Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

hoffy wrote:They are just a mini shock absorber that is horizontal to add to the already vertical ones when you think about it.

I like them as they give a more solid feel to the front end, and keep the steering fluid over bumps and rough roads.

Its like any accessory, its your choice to fit or not to fit, but I like em'.

I like them also Hoffy

there a good thing but proper set should fix most of the wobbles, my bike was a known slapper but a stiffer rear spring sorted it.

im for fixing the problem rather than concealing it.

i found my bike used to give me a scare in corners and i was advised to get steering damper. im really happy i didnt take that advice and instead got the front suspension worked over and set for my weight and riding style.
as ive said here before the bike rides beautifully now.

Gosling1 wrote:

The reason that steering dampers sell like hot cakes these days is a combination of (a) inexperienced riders on (b) very fast & powerful motorcycles that are also (c) very light, but they are all still riding on (d) shitty roads from last century.

(d) Is right on the money. I've only had one instance of the 6 shaking its head, not even a full tank slap; and that was on a really crap road. You know the ones, where they just spray tar over the corrugations...

theres also e) "with an incorrectly set up suspension geometry", either by design inadequacies (manufacturer fault) or laziness with setup (fault behind the bars).

Steering dampers are used to cover design faults in motorcyle chassis & suspension. Thats it. If your bike has its wheels *exactly* in line, and the appropriate spring/damping rates at either end, then you *will not* require a steering damper under normal conditions of riding.

If this is the case,why do gp bikes fit them?Surely they would have the best chassis design and suspension that money can buy and its not like they run on pot holed roads like a street bike does?

the last 5 words in my post are the clue..........under normal conditions of riding.........

GP riders are riding in the stratosphere compared to the rest of us. Their bikes are considerably more powerful and lighter, and are always being used at 110%........for these guys, with a front wheel in the air coming out of a lot of corners, the damper is a must to control lateral front wheel movement, otherwise they run the risk of crashing......

Don't get me wrong about dampers, I think they look great, but choke at the price of an Ohlins for my 12.......when the reality is that it will improve little in normal conditions of riding. Far better to spend the money on a PCIII or braided lines etc, accesories that actually contribute to a better ride.....

about the only exception in the real world are rotary dampers on dirt-bikes used in really poor conditions, where you can get so much head-shake on bumpy, deeply rutted tracks that your arms will just about fall off if you don't have a damper fitted.

What I was trying to get across was that a Hornet 600 I don't think it would require one

Exactly. The HR reckons it is one of the most forgiving bikes to ride, and just could not believe someone would use a steering damper on one. About 18 mths ago he thought it had become a little light in the front; a fork service and adjustment for his weight and no problem.

I think everything Gos said is true, and my own personal belief is that a bike with a touchy front has a major design flaw, one that compromises rider safety.

Yeah, I'm with Gos. I've only ever put 1 damper on a road bike and that was on the current 10 because I thought it needed it. The worst I'd had was a few flaps of the bars as the front wheel touched down but I think the tyres fixed most of that. Looks race though Likewise it's most useful when the front wheel touches down at the creek.

I put a rotary one on my young blokes YZ250f because it was a big bike and he was 14. It fixed his arm pump right away.

with a front wheel in the air coming out of a lot of corners, the damper is a must to control lateral front wheel movement, otherwise they run the risk of crashing

So you have never seen a road bike doing this on the road?
I think that some of these current race rep road bikes do need them,although having said that i do agree that a 600 hornet doesnt and as far as price goes,yes it is ludicras for what it is,but isnt most bike stuff priced like that,im mean look at the price of sports tyres,$250-300 for something that you might get 4000 kilometers out of.

I got the hyperpro when I bought the 10 because there seemed to be a consensus in the reviews that it needed one, and every other 1000cc sporty I tested at the time had one standard from the manufacturer anyway. I rode around for a few weeks without it and had no problems, but then I was taking it relatively easy compared to how I ride it now.

Most of the time it doesn't do much except look shithot and attract fiddling fingers in the carpark at work.

There have been times when I've been glad of it though, and they usually involve the front wheel coming back down, while still cranked over, after it's lifted out of a corner, with the back end squirming around at the same time. I don't know that that's a design fault though...more an issue with the operator having too much fun

I dont mind dampers. But Ive had a few slappers on all sorts of bikes,
one big multi lock to lock and you will never wonder their worth.

bit like fire extinguishers, not needed under normal conditions.

steve

Buck wrote:... But Ive had a few slappers on all sorts of bikes....

Ridden with Stace a bit have you mate ??

Gosling1 wrote:

Buck wrote:... But Ive had a few slappers on all sorts of bikes....

Ridden with Stace a bit have you mate ??

no not stace. Am I missing out on something special

i was going to do a google image search for "slapper" and make some reference to mick c, but unfortunately they aren't all that worksafe, so i'll leave you with the wiki definition