotts on my 07 R6. The instructions for drilling the frame were very good. I was a little nervous about it, but all for not. It was simple. The benefits of claimed superior adjustability of the Scotts are described on the website - I bought into the pitch. You may not. One thing I like about Scotts is that you can swap it from bike to bike if you purchase the bike-specific mounting brackets - a considerable cost savings if that is important.

Finally, customer support from Scotts is A+. They noticed and technical error with my order and called to question it. They also provide product support if you have questions about installation or adjustment.