Steering head dampener for tankslappin' fun
03-06-2005 | 09:05 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 296
From: East Cleveland
Steering head dampener for tankslappin' fun
just curious as to if anyone needs or has a steering dampener on their vtr.... you know, that bar thingey i had on my 929 that made my steering column not shake when i come down from doin a fast wheelie. i liked the security blanket. seeing how we've all seen that funny tankslap video on the internet.... damn head shakers! i have NEVER seen one on these bikes though... only inlines. any reason, or am i an idiot?
03-06-2005 | 09:24 PM
#2
Hmm?
SuperBike
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,069
From: San Gabriel Valley
Why do you need a wet steering head?
Ohhh, a damper.
I've had a bit of headshake under acceleration, but nothing hard to manage. If you raise the rear or lower the front (pull the forks through) you're going to change the geometry of the bike so that it's more extreme. Which will result in less stability. Leading to headshake.
Ohhh, a damper.
I've had a bit of headshake under acceleration, but nothing hard to manage. If you raise the rear or lower the front (pull the forks through) you're going to change the geometry of the bike so that it's more extreme. Which will result in less stability. Leading to headshake.
03-07-2005 | 11:50 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 296
From: East Cleveland
Re: Steering head dampener for tankslappin' fun
hah, ok ok , damper. lol. anyways, the bike in my avatar IS mine, just got it in the Bronx NY (8 hour road trip with a uhaul) last thursday. i will get some pics up once i put in the new flush mounts. it does have a matte S pipe and MIG high mounts which have a louder grunt than my S3 thunderbolt. guess MIG is out of business now. ill put them up as soon as possible.
03-08-2005 | 09:27 AM
#6
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Posts: n/a
Re: Steering head dampener for tankslappin' fun
I put an Ohlins damper on mine. Very helpful when the front end gets light. with RC51 forks, I used a fork tube clamp from a GSXR. Then made an aluminum bracket to hold the damper body. It all tucks in below the instrument cluster, GSXR style. Sorry, not the best picture.
03-09-2005 | 07:28 PM
#7
Member
Squid
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 53
From: Monterey, CA
Re: Steering head dampener for tankslappin' fun
Hi, I put a Shindy 'Daytona' dampener on my SuperHawk...I'm like you, I like the stability it gives to the bike...especially important since I raised the fork tubes 25mm in the triple clamps, which sped up the steering a skosh. Mostly it just looks cooler to have a dropped 'nose' on the Hawk.
It's in the pictures in my other 'pic link' post shown poking out of the right side fairing. It's not the world's best design probably, but it's cheap and works well.
I also like the Scott's damper that attaches to the upper triple clamp. I bet they make one for the VTR.
Cheers,
Brian Light
aka 'BKL'
It's in the pictures in my other 'pic link' post shown poking out of the right side fairing. It's not the world's best design probably, but it's cheap and works well.
I also like the Scott's damper that attaches to the upper triple clamp. I bet they make one for the VTR.
Cheers,
Brian Light
aka 'BKL'
03-11-2005 | 07:13 PM
#8
Senior Member
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 103
From: Atlanta
Re: Steering head dampener for tankslappin' fun
I currently have a Daytona steering damper installed on SuperChicken III. (It is the last remaining part of the now-stolen SuperChicken II, as I had just replaced the Daytona damper with an Ohlins Universal damper on the day that SuperChicken II was stolen--strange turn of fate for both the Ohlins damper and the Daytona damper that I intended to give away.)
Though the Daytona damper is adequate in the "max-on" setting, Ohlins is, by far, a better choice in steering damper It has many more clicks of adjustment and is noticably effective in most of them. The Daytona, on the other hand, is noticably effective only in the "max-on" setting. Also, since the Ohlins damper is the "Universal"--not the model-specific Ohlins damper--, it is surpisingly affordable ($325 MSRP).
[web:dee610c19e]http://www.exoticsportbike.com/universal.htm[/web:dee610c19e]
**Important: For the VTR, you will need the 150 mm universal damper. You will also need to trim the inner panel of the right fairing (the piece adjacent to the top of the radiator) so that the damper does not hang-up on the plastics and potentially send you ***-over-elbows. Lastly, to mount the universal damper effectively, you will also need to buy an aftermarket mounting clamp for the fork tube. Once you have attached the aftermarket clamp and front damper mount to the fork tube, you can easiy slide the universal damper's mount so that it bolts to the right-front radiator mount. Then, check the position of the fork tube mount and adjust for maximum effective travel and "damper flop".
cheers,
--HotStreetVTR
Though the Daytona damper is adequate in the "max-on" setting, Ohlins is, by far, a better choice in steering damper It has many more clicks of adjustment and is noticably effective in most of them. The Daytona, on the other hand, is noticably effective only in the "max-on" setting. Also, since the Ohlins damper is the "Universal"--not the model-specific Ohlins damper--, it is surpisingly affordable ($325 MSRP).
[web:dee610c19e]http://www.exoticsportbike.com/universal.htm[/web:dee610c19e]
**Important: For the VTR, you will need the 150 mm universal damper. You will also need to trim the inner panel of the right fairing (the piece adjacent to the top of the radiator) so that the damper does not hang-up on the plastics and potentially send you ***-over-elbows. Lastly, to mount the universal damper effectively, you will also need to buy an aftermarket mounting clamp for the fork tube. Once you have attached the aftermarket clamp and front damper mount to the fork tube, you can easiy slide the universal damper's mount so that it bolts to the right-front radiator mount. Then, check the position of the fork tube mount and adjust for maximum effective travel and "damper flop".
cheers,
--HotStreetVTR
03-11-2005 | 08:31 PM
#9
Member
Squid
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 53
From: Monterey, CA
Hmmm, not my experience at all with the Shindy. It really makes my steering uncomfortably heavy at anything over 3 clicks above zero setting. If I would ride with it at full clicks setting...I'd probably blow a sharp curve altogether!
Maybe yours was built differently than mine, but it sounds like two very different experiences here. BTW, the Shindy was $159 for the kit. Don't get me wrong folks...buy the Ohlins or Scotts if you can afford it!
Cheers,
BKL
Maybe yours was built differently than mine, but it sounds like two very different experiences here. BTW, the Shindy was $159 for the kit. Don't get me wrong folks...buy the Ohlins or Scotts if you can afford it!
Cheers,
BKL
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